Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
To increase storage times cassava roots can be washed and treated to kill adhering
microorganisms. Subsequently, they can be wrapped in plastic, coated with wax,
and refrigerated.
5.6.6 Preparation
Before this crop is safe to eat, the root must be cooked. Commonly, it is pealed, ground,
washed, boiled, and dried. During this processing, usually during the washing and
drying steps, toxic components, glucosides, are decomposed by enzymes in cassava
itself and by microorganisms associated with the roots, and cyanide is washed out
during the washing process. These procedures, if carried out carefully, are usually suffi-
cient to remove all or enough cyanide precursors and cyanide such that the resulting
meal (ground tuber) from the interior (Fig. 5.18) once dried is safe to eat.
5.6.7 World Production
Nigeria is by far the largest producer of cassava, followed by Brazil, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia (See Fig. 5.19). In the Congo not only are the
roots used as a source of carbohydrates, but the leaves are also eaten. However,
leaves of cassava are not commonly eaten in most cassava-producing countries.
5.6.8 World Trade
For 2004 there was virtually no trade in cassava. Only one country, the Congo, reported
exports of only 1 metric ton of cassava while no other countries reported any import or
export of this crop. It should be kept in mind that this does not mean that there was no
movement of cassava across country borders just that it was either very small or was
outside normal commercial channels.
Figure
5.19. Map
of
cassava-producing
countries.
(Data
abstracted
from
http: //
faostat.fao.org / faostat.)
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