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.

6•6

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 6/9; level of use 6/9

Project adoption3

Technology integrated in the EFPEP, ENSURE, and ERAVCDP projects.

See project details ›

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.

Problem

Insufficient cassava supply for processing industries: Unreliable fresh cassava availability limits the continuity of cassava processing and local value addition.
Poor rural road access: Inaccessible roads limit connections between cassava-producing areas, processing facilities and markets.
Limited rural processing infrastructure: Insufficient processing infrastructure restricts the development of local cassava processing capacity and rural economic activity.
Post-harvest losses: Rapid deterioration of fresh cassava during transportation reduces the quantity available for processing and weakens value-chain efficiency.
High transportation costs: Transporting bulky fresh cassava increases costs across the cassava value chain and reduces the competitiveness of processing activities.

Solution

table cassava supply: Farm-gate processing strengthens the supply of cassava available to processing industries.
Improved rural market access: Processing closer to farms reduces dependence on difficult rural transport routes.
Decentralized processing infrastructure: Mobile units provide processing capacity in rural areas without requiring extensive fixed infrastructure.
Reduced post-harvest losses: Immediate processing converts fresh cassava into shelf-stable products after harvest.
Reduced transportation requirements: Transporting less bulky semi-processed products reduces the transport burden across the value chain.

Key points to design your project

Introducing the Mobile Cassava Processing Plant (MCPP) offers an innovative solution for cassava processing, enhancing productivity in the agricultural sector. This technology aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 2, 5, and 13 by promoting food security, gender equality, and climate action.

To effectively integrate the MCPP into your project, consider the following steps and requirements:

Promote the MCPP through demonstration sessions at the community level to raise awareness and generate interest among potential users.
Assess the specific requirements of your project to determine the appropriate size and configuration of the MCPP units needed.
Account for logistical factors such as delivery costs, import duties, and taxes, as the technology may need to be sourced from Nigeria.
Engage a team of trainers to provide comprehensive training on the operation and maintenance of the MCPP units, ensuring proper utilization and longevity of the equipment.

Develop communication materials, including flyers, videos, and radio broadcasts, to educate stakeholders about the benefits and opportunities associated with mobile cassava processing.

Foster collaborations with agricultural development institutes, governmental agencies, and private sector stakeholders to facilitate the adoption and implementation of the MCPP technology nationwide.

Collaborate with agricultural development institutes and food industry stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of the technology in your country.

52900 USD

Startup Capital (gari production)

49386 USD

Startup capital (high-quality cassava cake)

155 %

ROI (high-quality cassava cake)

IP

Open source / open access

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.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 6 out of 9

Semi-controlled environment: testing

Level of use 6 out of 9

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

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
EFPEP Emergency Food Production Enhancement Project	Madagascar	Direct: 139,100	20.21 million 2022–2025	2,908 tons of certified seed distributed 21,830 tons of fertilizer supplied 2 grain reserves established
ENSURE Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension	Kenya Rwanda Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo South Sudan Uganda Tanzania	Direct: 3,000,000	13.14 million 2024–2027	149,940 farmers trained 9,996 Training 2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected 350 agent trained
ERAVCDP Eastern Region Agricultural Value Chain Development Project	Angola	Direct: 1,200,000 Indirect: 1,000,000	211.4 million 2026–2031	2,500 ha irrigation systems rehabilitated 400 km rural roads constructed 9 markets and warehouses established 360,000 tons of fertilizers distributed

Project

Countries

Beneficiaries

Budget (USD) & duration

Key figures

EFPEP
Emergency Food Production Enhancement Project

Madagascar

Direct: 139,100

20.21 million

2022–2025

2,908 tons of certified seed distributed
21,830 tons of fertilizer supplied
2 grain reserves established

ENSURE
Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension

Kenya
Rwanda
Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
South Sudan
Uganda
Tanzania

Direct: 3,000,000

13.14 million

2024–2027

149,940 farmers trained
9,996 Training
2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected
350 agent trained

ERAVCDP
Eastern Region Agricultural Value Chain Development Project

Angola

Direct: 1,200,000
Indirect: 1,000,000

211.4 million

2026–2031

2,500 ha irrigation systems rehabilitated
400 km rural roads constructed
9 markets and warehouses established
360,000 tons of fertilizers distributed

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
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.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
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.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 5: gender equality

Goal 13: climate action

Preparation:
- Ensure the MCPP is in good operational condition.
- Verify the availability of necessary raw materials (fresh cassava) at the farm-gate.
Transportation to Farm-Gate:
- Drive the MCPP to the designated farm-gate location.
- Position the mobile unit for efficient processing, considering accessibility and workspace requirements.
On-Site Processing:
- Open the back sides and tailgate of the MCPP to form a flatbed workspace.
- Utilize the modern processing machinery for cassava processing based on the desired product (e.g., high-quality cassava cake, wet fufu, or gari).
- Follow specific standard operating procedures for processing the chosen cassava product.
Product Extraction:
- Obtain the shelf-stable cassava product directly from the processing workspace.
- Ensure product quality and adherence to processing standards.
Transportation of Processed Products:
- Load the processed products onto the MCPP for transport to a centrally located factory.
- Take advantage of the reduced bulkiness of semi-processed products to lower transportation costs.
Centralized Drying and Packaging:
- Transport the semi-processed products to a city-based factory for final drying and packaging.
- Collaborate with centralized facilities for further processing and distribution.
Maintenance:
- Regularly inspect and maintain the MCPP machinery to ensure continuous operational efficiency.
- Address any issues promptly to avoid disruptions in processing activities.
Recordkeeping:
- Maintain records of processing activities, including quantities processed, product types, and any issues encountered.
- Contribute to progress reports as required.

Last updated on Sep 21, 2026

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Adebayo Abass

Technology from

ProPAS

Commodities

Cassava

Sustainable Development Goals Details ›

public.components.sdgs.motre

Subcategory

Agrifood processing

Value chain step

Postharvest

Solution to

Post-Harvest Losses Market & Value Chain Constraints

Toolkits

Tested/adopted in Details ›

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Where it can be used Details ›

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.

Target groups

Processors

Ready-to-Scale Technologies from IITA