Cassava is a cornerstone of Ghana’s food security and industrial strategy, yet traditional farming methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and limit scaling. This crucial GRIC Industry Brief session will showcase innovations that are transforming the entire cassava value chain from farm to factory. We are proud to feature Professor Emmanuel Bobobee, a leading expert from KNUST and the innovator behind the TEK harvester, which is already deployed across West Africa and the Caribbean. Manual cassava farming is characterized by significant drudgery, which makes agriculture unattractive to Ghanaian youth. By introducing modern machinery, this session presents a clear path to reduce manual labor by up to 80%, drastically cutting post-harvest losses, and making cassava production a profitable business, not just a way of life. The session will cover mechanization innovations across the value chain: from seed-bed preparation and weeding to efficient harvesting, peeling, slicing, and drying.
Presenter: Professor Emmanuel Bobobee, Associate Professor of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, KNUST
Date & Time Wednesday, 29th October 2025
Time: 10:00am – 11:30am
This is a must-attend for Agribusiness owners, Industrial processors, Exporters, Investors in the agriculture sector, and researchers seeking to commercialize their technology.
Key Takeaways
- Innovations to mechanise and commercialise cassava production.
- Strategies to reduce drudgery and attract the youth back to agriculture.
- Understanding the mechanization gap: solutions for peeling, slicing, and drying.
- The proven success and deployment of the TEK harvester in Africa and beyond.
Registration Mode: Virtual (Zoom)
Registration Link: http://bit.ly/3J8ASH5