Mechanized Cassava Cultivation and Glucose Syrup Production in Nigeria; The Feasibility Report.

Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. It is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a primary source of calories for over half a billion people. One of its key advantages is its resilience—cassava is highly drought-tolerant and can thrive on marginal soils where many other crops fail. Nigeria currently ranks as the world’s largest producer of cassava, reinforcing its strategic importance to both food security and agro-industrial development.

In Nigeria, cassava is the most important root crop. Beyond its role as a staple food consumed in both rural and urban households, it serves as a major source of income for farmers, processors, and traders across the value chain. The crop contributes significantly to the agricultural sector, accounting for approximately 45% of agricultural GDP in terms of food and domestic utilization. However, despite this strong production base, industrial processing and value addition remain relatively underdeveloped, limiting the country’s ability to fully harness the economic potential of cassava.

Nigeria produces an estimated 40 million tonnes of cassava tubers annually. While a significant portion is processed into traditional food products such as garri, fufu, and flour, the greater economic opportunity lies in converting cassava into high-value industrial derivatives. One of the most important of such derivatives is glucose syrup.

Glucose syrup is a thick, viscous aqueous solution produced from the hydrolysis of starch using enzymatic or acid-based processes. Cassava starch, derived from cassava tubers, serves as a key raw material in its production. The manufacturing process typically involves three main stages: liquefaction, saccharification, and purification. During liquefaction, starch is broken down into shorter chains; saccharification further converts these into glucose; and purification ensures the final product meets food and pharmaceutical-grade standards.

Globally, the glucose syrup market has witnessed significant growth over the past decade, driven by rising demand from the food and beverage, confectionery, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. The global glucose syrup market is estimated to be valued at over USD 40 billion, with steady growth projected due to increasing consumption of processed foods, beverages, and convenience products. High-fructose syrups and glucose derivatives are widely used as sweeteners, stabilizers, and texturizing agents in products such as soft drinks, baked goods, candies, dairy products, and pharmaceuticals.

A key global trend is the shift toward alternative starch sources such as cassava, especially in regions where cassava is abundant. This is driven by the need to reduce reliance on traditional inputs like maize and wheat, whose prices are often subject to global volatility. Additionally, the growing demand for gluten-free and plant-based ingredients has further increased the attractiveness of cassava-derived products in international markets.

In Nigeria, glucose syrup plays a critical role as an industrial sweetener in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. However, local production capacity remains inadequate to meet domestic demand, resulting in heavy reliance on imports. The annual demand for sugar in Nigeria is estimated at about 3.5 million tonnes, with local production accounting for only about 2.4 million tonnes. In addition, there is an estimated annual demand of about 170,000 tonnes for high-fructose syrup and approximately 60,000 tonnes for glucose syrup. This significant supply gap highlights a strong investment opportunity in local glucose syrup production.

The development of a robust cassava-to-glucose syrup value chain would not only reduce import dependency but also enhance local industrial capacity, create employment, and improve foreign exchange earnings. Establishing integrated processing facilities that convert cassava into starch and subsequently into glucose syrup would enable Nigeria to tap into higher-value markets both domestically and internationally.

This report seeks to examine the financial viability of establishing a mechanized cassava farm alongside a glucose syrup production plant in Nigeria, using cassava tubers as the primary raw material. The proposed project will be situated on a total land area of 700 hectares in Edo State, with 600 hectares allocated to cassava cultivation and the remaining 100 hectares designated for processing facilities and supporting infrastructure.

Improved cassava stem varieties such as TME 419 will be utilized, with an expected yield of approximately 20 tons per hectare. The processing facility will include a cassava starch plant and a glucose syrup production unit, supported by essential infrastructure such as generators, weighbridges, transformers, storage tanks, forklifts, and transportation equipment. Agricultural machinery including tractors, sprayers, harvesting machines, and planting equipment will also be deployed to ensure efficient farm operations.

The proposed plant is designed to produce 10 tons of food-grade liquid glucose syrup (DE 85) per day, operating three shifts of eight hours each at 80% of installed capacity. The production assumptions are based on an input-output ratio of 4:1 for cassava tubers to starch, and 1:1 for starch to glucose syrup. The finished product will be packaged in 300-kilogram plastic drums for distribution to industrial users.

The combination of abundant raw material supply, strong and growing domestic demand, favorable global market trends, and significant supply gaps presents a compelling case for investment in cassava-based glucose syrup production in Nigeria. This venture offers substantial potential for profitability while contributing to industrial development, job creation, and import substitution in the Nigerian economy.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0    Business Overview 1.1 Description of the Business 1.2 Vision and Mission Statement 1.3 Value Proposition 1.4 Critical Success Factor of the Business 1.5 Current Status of Business 1.6 Description of the Business Industry 1.7 Contribution to Local and National Economy 2.0    Agricultural Practice 2.1.0 Collection of stems 2.1.1 Planting 2.1.2 Manures and Fertilizers 2.1.3 Weeding 2.1.4 Climate / Irrigation 2.1.5 Harvesting and Yield 2.1.5.1 Herbicides 2.2 Factors of Production/ Cultivation 2.2.1 Soil Type 2.2.2 Diseases and Pests 3. Marketing Plan 3.1 Description of product 3.2 Product Packaging and delivery 3.3 The Opportunity 3.4 Pricing Strategy 3.5 Target Market 3.6 Distribution and Delivery Strategy 3.7 Promotional Strategy 3.8 Competition 4. Production Plan 4.1 Description of the Location 4.2 Raw Materials 4.3 Production Equipment 4.4 Production Process 4.5 Production Cost 4.6 Stock Control Process 4.7 Pre-Operating activities and expenses 4.7.1 Operating Activities and Expenses 4.8 Project Implementation Schedule 5.0 Organizational and Management Plan 5.1 Ownership of the business 5.2 Profile of the promoters 5.3 Key Management Staff 5.3.2 Management Support Units 5.4 Details of salary schedule 6. Financial Plan 6.1 Financial Assumption 6.2 Start - Up Capital Estimation 6.3 Source of Capital 6.4 Security of Loan 6.5 Loan Repayment Plan 6.6 Profit and Loss Analysis 6.7 Cash Flow Statement 6.8 Viability Analysis 7.0 Business Risk and mitigation factor 7.1 Business Risks 7.2 SWOT Analysis

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