Cassava – manihot esculenta and its value chain
Welcome to the Introduction to Cassava Farming category, your starting point for understanding how this vital crop is cultivated, managed, and sustained.
Cassava is one of the world’s most adaptable and widely consumed staple crops, playing a major role in food security and rural livelihoods. In this category, you’ll discover essential information for new and aspiring cassava farmers who want to understand the crop from the ground up.
Whether you are new to cassava or looking to refine your skills, this section is designed to introduce you to the core concepts of cassava farming while laying the groundwork for more advanced topics in crop production and agribusiness.
In this section of the Cassava Pathway, you’ll find blog posts that offer a clear and accessible breakdown of cassava’s botanical characteristics, farming requirements, and value within both local and international food systems.
We explore cassava from multiple perspectives:
Basic crop identification and how cassava grows
The origin and global importance of cassava as a food and industrial crop
Nutritional value and food security potential
Varieties and types of cassava used for food and processing
Its role as a climate-resilient crop in tropical regions
These posts are written to provide clarity for beginners while also serving as a reference point for educators, agricultural extension workers, and value chain stakeholders.
Cassava cultivation is not just about growing a root crop; it’s a key entry point into the broader cassava value chain.
Every tuber harvested becomes raw material for flours, starches, animal feeds, and even biofuels.
This makes cassava farming a foundational economic activity in many regions across Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.
Because cassava grows well in marginal soils and requires fewer inputs than many other crops, it is a strategic crop for smallholder farmers and food security programs.
However, achieving good yields and sustainable production requires more than just planting and waiting.
This category introduces you to the core farming practices needed to succeed.
We provide evidence-based farming guides and insights tailored to different climates and soil conditions.
Some of the topics you’ll come across include:
Site and soil preparation for cassava cultivation
How to select healthy cassava stems for planting
Best planting techniques and spacing guidelines
Water and weed management practices
Integrated pest and disease management
Post-harvest practices to maintain tuber quality
All articles aim to simplify cassava farming into manageable steps, while still offering the technical depth needed to inform better decisions on the farm.
This category is particularly useful for first-time farmers, agricultural students, and development practitioners working on rural food systems.
Whether you’re launching a small cassava farm or training others to do so, you’ll find practical advice written in a way that’s easy to understand and apply.
We also connect cassava farming to broader issues like climate adaptation, land use planning, and gender inclusion in agriculture, helping you see the full picture of what cassava cultivation represents in today’s world.
At Cassava Pathway, we believe every cassava farmer deserves access to accurate, timely, and farmer-focused information.
This Introduction to Cassava Farming category is your gateway to becoming part of a global network of growers who are improving yields, protecting natural resources, and building stronger food systems, one cassava field at a time.
Start exploring our guides and insights today and take your first step toward successful cassava farming.
Planting other crops alongside cassava can boost soil health, improve yields, and reduce pest problems. Intercropping is a great way to make the most of your land, and cassava is no exception. In this post, we’ll explore which crops work best with cassava, making it easier to grow and more profitable. You might be new … Read more
Let’s discuss the environmental impact of cassava farming, from land degradation to water consumption. Find sustainable practices to mitigate these effects and ensure a healthier planet for future generations.
This guide discusses cassava farming, focusing on the importance of harvesting at the right time. Learn about the growth stages of cassava, key visual and tactile signs cassava is ready to be harvested, and the consequences of late harvesting.
Discover how to grow cassava in small spaces like containers and balconies, and care practices for a successful harvest
Discover the best practices in cassava farming and tips on soil preparation, planting, and crop management for a successful harvest.
Learn about cassava stems – types, anatomy, and propagation methods, including the importance of nodes and internodes and how to care for them.
From cultivation to processing to distribution, various factors can impact the efficiency and profitability of the cassava value chain.
Learn about these devastating cassava pests and diseases that reduce cassava yield and practical methods to prevent and control them.
Preparing the soil and planting cassava cuttings is the only way to grow cassava and keep the cassava value chain running. Here is everything to know.
The history of the mandioca plant is rich as it is a life wire plant for many Indigenous communities in Brazil and Africa for food and medicine.