The key question is why? Why, given the reality, do many farmers still opt for cassava over rice? Could it be caloric yield? Would be interesting to compare the actual calories per acre of both crops. Especially if many small scale farmers are growing for home use. Could it be land quality? Disease environment? On a separate note, I wonder what role improved irrigation would have on crop choices. One thing we know about cassava is that it is easy to grow even without any extra inputs. Rice on the other hand, maybe not so easy and more reliant on water availability.
Yes, I lean towards your last point. Farming is hard back breaking work in Nigeria and you do it exposed to the elements including a very hot sun. A less involved product that's cheap with a guaranteed market definitely has its attractions
Interesting points and good questions. Another aspect to this is the cultural dimension. Nigerians see cassava products as food staples that are part of their cultural identity and will (largely at the most populated bottom of the pyramid) prioritise its production over other products.
The reason for this sounds straightforward - the naira has collapsed against the US dollar and since Nigeria imports a lot of price, paid for in dollars, local prices have correspondingly shot up.
Great read as usual. Somewhat surprised by the stats on our domestic rice production - I was under the impression that there's been lots of motion without movement in that area. You might want to check for some typos, spotted a few instances where "price" appeared instead of "rice".
Thank you. The rice stats surprised me as well but the incentives were really good with very low risk for farmers so not a surprise they responded well. As always, the challenge is knowing when to say enough and remove those incentives.
I asked the bot to compare their growing conditions:
>>>Cassava and rice can grow in similar soil types, but they have different preferences and tolerances.
**Cassava**¹²³⁴⁵:
- Cassava prefers **loamy soil** as it promotes and boosts root development more than the leaves and stems¹.
- It can tolerate **acidity** and **low soil fertility**¹.
- The optimal soil pH for cassava growth is between **5.5 to 6.5**¹.
- Clay and sandy soils support the growth of the leaves and stem at the expense of the cassava root development¹.
- Salty or swampy soils do not support cassava growth¹.
**Rice**⁶⁷⁸⁹:
- Rice prefers **clayey loam** or **riverine alluvial soils** because they hold on to water and do not allow it to drain away⁶.
- It can be grown in a wide range of soil conditions, from regular top soil to soil heavy-laden with clay⁶.
- The optimal soil pH for rice growth is between **5 and 7.5**⁷.
- Soils high in clay and silt, which are often unsuitable for growing other crops, are ideal for growing rice because of how effectively they hold water⁹.
In summary, while both crops can grow in a range of soil types, cassava is more tolerant of poor soil conditions and acidity, while rice requires soil that can retain water effectively. Both crops prefer a slightly acidic to neutral pH. It's important to note that these are general guidelines, and specific varieties of each crop may have different soil requirements.
Maybe Nigeria grows more cassava because more of our farmland is better suited to it than rice. Perhaps, we should grow more cassava, export it to ethanol producers (or maybe make some of the stuff ourselves) and buy rice. But I no be farmer.
That's one option (growing more cassava for export) but honestly who is going to buy that stuff at high enough rates to pay for the imports required? Maybe my anti-Cassava bias is too strong but I just can't see it.
Also,the remaining 30% of land might not be useful since most food stuff require a certain weather/environmental condition to grow and we don't know where specifically that percentage is.
The key question is why? Why, given the reality, do many farmers still opt for cassava over rice? Could it be caloric yield? Would be interesting to compare the actual calories per acre of both crops. Especially if many small scale farmers are growing for home use. Could it be land quality? Disease environment? On a separate note, I wonder what role improved irrigation would have on crop choices. One thing we know about cassava is that it is easy to grow even without any extra inputs. Rice on the other hand, maybe not so easy and more reliant on water availability.
Yes, I lean towards your last point. Farming is hard back breaking work in Nigeria and you do it exposed to the elements including a very hot sun. A less involved product that's cheap with a guaranteed market definitely has its attractions
Interesting points and good questions. Another aspect to this is the cultural dimension. Nigerians see cassava products as food staples that are part of their cultural identity and will (largely at the most populated bottom of the pyramid) prioritise its production over other products.
Good read. flagging a typo in this sentence:
The reason for this sounds straightforward - the naira has collapsed against the US dollar and since Nigeria imports a lot of price, paid for in dollars, local prices have correspondingly shot up.
…since Nigeria imports a lot of *rice.
Thanks! Will update now
Great read as usual. Somewhat surprised by the stats on our domestic rice production - I was under the impression that there's been lots of motion without movement in that area. You might want to check for some typos, spotted a few instances where "price" appeared instead of "rice".
Thank you. The rice stats surprised me as well but the incentives were really good with very low risk for farmers so not a surprise they responded well. As always, the challenge is knowing when to say enough and remove those incentives.
I asked the bot to compare their growing conditions:
>>>Cassava and rice can grow in similar soil types, but they have different preferences and tolerances.
**Cassava**¹²³⁴⁵:
- Cassava prefers **loamy soil** as it promotes and boosts root development more than the leaves and stems¹.
- It can tolerate **acidity** and **low soil fertility**¹.
- The optimal soil pH for cassava growth is between **5.5 to 6.5**¹.
- Clay and sandy soils support the growth of the leaves and stem at the expense of the cassava root development¹.
- Salty or swampy soils do not support cassava growth¹.
**Rice**⁶⁷⁸⁹:
- Rice prefers **clayey loam** or **riverine alluvial soils** because they hold on to water and do not allow it to drain away⁶.
- It can be grown in a wide range of soil conditions, from regular top soil to soil heavy-laden with clay⁶.
- The optimal soil pH for rice growth is between **5 and 7.5**⁷.
- Soils high in clay and silt, which are often unsuitable for growing other crops, are ideal for growing rice because of how effectively they hold water⁹.
In summary, while both crops can grow in a range of soil types, cassava is more tolerant of poor soil conditions and acidity, while rice requires soil that can retain water effectively. Both crops prefer a slightly acidic to neutral pH. It's important to note that these are general guidelines, and specific varieties of each crop may have different soil requirements.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 2/19/2024
(1) Cassava Climate and Soil Requirements - Wikifarmer. https://wikifarmer.com/cassava-climate-and-soil-requirements/.
(2) Growing Cassava: Planting Guide, Care, Problems and Harvest - MorningChores. https://morningchores.com/growing-cassava/.
(3) CASSAVA PRODUCTION – National Agricultural Advisory Services - NAADS. https://naads.or.ug/cassava-production-guide/.
(4) GROWING CASSAVA. https://www.cardi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Fact-sheet-02-Growing-Cassava_Land-Preparation-Final.pdf.
(5) FACTSHEET - CARDI. https://cardi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Fact-sheet-04-Growing-Cassava-_-Soil-and-Water-Management-_-Final.pdf.
(6) Which Soil Is Good For Growing Rice? | GardenSuperior. https://gardensuperior.com/which-soil-is-good-for-growing-rice/.
(7) How To Grow Rice: Planting, Care, & Harvesting Practices. https://eos.com/blog/how-to-grow-rice/.
(8) Rice Cultivation Information Guide | Agri Farming. https://www.agrifarming.in/rice-cultivation-information-guide.
(9) How Rice Grows. https://www.usarice.com/thinkrice/discover-us-rice/how-rice-grows.<<<
Maybe Nigeria grows more cassava because more of our farmland is better suited to it than rice. Perhaps, we should grow more cassava, export it to ethanol producers (or maybe make some of the stuff ourselves) and buy rice. But I no be farmer.
That's one option (growing more cassava for export) but honestly who is going to buy that stuff at high enough rates to pay for the imports required? Maybe my anti-Cassava bias is too strong but I just can't see it.
How much rice seedling does Nigeria import? I can't find it.
Also,the remaining 30% of land might not be useful since most food stuff require a certain weather/environmental condition to grow and we don't know where specifically that percentage is.