Cassava News 83

Pest and disease crippled Cassava prodction in SE Asia

CASSAVANEWS to follow up Matangi Tonga online Colombia, Sri Lanka:.International Center for Tropical Agriculture CIAT scientists and their partners in Southeast Asia have issued urgent preliminary guidelines to tackle deadly pest and disease outbreaks that have crippled cassava production in parts of the region.The move follows a CIAT investigation into reports from Thailands eastern and northeastern regions, of damaged and stunted cassava plants with low root yields.

Cassava is an essential pro-poor crop in the region, where it is grown by around 5 million smallholders, mainly to supply the starch processing and animal feed industries. In Thailand alone, the industry is worth US$1.5 billion, and the country accounts for three-quarters of the worlds cassava exports.

CIAT entomologist, Dr Tony Bellotti, was part of the investigation team that traveled from CIAT headquarters in Colombia to the region: "When we arrived at the plantations in Thailand, I was stunned. Straight away I realized we've got real problems."

A drive around the Korat region, about three hours from the capital, Bangkok, confirmed the worst: the road was flanked by field-after-field of affected plants.
 
One troubling discovery was the large number of mealybugs' well-known cassava pests in Latin America and Africa, but rarely a problem for cassava producers in SE Asia. The sap-sucking insects weaken plants, resulting in leaf distortion, and lower root yields.

The Thai fields were also found to be infested by tropical whitefly and red mites, while Cassava Bacterial Blight (CBB) and Brown Leaf Spot disease were also widespread. None of these pest and disease problems had previously caused significant losses in Thailand, but the severity of the current outbreak they has been attributed, in part, to higher than usual rainfall in the region, linked to climate change.

Some analysts now predict a cut in Thai cassava output by at least 30% this season; some farmers face losses as high as 80%. Many have already abandoned their crops.
 
Dr. Tin Maung Aye, a cassava specialist in CIAT's Asia office said: "These pests and diseases will place a huge strain on Thailand's cassava production. Not only will the incomes of smallholder farmers be greatly affected, but so will those of the many laborers employed in the cassava industry. There will be widespread economic and social implications."

Double-trouble

Then, more bad news as farmers in neighboring Vietnam began to report similar symptoms in their cassava crops. The team again found mealybugs, tropical whitefly and red mites, but the main problems were not pests, but diseases.

"The CBB was incredible," continued Tony Bellotti. "The disease was just oozing from the stems. I've worked with cassava for 35 years and I'd never seen anything like it."

They also found symptoms known as Witches' Broom, still new to Vietnamese farmers, typified by discoloration and distortion of cassava leaves, and reduced branching of the stems. When the affected cassava is uprooted, the roots are thinner and smaller, with rough-textured skins, and drastically reduced starch content.

Further investigations are underway, and CIAT is now investigating reports that fields in Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines have also been affected.

  "It's no surprise if these problems are spreading quickly," said Bellotti. "If the mealybug, for example, can find its way from its native Latin America, across the Atlantic to Africa, and then to Asia, it can find its way around the  Mekong region and beyond.

"We can be fairly sure that China and Myanmar will be hit soon, and in time, Indonesia too," he said.

"Cassava production in SE Asia has enjoyed an extended honeymoon period," he continued. "That period is now over."

Taking control

  CIAT Asia is working with national partners to provide cassava management guidelines. "This is a red alert," said Tin Maung Aye. "We're still coming to terms with the scale of the problem, but without decisive action and donor support, we expect a huge slump in cassava output in SE Asia. That would be devastating for rural livelihoods in the region.

"The spread is almost certainly caused by the movement of infected planting material," Tin continued. "One of the first responses is for the authorities in affected countries to impose strict quarantine regulations on the movement of cassava, especially the stems used as planting material, and of related species, like jatropha.

"Farmers also need to be trained to select and safely store clean planting material, and to identify pests and diseases. Establishing an effective surveillance and monitoring system with a GIS database is essential.

  "We will also need to develop an Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) strategy, based primarily on biological control. With the right support, the current attempts to develop an effective IPM strategy could be strengthened very quickly, which will help protect next seasons crop. Over the medium to longer term, the biological control and IPDM strategy would be strengthened and include release of parasites to control pests and the insects that carry the diseases. Breeding of cassava varieties with greater pest and disease resistance would become a priority.

"As a result of generous, long-term support from the Nippon Foundation, CIAT has had a profoundly positive impact on cassava production in SE Asia, and the livelihoods of cassava farmers. We are therefore well-placed to provide solutions to the current pest and disease outbreaks," he continued. "But there is no time to lose." CIAT, 19/01/10.

Tin and Kim in Vietnam; Photo by Hoang Kim :. 
More information CIAT visit regarding cassava pests and diseases

Cassava News 82

Researchers complete draft genome sequence for cassava

CASSAVANEWS to follow up http://www.eurekalert.org. A team of academic, government and industry researchers has completed a first draft of the cassava (Manihot esculenta) genome. The project is an important first step in accelerating the pace of research on this subsistence crop and addressing some of the many limitations that face cassava farmers around the world.

Cassava is a root crop that serves as the primary food source for more than 750 million people each day. Although it has many properties that make it an important food across much of Africa and Asia, it also has many limitations. Cassava has poor nutritional content and is susceptible to many pathogens, particularly in Africa, where one third of the continental harvest is lost each year to viral diseases. One of these, Cassava Brown Streak Disease, or CBSD, is currently the major threat to food security in some parts of Eastern Africa.

In response to the urgency of this threat, and building upon the newly available cassava genome sequence, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a $1.3 million grant to University of Arizona researchers who will lead an international consortium to develop a genome variation database that will provide breeding tools to aid farmers in improving cassava, with a special focus on increased resistance to the CBSD virus.

Steve Rounsley, associate professor in the School of Plant Sciences at the UA and a member of the BIO5 Institute, will coordinate the project that includes partners at the Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI), and 454 Life Sciences, a Roche Company.

The impetus for the genome sequence began in 2003 with the formation of The Global Cassava Partnership (GCP-21), co-chaired by Dr. Claude Fauquet, director of the International Laboratory for Tropical Agriculture Biology (ILTAB) at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC) in St. Louis, and Dr. Joe Tohme of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia. This, in turn, led to a 2006 proposal by Fauquet, Tohme and 12 other international scientists to DOE JGI's Community Sequencing Program, which was selected for a pilot project.

The full genome project gathered momentum in early 2009 when 454 Life Sciences and DOE JGI each pledged the resources to use 454's Genome Sequencer FLX platform with long-read GS FLX Titanium chemistry to rapidly generate the DNA sequence data needed for the project. "This is a perfect example of how quickly things can happen when everyone is aligned behind an important cause. Most of the data for the genome were generated within 8 weeks of getting DOE JGI and 454 Life Sciences on board," said the UA's Rounsley, who led the collaboration.

More than 61 million sequencing reads were generated and assembled into a draft genome that contains an estimated 95 percent of cassava genes. It is one of the first large genome projects to primarily use 454 Life Sciences' long-read sequencing platform, which enabled both improved quality of the draft, and its rapid generation.

"We are pleased to contribute our sequencing technology to this important global initiative," explained Michael Egholm, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Research and Development at 454 Life Sciences. "This project, along with other recently completed complex plant genome projects, demonstrates that 454 Sequencing systems are rapidly becoming the standard for de novo sequencing and assembly."

The availability of the genome sequence enables the newly-funded project to study how cassava varieties differ from each other. "The contributions of 454 Life Sciences and DOE JGI in making the cassava genome a reality have opened a new chapter in cassava research worldwide. We're excited about the opportunity for cassava breeders to access new tools for improving a staple African crop," said Katherine Kahn, program officer with the Agricultural Development initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Researchers will use next-generation technologies to sample many varieties of cassava and develop a large database of markers that can be used to identify genes involved in many important traits. The team will collaborate with researchers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in applying these genetic markers toward identifying resistance to Cassava Brown Streak Disease. All of the information and tools the project develops will be freely available worldwide.

Traditional cassava improvement is slow and difficult. The availability of large numbers of markers will help make breeding schemes more efficient. For instance, traits that may only show up in mature plants can be identified in seedlings with a cheap DNA test. Since cassava is used for industrial starch production, and has potential as a biofuel source, there are commercial applications of these breeding tools. However, the most important applications will be those that improve the lives of those who depend upon cassava for their daily calorie intake.

"With the first cassava genome in hand, we can cheaply and quickly sequence other varieties that will give us thousands of little signposts – mile markers if you like – that will help us identify key genes for increasing the plant's resistance to the virus," Rounsley said.

"By 2050, 90 percent of humankind will live in developing countries where agriculture is the most important economic activity. Crops grown by small farmers are central to international food security, health, economic growth, energy needs, poverty reduction and social stability," Fauquet said. "The information contained in the cassava genome will provide tremendous opportunities to improve this important crop, bringing it into the mainstream of plant research thereby reducing the time and cost of delivering improved cultivars to farmers who need it most."

This grant is part of the foundation's Agricultural Development initiative, which is working with a wide range of partners to provide millions of small farmers in the developing world with tools and opportunities to boost their yields, increase their incomes and build better lives for themselves and their families. The foundation is working to strengthen the entire agricultural value chain – from seeds and soil to farm management and market access—so that progress against hunger and poverty is sustainable over the long term.

The annotated draft genome sequence is available at DOE JGI's Phytozome Web site, www.phytozome.net/cassava.

The BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona is at the leading edge of life sciences research, bringing together faculty and other researchers from five disciplines – agriculture, medicine, pharmacy, basic science and engineering – to tackle complex biology-based problems affecting humanity today. Learn more at http://bio5.org/



Media: Johnny Cruz (520) 621-1879, cruzj@email.arizona.edu



About the Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore



The Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore is an international research center dedicated to advancing the use of genomics to improve human life. Led by Dr. Claire Fraser-Liggett, a preeminent genome scientist and microbiologist, IGS is located in a 10-acre BioPark in downtown Baltimore. IGS scientists integrate genomics, bioinformatics and metagenomics into biomedical research. For more information, see http://www.igs.umaryland.edu.



Media: Sarah Pick, (410) 707-2543, spick@som.umaryland.edu



About U.S. Dept. of Energy Joint Genomic Institute (DOE JGI)



The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (http://www.jgi.doe.gov), supported by DOE's Office of Science, is committed to advancing genomics in support of DOE missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and cleanup. DOE JGI, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., provides integrated high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis that enable systems-based scientific approaches to these challenges. Follow DOE JGI on Twitter.



Media: David Gilbert, (925) 296-5643, degilbert@lbl.gov



About 454 Life Sciences



454 Life Sciences, a center of excellence of Roche Applied Science, develops and commercializes the innovative 454 Sequencing system for ultra-high-throughput DNA sequencing. Specific applications include de novo sequencing and re-sequencing of genomes, metagenomics, RNA analysis, and targeted sequencing of DNA regions of interest. The hallmarks of the 454 Sequencing system are its simple, unbiased sample preparation and long, highly accurate sequence reads, including paired-end reads. The system has enabled hundreds of peer-reviewed studies in diverse research fields, such as cancer and infectious disease research, drug discovery, marine biology, anthropology, paleontology and many more.



The Global Cassava Partnership (GCP-21)



Founded and chaired by Dr. Claude Fauquet and Dr. Joe Tohme, the GCP-21 is an alliance of the cassava research and development community, that are working to identify the major constraints to unlock the productivity potential of cassava. The sequencing of the cassava genome was one of these major constraints, and its establishment will permit the development of many more tools that will be made available for free to the cassava community. These modern tools will provide new tools to breeders and biotechnologists to speed up the improvement of cassava to benefit of hundreds of millions of people in the world. For more information please visit, http://www.danforthcenter.org/GCP21/.



About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center



Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. Please visit www.danforthcenter.org for additional information.



Media: Karla Goldstein, (314) 587-1234, kgoldstein@danforthcenter.org



About the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)



The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is a not-for-profit organization that works to reduce hunger and poverty, and improve human health in the tropics through research aimed at increasing the eco-efficiency of agriculture. CIAT is one of the 15 centers funded mainly by the 64 countries, private foundations, and international organizations that make up the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The plant genetic resources conserved by CIAT are a component of the world "designate collection" of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). CIAT holds in trust one of the largest cassava collection in the world. CIAT makes its germplasm available free of charge, upon request, to farmers, farmer associations, breeders, geneticists, agronomists, extension agencies, universities, and biodiversity institutes with a clearly articulated need. Please visit www.ciat.cgiar.org for additional information.

Media: Edith Hesse, e.hesse@cgiar.org

Cassava News 81

By MARK WHITEHOUSE, SCOTT KILMAN and ALEX FRANGOS

CASSAVANEWS to follow up The Wall Street Journal. Another commodity that has shot up this year is cassava. In China, the tuberous root -- also known as tapioca -- is used in the growing production of industrial alcohols and ethanol. Cassava is also used to feed ducks and pigs and make tapioca balls for bubble teas. A bug infestation has dampened the harvest in Thailand, a key producer. Cassava prices are up about 59% over the past year, according to the United Nations.

From corn to crude, prices for a wide range of commodities are on the rise across the globe, a trend that underscores -- but could also hinder -- a gathering economic recovery.

In recent months, global food prices have been growing at a rate that rivals some of the wildest months of 2008, when food riots erupted across the developing world. Higher prices could be a positive sign that companies are gearing up for a rebound in consumer spending, or the harbinger of a return to the upward spiral that plagued consumers before the recession took hold.

The surge in commodities "is a reflection of extremely strong demand in the emerging world, and growing hopes of stronger demand in the developed world," said Jim O'Neill, head of global economic research at Goldman Sachs in London. It is "encouraging so long as it isn't too persistent."

But Hugh Grant, chairman and chief executive of St. Louis crop-biotechnology company Monsanto Co., said the recession merely "masked" the 2008 food crisis.

The price of a bushel of corn -- a ubiquitous ingredient in the U.S. diet -- rose 24% since Sept. 1. In Thailand, the price of a metric ton of rice, a staple across the region, stood at $618 in December, up 11% from September, but well below a peak of about $1,000 in April 2008. An index of global food prices compiled by the United Nations jumped 6.9% in November alone from the month before.

Other commodities are surging, too. The price of a barrel of oil this week broke out of the $60 to $80 range it had maintained for the latter half of 2009, trading at $81.37 on the IntercontinentalExchange Friday, up about 20% from Sept. 1. In London, the price of gold stood at $1,137 up about 18%.

To be sure, prices of most commodities, with the exception of gold, are well off 2008 peaks. The UN's food-price index is 21% lower than its June 2008 high. The price of oil peaked at just more than $146 a barrel in July 2008.

Also, the fundamentals of the global grain markets are a lot different now than during the 2008 food crisis, when prices of crops such as corn, soybeans and rice more than doubled. That surge was largely the result of the world having consumed more grain than it had produced for much of the decade, which drained reserves to unusually low levels.

But rising commodity prices, in part, illustrate concerns that central bankers' easy-money policies, aimed at rescuing the economy, will fuel inflation. "Inflation expectations are creeping up," said Spyros Andreopoulos, global economist at Morgan Stanley in London.

Both actual price rises and fears of future inflation threaten to put central bankers around the world in a tough spot. On one hand, many want to keep interest rates low longer to support the recovery. But the need to keep prices in check could force them to hit the brakes sooner.

Food prices are a big concern in developing countries such as China and India, where food makes up a larger portion of consumer purchases. On Thursday, China's central bank raised a key interest rate in a shift toward a policy of managing inflation. Economists say the Reserve Bank of India could raise interest rates as early as this month.

In the U.S., with unemployment at 10% and companies operating below capacity, economists doubt the commodity boom could spark a traditional inflationary spiral, in which rising prices and wages reinforce one another. And while officials at the Federal Reserve have expressed concern about rising prices, for the most part they believe high unemployment will be a counterweight.

Still, as higher commodity prices work their way through the production chain, they could damp any recovery by forcing consumers to spend more on essentials such as food and gasoline. They are also a concern for a range of industries, such as airlines and food processors, where rising input prices could eat into profit.

"Everybody is nervous," said Ronald Lucchesi, president of the frozen-products division of Gonnella Baking Co., a closely held Chicago firm that was battered by soaring wheat costs in 2008.

Greg Carlson, a hog farmer with 400 sows near Stratford, Iowa, said he was losing money on every pig he produces as meat prices fail to keep pace with the cost of feed. "There are a lot of companies that are right on the edge -- and we're one of them," he said.

Economists say the U.S. livestock industry faces a brutal shakeout if it isn't able to pass along its higher feeding costs. "The consumer has to get used to paying higher prices," said Robert "Bo" Manly, executive vice president and chief financial officer of meat giant Smithfield Foods Inc.

The surge in commodity prices is having an impact around the world, particularly in the developing nations that account for an increasing share of global growth. India is perhaps the most exposed, due to its poor rainy season and resultant subpar rice crop. Rapid rises in the cost of rice, tea, sugar and milk have pushed food prices up 17% in the year ended November, contributing to overall consumer-price inflation of about 5%.

Another commodity that has shot up this year is cassava. In China, the tuberous root -- also known as tapioca -- is used in the growing production of industrial alcohols and ethanol. Cassava is also used to feed ducks and pigs and make tapioca balls for bubble teas. A bug infestation has dampened the harvest in Thailand, a key producer. Cassava prices are up about 59% over the past year, according to the United Nations.

—Lauren Etter contributed to this article.
Write to Mark Whitehouse at mark.whitehouse@wsj.com, Scott Kilman at scott.kilman@wsj.com and Alex Frangos at alex.frangos@wsj.com

Cassava News 80

New centres raise cassava’s outlook in Sierra Leone

Cassavanews to follow up afrol News, 17 December - Cassava’s profile as a food security and poverty-reducing crop has received a boost with the commissioning of five new processing centres in Sierra Leone. This follows support from the Common Fund for Commodities, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute and other partners.

The processing centres, which are located in five different communities including Waterloo, Bo District, Njala Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Makeni City/Teko, and Hamdalai in Sierra Leone, are part of a $1.6 million Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) funded project involving Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Benin Republic. The project is seeking value addition to cassava and to consequently boost production and generate wealth.

“It will also improve livelihood, incomes of farmers and stakeholders in the cassava enterprise,” said Prof Lateef Sanni, Project Coordinator, for the Common Fund for Commodities Funded project. “More importantly, this will create market and drive the production of cassava.”

Since 1990, cassava production in Sierra Leone has been on the upbeat climbing from 178,200 metric tons in 1990 to 1,236,852 mt in 2007.

Dr Alfred Dixon, Director General, Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute said the utilisation of cassava and creation of products such as gari - a Nigerian-introduced staple - has actually created demand for the crop. Consequently, cassava is now second to rice as a staple with people eating both the leaves and tubers of the crop.

The establishment of the processing centres has also spurred interest in cassava production in local communities. Dorris Kargbo, a farmer and beneficiary of the cassava centre in Hamdalai Village said, in her community alone, about 40 farmer-groups have been formed for cassava production.

Each of the groups comprises about 30 farmers each. The groups will ensure the steady supply of cassava tubers to the processing centre which will process the tubers into gari, foofoo, cassava cake and cassava doughnut among others. “This will create jobs to our people, generate wealth and reduce poverty. It is our own strategy of contributing to poverty reduction in Sierra Leone,” Ms Kargbo said.

Traditionally, cassava tubers in Sierra Leone are harvested, boiled and eaten. The limited utilisation of cassava often times results to glut during periods of bumper harvest.

Ms Kargbo, while expressing gratitude to the funders of the project said the processing centres have created a market that will mop up cassava in the future. “This will reduce postharvest losses and make cassava production profitable,” she added.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Cassava News 79

Food prices up again

CASSAVANEWS to follow up FAO. ROME, Italy, Dec 9 - Global food prices are on the ascent again with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Food Price Index – a food basket composed of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar – registering four straight monthly rises.

However market conditions are different from those that triggered the food price crisis that started two years ago, FAO said in its December Food Outlook report published on Wednesday.

The index averaged 168 points in November, the highest since September 2008. That was still 21 percent below its peak in June 2008. Prior to the price spike of 2007/08, the index never exceeded 120 points and, for most of the time, was below 100 points.

“At the onset of the price surge in 2007, FAO identified a number of possible causes contributing to the price rise: low levels of world cereal stocks; crop failures in major exporting countries; rapidly growing demand for agricultural commodities for biofuels and rising oil prices,” the FAO report said.

“As the price strengthening accelerated, several other factors emerged to reinforce the upheaval; most importantly, government export restrictions, a weakening United States dollar and a growing appetite by speculators and index funds for wider commodity portfolio investments on the back of enormous global excess liquidity. What made the 2007/08 price spike exceptional was the concurrence of so many factors culminating in an unprecedented price rally and the fuelling of volatility.”

Cereal stocks healthy
Today, world cereal stocks are at more comfortable levels, although some markets are facing tight conditions. In general supplies held by exporters are more adequate to respond to rising demand than they were during the price surge period. For example, the wheat stocks-to-use ratio in major exporting countries has risen from 12 percent to 20 percent this season. Biofuels are still a leading driver but the sector has slowed in terms of year-on-year growth.

Macro-economic factors, such as exchange rates, volatile oil prices and low interest rates are also causing investors to put their cash in commodity markets. “Although supply and demand fundamentals will continue to shape commodity markets, the now entrenched susceptibility of the global food system to external non-food economy events requires continuous vigilance,” FAO said.

Production rising

“A healthy stock situation and good production prospects reduce the risk of a major price surge over the next six months, but FAO will be keeping a very close eye on developments,” said Hafez Ghanem, FAO Assistant Director-General for Social and Economic Development.

Although the preliminary outlook for cereals points to a decline in world output compared to 2008, mostly on account of lower price expectations which depressed plantings, production in 2009 is still expected to be about four percent higher than in 2007.

Global cassava production is expected to reach new highs in 2009, largely due to initiatives to sustain food security and demand from the ethanol sector where cassava has emerged as a key feedstock. However prices of internationally traded cassava are still less than they were two years ago but should remain firm in 2010.

In the oil seeds market, a weakening in prices for meals and cakes is possible later in the season because of expected large South America crop but the market is expected to be tighter in oils and fats. World sugar prices are likely to remain firm but at lower levels than the current highs.

Meat down, dairy and fish up

According to the FAO meat price index, world meat prices were an average 8 percent lower in the first ten months of 2009 than the same period last year. Lower global imports are expected to depress world trade in all various meat categories in 2009 but a modest recovery is expected in 2010.

Dairy prices are on the rise again, gaining by 80 percent since reaching a low in February 2009, with traded milk powders the fastest rising product. Future prices will depend on whether the European Union offloads its large stocks of butter and skimmed milk onto the international market.

2009 was a challenging year for fish and fishery products because of the global downturn that hit demand. There have been moderate price increases for several months now.

Read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/Kenyabusiness/Food-prices-up-again-3502.html#ixzz0ZKJYJR1L
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

Cassava News 78

CASSAVANEWS to follow up Bharatbook.com added a new report on "Future of starches in China" which gives Competitiveness of Chinese starch and fermentation products in domestic and export markets, and impact of raw material supply on starch industry.

Future of starches in China

China’s output of starch, including native and modified starch, is the second largest in the world. Major varieties of native starch include corn starch, potato starch, cassava starch and wheat starch, while that of modified starch include corn modified starch, potato modified starch and cassava modified starch. China’s starch output has kept growing rapidly with CAGR of about 17.00% since 2001, which reached 17.10 million tonnes in 2008. It is predicted that China’s starch output will increase stably to 25.47 million tonnes in 2020. What is the position of Chinese starch industry in the world? Why do Chinese starch industry develop so fast? Which products will witness promising prospect in the future? ( http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=127263&rt=Future-of-starches-in-China.html )

China is the second largest native starch consumption country in the world, with total consumption value of USD6.10 billion in 2008, of which USD700.00 million was contributed by modified starch consumption. With various characteristics and functions, modified starch is widely applied in industries such as papermaking, food processing and textile in China. As for price, China’s starch price is mainly influenced by raw material price, supply & demand situation and technology innovation. How are such factors affecting China’s starch industry? You will find answers in the report. Raw material cost constitutes the major proportion in starch manufacturing cost. In China, production cost of cassava starch is lower than that of corn starch, with USD333.16/t and respectively. However, native cassava starch only accounts for 3.13% share in domestic native starch market. In the USD340.34/t for corn starch, the cost of corn was USD308.01/t, accounting for 90.56% of the total cost, what cause this situation?

In recent two years, Chinese starch supply has surpassed domestic demand. As for international trade, export of native starch is increasing, while import is decreasing. But the situation is different for modified starches. Which kinds of native starch and modified starch have sufficient supply and which kinds are in demand? Starch production technology mainly includes dry method and wet method, and wet method is widely adopted in recent years. However, it causes serious pollution like large volume of waste water. Has any technology innovation achieved in recent years?

What’s covered in this report

- An overview for current market of corn starch, cassava starch, potato starch and wheat starch, as well as starch derivatives in China, with focus on statistics of capacity, output, import & export, supply & demand, major manufactures, future trend, etc.
- Outlook for starch raw material supply & demand
- Balance in starch industry, from raw materials to end use markets/products
- Competitiveness of Chinese starch and fermentation products in domestic and export markets, and impact of raw material supply on starch industry
- Foreign investment in China’s starch industry
- Future development trend of China’s starch industry

To know more and to buy a copy of your report feel free to visit : http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=127263&rt=Future-of-starches-in-China.html
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Cassava News 77

Danforth Center gets $2.5M for cassava research

CASSAVANEWS. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was recently awarded a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to develop a virus-resistant cassava.

Yearly harvests of the starchy shrub in East Africa have been hurt by infections spread by whiteflies and by cuttings, how cassava is commonly propagated by farmers.

The crop is the primary source of calories for more than 250 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa because it can grow in low-nutrient soils and withstand droughts that kill other plants.

Each year, cassava farmers lose at least 30 percent of their crop to cassava mosaic disease alone, and the cassava brown streak disease can be responsible for a complete loss of the harvest. In the Lake Victoria area, more than 7 million people are at risk of famine because of plant disease threats, according to the Danforth Center.

Danforth researchers have teamed up with partners in Kenya and Uganda on a project called Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa, or VIRCA.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute in Creve Coeur that focuses on human health and agricultural production.

Source: Bizjournals.com to follow St. Louis Business Journal