CASSAVA PROCESSING IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF GARI PROCESSING

Nigeria grows more cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) than any other part of the world. Cassava can be processed into a number of food products for human consumption of which gari is among. Gari which is a granulated food product derived from cassava is widely consumed in Nigeria and other African countries. The processing of gari in Nigeria is still done using the traditional methods which is slow and tedious thereby making gari very expensive to buy in the market due to the little quantity available and also making gari insufficient for the ever-teeming population of Nigeria. Mechanizing gari processing in Nigeria through government’s intervention by providing manufacturing industries in Nigeria what it takes to function in developing agro-processing equipment such as that of gari and other food products, Nigeria stands the tendency of securing food for her ever-teeming population. This paper discusses the importance and problems associated with gari processing in Nigeria