Cassava is the second most consumed source of carbohydrate in sub-Saharan Africa, but the crop's industrial potential has been largely unexploited.

Cassava is a woody shrub with an edible root that looks like a large sweet potato. Although cassava roots can be processed into a variety of products – including cassava flour, starch, ethanol and glucose syrup – the crop has not been a great commercial success in Africa. The reason for this is because around 70% of the root consists of water, which makes it uneconomical to transport over great distances. While the cassava root can stay in the ground for many years, once it is harvested, it needs to be processed very quickly before it goes bad. Cassava processing plants therefore need to be situated close to the growing areas.

However, some of the world's largest alcoholic beverages companies are finding ways of tapping into the potential of cassava. Both SABMiller and Diageo have over the past two years launched commercially-made cassava-based beers in Africa.

SABMiller was first off the block with its Impala brand in Mozambique. In March this year the company also rolled out the concept to Ghana, where the beer is brewed by SABMiller's local subsidiary Accra Brewery Limited, under the Eagle brand name.

Towards the end of 2012, UK-based Diageo also launched its own Ruut Extra in Ghana, which is made predominantly from cassava raw material.

Both SABMiller and Diageo source their cassava from small-scale farmers. "It's been a win-win really. Seven thousand farmers are connected with this secure market, we connect them with a secure market, they are guaranteed that we buy their output, and it is really working," said Ekwunife Okoli, managing director of Diageo's Africa Regional Markets division, at a recent conference.

To overcome the challenge of transporting cassava over large distances, SABMiller has partnered with Dutch organisation DADTCO, which has developed a mobile cassava processing unit that can travel to the cassava growing regions. Basic processing is therefore done in the rural areas.

Tax incentives

Both SABMiller and Diageo's cassava beers are priced at less than their mainstream offerings and aimed at the lower end of the market. This lower price is partly achieved by negotiating better tax rates with governments for using locally-sourced inputs. "Using cassava and accessing some government incentives for local raw materials' utilisation has given us duty relief, which has allowed us to sell this at 35% discount to mainstream lager brands," said Okoli.

The majority of alcohol consumed in Africa is still in the form of home brews or illicit liquor – products on which governments can't collect any tax. By bringing more customers into the formal beer market, government tax revenues are therefore increased.

According to Okoli, Diageo will roll out more cassava beer brands, as it negotiates tax incentives with governments. "Does the concept work outside of Ghana? Absolutely, but it involves sitting down with the government and discussing and getting opportunities for tax reduction," he said.

Despite the abundance of cassava in many African countries, sourcing the required inputs from thousands of small-scale farmers remains a challenge. "Yes, there is a lot of cassava, but there is a lot of cassava in small minute batches owned by hundreds of thousands of people who you can write contracts with and all of that. In order to structure that into a commercially viable supply chain takes a lot of development and that's what we're currently doing. So, even in Ghana, we're not getting enough supply," said Okoli.

http://www.agri4africa.com/index.php?dirname=docs_02newsletters/00010newsletter.php&lookupArticleId=154

now here is a possible future of cassava! the big question is how will it stack against beer produced from cereal and will Nigerians prefer it? I will readily sign up to try this beer.

Nigeria is the number one producer of cassava in the world today, this would become an area of comparative advantage for the country if this beer manufacturing method catches on.

Cassava beer?! YUCKS!!
I wonder how they'll eliminate that pungent odour of fermented cassava.

Btw, I see a great potential in cassava biz should the brewers pull this off.

SABMiller plc (SAB.L) today announces the launch of a cassava beer in Ghana. The beer will be brewed by SABMiller’s local subsidiary, Accra Brewery Limited (ABL), under the brand name ‘Eagle’. The launch builds on the success of the world’s first commercially-made cassava beer, Impala, which SABMiller unveiled in Mozambique 18 months ago.

Prior to Impala’s launch in Mozambique, cassava had never been used to brew beer on a commercial scale because of the logistical challenge of collecting the roots from smallholder farmers who are widely dispersed, along with its rapid deterioration immediately after harvesting. Cassava is a reliable source of starch across most of Africa, but it starts to degrade almost immediately after it is harvested, which, together with its high water content, makes it unsuitable for transporting over long distances.

Mark Bowman, Managing Director of SABMiller Africa, said: “Part of our strategy across Africa is to make high quality beer which is affordable for low-income consumers while simultaneously creating opportunities for smallholder farmers in our markets. The launch of Eagle in Ghana ticks both these boxes.

“Eagle is aimed at attracting low-income consumers away from illicit alcohol. This is a virtuous circle: smallholder cassava farmers have a guaranteed market for their crop, which is then used to make consistently high quality, affordable beer for consumers; and the government realises increased revenues as people trade up into formal, taxable alcohol consumption.”

Accra Brewery has partnered with DADTCO (Dutch Agricultural Development and Trading Company) Cassava Processing Ghana Limited, which has designed a mobile processing unit (AMPU) that travels to the cassava growing regions and processes the root in situ, preserving the integrity of the starch. SABMiller already works with DADTCO in Mozambique where the same technology is used. This initiative is part of SABMiller’s ‘Farming Better Futures’ programme. Within the first year, ABL expects to source the cassava from as many as 1,500 smallholder farmers.

Much of the cassava in Ghana is grown by subsistence farmers and there is an estimated 40% surplus each year partly because there is little opportunity for farmers to sell the produce in commercial markets. The launch of Eagle will provide an opportunity to turn locally grown cassava into a cash crop, allowing farmers to generate income whilst continuing to feed their families and, at the same time, reducing the crop’s surplus.

Eagle will be sold in 375ml bottles at a price point equal to 70% of mainstream lager. This is made possible by a reduced excise rate agreed with the Ghanaian government in recognition of the use of locally-sourced commodities and the long-term contribution that Eagle is expected to make to agricultural and economic development in the country.
http://www.sabmiller.com/index.asp?pageid=141&newsid=2144

U-Get-Sense:
Cassava beer?! YUCKS!!
I wonder how they'll eliminate that pungent odour of fermented cassava.

Btw, I see a great potential in cassava biz should the brewers pull this off.

The beer is already in the market. Cassava has become gold in delta state.

In October 2011 in Mozambique, we launched the first-ever commercial-scale, cassava-based clear beer - Impala.

Cassava is a difficult crop to use on a commercial scale, because the root deteriorates quickly once it's been harvested. That said, it's also one of the most widely-grown crops in Africa. We therefore saw an opportunity to create a new market for subsistence farmers and help them to earn an income, often for the first time. We joined forces with DADTCO (Dutch Agricultural Development and Trading Company) and came up with an innovative solution - a mobile processing unit that we can send to cassava-growing regions to process the crop on the farm, ready for the brewery.

Through Impala we'll create additional income for over 1,500 smallholder farmers, helping them to raise their families' standard of living. In recognition of its contribution to agricultural and economic development in Mozambique, the government has introduced a new excise category for beer made from cassava. And because we're using a local crop, it costs less to produce than other clear beers and we can sell Impala at a lower price - 70% of the price of mainstream lager. This makes it affordable for consumers who might otherwise be drinking informal or illicit alcohol.

Grant Liversage - Managing Director, Cervejas de Moçambique.

Find out more in the film below which shows the production process of Impala and looks at some of SABMiller's other agricultural programmes across Africa.

http://www.sabmiller.com/index.asp?pageid=2349

more like, garri beer

Cassava beer no be new thing, it has been existing for long.

Na wetin be 'omi gari(garri water) if not beer?
The water dey 'shack' especially if it is from a sour garri.

Seems am even high on it to have typed this!

This is cheery news.

It would boost the income of cassava farmers.

That means say garri go begin scarce be that . . .