1. Trends in Global Cassava Production and Utilization
Subash Dasgupta
Senior Plant Production Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the pacific
Bangkok, Thailand
28 June 2011
World Tapioca Conference , Bangkok, Thailand

2. Advantage of Cassava production
Food security Crop
Important component of diet for more than I billion population
More attention to indigenous crop
Alternative to expensive cereals
Emerging as energy security crop
Donor support for biofuel initiative
Brining marginal farmers into cash economy
Ability to tolerate highly unfavourable environmental conditions

3. Emerging Issues
A competitive substitute of maize for starch and ethanol production
Competition for land with cereals
Deforestation (mainly Viet Nam) for land
Ethanol Plants (Indonesia, Thailand, China and Viet Nam)
Growing domestic and international market
Market is very competitive in terms of price and volume
Conflict between food and energy
Interest to this crop has been growing
Demand in China is growing

4. Table . World cassava market at a glance
Component
2008
2009
2010
Change 2010 over 2009
World Production
(million tonnes fresh root equiv.)
239.9
251.0
248.7
- 0.9%
Trade
18.9
28.2
29.2
3.8
Trade -share of production (%)
7.9
11.2
11.8
4.8

5. Cassava Price (USD/tonne)
Items
2008
2009
2010
Changes 2010 over 2009
Chips to China
171.1
137.4
199.1
52.4
Starch
383.6
281.3
496.0
87.1
Thai domestic root prices
57.2
41.4
76.1
98.8

6. Cassava Production in Asia (million tonnes)
Countries
2007
2008
2009
2010
Thailand
26.9
25.16
30.08
22.00
Indonesia
19.99
21.59
22.04
22.50
Viet Nam
8.19
9.34
8.56
8.70
India
8.23
9.06
9.62
10.00
China
7.88
8.30
8.00
Cambodia
2.22
3.68
3.50
3.60
Philippines
1.87
1.94
2.04
2.20
Other Asia
1.11
1.61
1.10
1.17

7. Cassava Yield in some Asian countries in 2009
Yield (t/ha)
Thailand
22.68
Viet Nam
16.82
Cambodia
22.27
Laos
14.71
Myanmar
13.40
Potential yield
30-35 t/ha with existing technologies

8. Major Cassava producing countries (million tonnes)
2007
2008
2009
2010
Nigeria
43.41
44.58
45.00
45.70
Brazil
26.64
26.54
26.60
26.00
Indonesia
19.99
21.59
22.04
22.50
Thailand
26.92
25.16
30.08
22.00
Congo
15.00
15.01
15.03
15.10
Angola
9.73
10.06
12.83
13.50
Ghana
10.22
11.35
12.23
12.50
India
8.23
9.06
9.62
10.00

9. Recommendations
Improving supply sides by increasing productivity and improving processing technologies
Need variety having resistance to pests and higher starch contents
Increased use of biotechnology in developing modern varieties
Develop intensive production and processing methods for small-scale farmers

10. Continuation
Creation of an appropriate policy framework to sustain it food security crop
Cutting down post-harvest losses through investment in processing technologies
Integrated farmers in value chain and interact with livestock and energy value chains

11. THANK YOU