TAAT e-catalog
for
private sector
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/com/technologies/mobile-cassava-processing-plant
Transforming Cassava, Mobile Processing for Sustainable Agriculture
The specially constructed MCPP consists of modern processing machinery and an electricity generator housed on a six-wheel machinery carrier equipped with a loader crane. Both the back sides and the tailgate of the truck open flat to form a larger flatbed, platform or processing workspace. Depending on the product for which the mobile machinery was tailored, processing operations can be completed on the workspace combined with the ground-level workspace. Specific standard operating procedures are used for processing the product of choice.
This technology is TAAT1 validated.
Cost of a mobile processing factory
Gari production
Startup Capital (gari production)
Startup capital (high-quality cassava cake)
ROI (high-quality cassava cake)
Open source / open access
Scarcity of Fresh Cassava for Processors: Industrial processors in cities face operational challenges due to insufficient fresh cassava supply. Unreliable raw material availability hinders consistent production.
Inaccessibility of Rural Roads: Rural areas lack accessible roads, limiting market access for cassava farmers. Farmers face reduced market opportunities and increased transportation difficulties.
Lack of Infrastructure in Rural Areas: Insufficient infrastructure in rural settings discourages investments in fixed processing factories. Hindered economic development in rural areas and limited processing capabilities.
Risk of Postharvest Losses: Cassava's perishable nature poses a risk of significant postharvest losses during transportation. Economic losses for farmers and reduced overall supply chain efficiency.
High Transportation Costs: Transportation costs are elevated due to the bulkiness of fresh cassava roots during transportation. Increased operational costs and reduced competitiveness of city-based processing factories.
Stable Cassava Supply for Processors: On-site processing ensures a stable supply of cassava, overcoming the challenge of insufficient raw material for industrial processors.
Enhanced Market Access for Farmers: Processing at the farm-gate eliminates the need for transportation over inaccessible rural roads, reducing market access limitations for farmers.
Flexible Processing Independent of Infrastructure: The mobile nature of MCPP provides a flexible processing solution independent of extensive infrastructure in rural settings.
Minimized Postharvest Losses: Immediate on-site processing with the MCPP minimizes the risk of postharvest losses by converting cassava into shelf-stable products right after harvest.
Reduced Transportation Costs for Factories: Processing cassava at the farm-gate with the MCPP allows the transport of less bulky and semi-processed products to central factories, mitigating the financial burden on processing factories.
The Mobile Cassava Processing Plant technology may be of interest to users (food industry).
Users
Implementing the Mobile Cassava Processing Plant (MCPP) brings notable benefits to cassava processing efficiency.
Key collaborators include manufacturers specializing in mechanized equipment tailored for mobile cassava processing as TAAT Cassava Compact.
When analyzing the cost structure, factor in both equipment purchase and maintenance expenses. The cost of a mobile processing factory, including electricity generator and the six-wheel truck with a loader crane, is estimated at about 40,000 - 48, 500 USD depending on the machinery for the desired cassava products such as gari, wet starch, wet fufu or high quality pressed cake for the production of high quality cassava flour (HQCF).
Account for supplementary costs like delivery fees, import tariffs, and taxes, particularly as the technology may originate from Nigeria.
Adults 18 and over: Positive high
The poor: Positive low
Under 18: Positive high
Women: Positive high
Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable
Decentralized, farmgate processing keeps operations running during climate disruptions. Mobile units reduce dependence on large centralized plants and long-distance transport. This flexibility supports continuity during floods, heatwaves, road cuts, or fuel shortages, improving system resilience.
Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement
Brings processing closer to farms, lowering climate-related logistics risks and losses. Farmgate processing shortens time from harvest to processing, reducing spoilage and income volatility when weather disrupts transport or utilities.
Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released
Avoids hauling bulky fresh roots to central plants and reduces on-site emissions there. Decentralization (farmgate processing) cuts transport fuel use and shifts activity away from energy-intensive centers. Net effect should be verified by measuring fuel/electricity per ton processed for the mobile units.
Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health
Reduces cyanide-rich wastewater and peel dumping around factories. Managing processing at farmgate lowers the risk of soil and water contamination from cassava effluent and toxic peels, decreasing pollution exposure for workers and nearby communities.
Water use: A bit less water used
Decentralization conserves water at central plants and enables local reuse. Farmgate processing can lower water-intensive operations at centralized facilities.
Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.
Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.
The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.
Read more about scaling readiness ›
Semi-controlled environment: testing
Used by some projects NOT connected to technology provider
| Maturity of the idea | Level of use | |||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||
| 8 | ||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Country | Testing ongoing | Tested | Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | –No ongoing testing | Tested | Adopted |
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.
| AEZ | Subtropic - warm | Subtropic - cool | Tropic - warm | Tropic - cool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arid | – | – | – | – |
| Semiarid | – | – | – | – |
| Subhumid | – | – | – | |
| Humid | – | – |
Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.
Preparation:
Transportation to Farm-Gate:
On-Site Processing:
Product Extraction:
Transportation of Processed Products:
Centralized Drying and Packaging:
Maintenance:
Recordkeeping:
Last updated on 11 September 2025
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.
Mobile Cassava Processing Plant
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/com/technologies/mobile-cassava-processing-plant
Last updated on 11 September 2025, printed on 18 September 2025
Enquiries e-catalogs@taat.africa
