Think about gob3 without gari. Impossible. Think about banku without cassava dough, or fufu without the familiar mix of cassava and plantain. Even the beloved kivo gari that many Ghanaians rely on in tough times, cassava sits quietly behind it all.
From the kitchens of urban centres to rural homes across the country, cassava is the unsung hero of Ghanaian cuisine. It anchors daily meals, supports millions of households, and quietly powers sections of local industry.
Yet, despite its irreplaceable role, cassava barely earned a mention in the national budget, a gap that deeply concerns Dr. Frank Ackah, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast’s Department of Crop Science and a strong advocate for home gardening initiatives.
“Cassava Is Everywhere—But Missing From the Budget”
Speaking in an interview with The High Street Journal, Dr. Ackah said the government’s omission of cassava in a year of strategic agricultural focus was “worrying and surprising,” especially when the crop forms the backbone of both household food security and local industry.
“Cassava feeds the entire country. Every family depends on it one way or another,” he noted. “So when a national budget that rightly highlights agriculture fails to capture cassava in any structured way, then it means we are still overlooking one of our most valuable crops.”
He praised the government’s ambitious oil palm initiative, calling it a “brilliant, well-funded strategy,” but insisted that similar energy and financial commitment are overdue for cassava.
A Staple That Defines Everyday Ghanaian Life
To Dr. Ackah, cassava is not an abstract commodity, it is part of Ghana’s cultural identity. The meals that define Ghanaian families rely on it: gari for gob3, kokonte, banku, yakayake, cassava dough for pastries and local dishes, and the finely grated agbelima that many households cannot do without.
“You walk through a Ghanaian market, and you’ll realise that cassava is tied to almost every trader,” he explained. “From the women roasting gari to those pounding fufu, to those drying cassava chips at home, it is a food security crop, a livelihood crop, and a cultural crop.”
And yet, despite this central role, the state has not built a system to support cassava farmers, processors, or the growing industrial demand.
The Industrial Giant We Keep Ignoring
Beyond its household uses, cassava is a major raw material for starch production, flour blending, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, and industrial adhesives. Local factories, however, remain under-supplied, often producing far below capacity because farmers cannot meet large-volume demands.
“Cassava is one of the few crops where Ghana has both the climate advantage and the market demand,” Dr. Ackah said. “But without investment in planting materials, processing technology, and structured market linkages, the value chain remains stuck in survival mode.”
He emphasized that Ghana continues to miss out on export opportunities for industrial starch and cassava-based food products, despite the huge regional demand.
Decades of Neglect and Untapped Value
Dr. Ackah noted that cassava has been neglected for far too long, a paradox, given its centrality to Ghanaian life. Past agricultural programmes, he said, often treat cassava as a subsistence crop instead of a strategic national commodity.
“For years we have pushed cassava aside as if it is a poor man’s crop,” he said. “Meanwhile, the global market is hungry for cassava starch, pharmaceutical-grade derivatives, high-quality flour, and animal feed. The farmers are willing, the land is ready, but the investment has never matched the potential.”
He added that the crop’s ability to grow under harsh climatic conditions should make it even more attractive in the era of climate change and rising food prices.
A Missed Opportunity in the 2026 Budget
While praising the government for supporting oil palm, he emphasized that leaving cassava out of the budget is a strategic oversight.
“The 2026 budget should have captured cassava clearly, whether through financing, a value chain programme, or a processing expansion project,” he said. “Even a small dedicated envelope for planting materials and processing clusters would have sent a strong message.”
He expressed hope that the government would correct this during the mid-year budget review, insisting that cassava deserves a defined place in Ghana’s agricultural strategy.
“We cannot continue to postpone investment in cassava. The value chain is too important, too wide, and too impactful to be left hanging.”
A Call for Value Chain Development
Dr. Ackah called for a well-structured cassava programme that supports farmers with improved planting materials, expands processing capacity, builds storage systems, connects producers to industry, and introduces mechanization where possible.
“When we invest in cassava, we invest in food security, industry, trade, rural livelihoods, and national resilience,” he said. “It is not just about feeding households; it is about powering factories and creating jobs.”
He urged policymakers to think beyond subsistence farming and recognize cassava as part of Ghana’s industrial future.
As Ghana pushes toward agro-industrialization, Dr. Ackah believes cassava must be elevated to the level of oil palm, cocoa, rice, and other strategic crops.
