The document discusses the economics of drying cassava chips for use as a biofuel feedstock in Africa. It addresses issues around quality, costs of production processes like peeling and drying, and the value chain for cassava. Sun-drying is identified as the most cost-effective drying method. Leaving cassava unpeeled can reduce costs by over 25% due to lower labor needs and physical losses during peeling. For cassava chips to compete as a biofuel feedstock, production costs must be low enough for cassava to compete with other potential feedstocks.

2. The economics of drying cassava chips for use of cassava as a filler crop in multi-feed plants Andrew Westby

9. HQCF value chain development

11. Value chain development for cassava

12. Value chain development for cassava

13. Value chain development for cassava Production costs and margins - Sun drying versus flash drying Sun drying Flash drying Nigeria Ghana Nigeria Ghana Production costs wet mash ($/t FCR) 68 53 68 53 Sun-drying ($/t FCR) Labour costs Other variable costs Total variable costs Capital costs 4 2 75 15 4 2 60 15 Flash-drying ($/t FCR) Profit on wet mash Labour costs Fuel costs Other variable costs Total variable costs Capital costs 16 7 23 52 145 12 16 3 23 34 124 13

14. Options for producing cassava feedstock for ethanol conversion ROOTS Peel Grate Sun dry and mill HQCF SCENARIO 1 Flash dry and mill HQCF ROOTS (Peel) Grate/mill Conversion to Ethanol Sun dry and mill SCENARIO 2 Taking knowledge on key costs and modelling to ethanol scenario

15. Value chain development for ethanol FCR = fresh cassava roots Country Nigeria Ghana Tanzania Uganda Malawi Yield (t/ha) 15 18 12 10 15 Production costs ($ per t FCR) 26.0 26.0 28.0 27.1 17.6 Farm gate cassava (($ / t FCR) 50.0 35.0 33.3 51.3 45.0 Farmers margin ($ / t FCR) 24.0 9.0 5.3 24.2 27.4 labour cost for peeling ($ / t FCR) 6.7 7.4 22.0 6.9 4.2 Cost of chipping (50% cost of grating) ($ / t FCR) 5.9 5.5 3.8 2.5 2.5 Labour costs sun drying ($ / t wet product ) 8.00 7.14 4.40 2.06 2.00 Other costs sun drying ($ / t wet product ) 4 4 3 3 3

16. Projected costs of cassava chips without farmers margin

17. Projected costs of cassava chips with farmers margin

18. Alternative uses of cassava

21. Alternative uses of cassava Source: Jonathan Anaglo, PhD Thesis, University of Greenwich

27. Value chain development for cassava THANK YOU Project team Andrew Westby, Kolawole Adebayo, L ouise Abayomi, Adebayo Abass, Francis Alacho, Victor Antwi, Aurelie Bechoff, Nanam Dziedzoave, Lora Forsythe, Richard Gibson, Andrew Graffham, Paul Ilona, Vincent Kaitano, Michael Kirya, Ulrich Kleih, Richard Lamboll, Grace Mahende, Adrienne Martin, Shija Msikula, Gideon Onumah, Helena Posthumus, Vito Sandifolo, Lateef Sanni, Andrew Sergeant, Bernard Siwoku; John Orchard; Patricia Harvey