cassava plant uses

Since cassava plant can produce several tubers at the end of every season, grower can harvest the tubers to make feedstuffs; for instance leaves, pellets and root chips. The procedure of making these feeds is very simple. it involves harvesting the cassava root (tuber), which in turn is cut into small pieces (chips) and left to dry in the sun. Once the chips are dry, they are shredded into different sizes. Remember the quality of the feedstuff depends on rate of drying, and making sure that the processing unit is free of contaminants. Once the root has been shredded and dried well, it can either be mixed as a feed ration or made into pellets. It is worth mentioning that the root pellet feature a consistent cylindrical product whose length and diameter measures approximately 1.0-2.0cm and 0.5-0.8 cm respectively.
On the other hand, cassava leaves can be used to make poultry feed. As a matter of fact, cassava leaves is about 10-40 % of the total plant weight. However, the weight of the leaves is influenced by a number of factors such as ecological conditions, fertility and age of the plant. It is ideal to harvest the plant leaves when the plant is 4 to 5 months old. One hectare of cassava plantation can yield up to 10 tons of dry leaves. The dried foliage can be ground into fine particles to make poultry feeds.

Despite the fact that cassava roots and leaves can supply carbohydrates and proteins for birds correspondingly, but this option pose a number of challenges, including contamination, lack of enough labor, pest and diseases, high cost of processing and more. The good news is that cassava waste from industries can reused to make animal feedstuffs thus protecting the environment.