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Cassava: As Precious as Gold
Walking along the streets of Ormoc had never been the same several days after Typhoon
Yolanda (Typhoon Haiyan) battered Leyte, Philippines in 2013. Numerous lifeless bodies were
retrieved by rescuers. The scenario of floating coconut logs, women washing their soiled clothes,
slaughtered pigs, and children playing unbothered by the chaotic environment is still vividly
remembered. Howling winds, torrential rains, storm surges, and flashfloods brought by typhoons
threaten our survival. Residents of Eastern Visayas, especially farmers felt that it was like loosing
a gamble against nature. A few meters away from the road, a sign board read: “Pls. bigyan ninyo
kami ng pagkain.” (Please give us food.)
Rice and coconut were the main sources of livelihood in Leyte and Samar before Typhoon
Yolanda. According to several farmers, they gathered root crops such as sweet potatoes and
cassava that were left undamaged. However, they sold their goods for a very low price just to
survive. Majority of farmers in Eastern Visayas planted cassava to address food insecurity after
the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda.
Disaster-resilient crop
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), one type of starchy tuberous bulb, is a major source
of carbohydrates. In the Philippines, it is commonly called kamoteng kahoy or balinghoy while in
other parts of the world, it is also known as tapioca, manioc or yuca. More than fifteen million
(15M) Filipinos eat cassava as staple or supplement food. More than 218,000 farm families are
dependent (partially or fully) on cassava production as a source of income (Philippine Department
of Agriculture, 2016). Although it is entirely a commercial crop, it is considered as a disasterresilient crop because of its ability to withstand harsh environments. Based on the study of
Hershey et al. (1997), cassava historically gained importance in Asia as a food security crop in
times of political unrest, wars and famine, particularly in parts of Indonesia and India.
After the catastrophic event, necessary trainings were provided to ensure success and
sustainability of cassava production. The Quezon Junior United Farmers Association (QJUFA) in
Leyte became one of the community associations financially supported by CARE (Cooperative for
Assistance and Relief everywhere) through the Community Enterprise Facility project in
partnership with the Rural Development Initiatives in the Islands of Leyte. To overcome obstacles
to achieve high yield, developing simple practices that are suitable for the local context should be
done. These practices must provide benefits to the farmer as well as long-term benefits to the
environment.
A farmer’s risky life
Managing a farm entails decision-making skills and usually involves the entire household.
To manage climate change risks, farmers in Southeast Asia have been exploring new farming
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adaptation practices. Farmers apply their own sustainable options to improve cassava productivity,
increase nutrient availability, and reduce nutrient losses within their farming system. There is
pressure to increase cassava production to accommodate the growing population. Furthermore,
climate change is adding complexity to the situation by placing greater demands for new
technologies that respond to various climate change challenges for cassava in Asia. The
opportunities for increasing sustainable cassava production can only be achieved by using the bestadapted cassava varieties and implementing GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) in cassava
cultivation. Hence, ensuring the availability of a wide range of expertise to develop and implement
sustainable cassava cultivation strategies is necessary.
Another farmer’s organization in Samar is the Kauswagan han Gudti nga Parag-uma ha
Nabong, Pinabacdao (Kauswagan). The term “kauswagan” means development in Waray dialect.
Cassava is also processed into chips to extend its shelf life. Hence, Kauswagan members
underwent skills training to master the process of making cassava chips. This preservation
technique will also help in addressing the problem of food insufficiency during natural calamities
since majority of root crops rot due to excessive moisture as a result of flooding caused by heavy
rainfall.
Potential to turn Cassava into gold
The aim of the farmer’s organization it to address the community’s problem of incurring
enormous losses due to monocropping or planting only one type of crop. Crop diversification is
being done by planting various crops such as yam, sweet potato or camote, ginger, along with
banana as substitutes to planting upland rice. This allows them to increase their productivity per
unit area of land and consequently increase farmer’s income.
Cassava production also needs to be profitable with key focus on smallholder farmers.
Recognized as a highly versatile crop, cassava is no longer considered as a poor man’s crop
because it can provide fortune if farmers will venture to value-added products such as flour, starch,
and animal feed. The farmers in Samar are hopeful that their product will eventually be sold in the
market so that they can fully utilize their new skills and newly acquired post-harvest facilities.
Smallholder farmers should organize themselves for application of the inclusive business model
and promote women to play active roles in leadership and management. To address the issue of
low productivity, extension services should be provided to improve farmers’ understanding of
sustainable cassava production including planting techniques, fertilizer application, pest and
disease management and other available technologies. Incorporating climate smart cassava
production in the extension services is also a necessity. This would enable cassava farmers to
reduce their vulnerability to climate variability by having a reliable source of information. Through
collective action, financial institutions should be lobbied to improve access to finance and low
interest rates for cassava value chain actors.
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A number of policy options and institutional support systems are important in the cassava
industry. There are local institutions including private, public, and Non-governmental
Organizations (NGOS) that may serve as channels to improve cassava production. Foreign
agencies are also offering help to improve the quality of life of farmers. Maximizing the use of
these linkages will improve cassava market systems. The academe can also provide assistance for
a science-based approach to sustainability. The key to sustainable agro-ecosystem management is
to integrate environmental protection with economic benefits to a variety of stakeholders.
Harmony among the stakeholders is needed to have a better road map for the cassava industry.
Critical agricultural decisions in crop production determines economic yield. Crop
production is affected by climate risks like extreme drought and flooding since these can bring
significant crop losses to the farmer. Thus, understanding the risks involved in farming is essential.
Risk management skills should be acquired to better anticipate problems and reduce consequences.
Adaptation strategies will help improve the capabilities of farmers to strive even in the midst of
threats imposed by the impacts of climate change. Strengthening the resilience of the agricultural
sector to boost agricultural productivity is needed to reduce poverty and increase food security.
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