In Africa, entirely in the time past, that's in the past ages or in the dark ages, our parents only knew the analog form of farming, agriculture, homesteading or gardening. There was never any form of mechanised agriculture. It was only a method of cutlases, knives and hoes system. Unlike these days we can see tractors and all sorts of mechanised formula of farming with faster yielding crops, as we see these days.
And these were majorly their jobs, from the ancient days, generations after the other. Our parents and their own parents only knew the manual method of cultivations of all kinds of crops. Labouring extensively very hard to achieve success and feed their families and still stand out healthy and elegant.
Cassava stems ready for planting.
Germinated and growing cassava plants.
These were basically their main occupation and source of livelihood from year to year, all round the clock, all through the years.Though some of them were traders also doing it manually, without digital know - how or understanding.
This was one of those unfortunate, unspeakable and undeniable ways many of them laboured assiduously without knowledge, without much results often died quite earlier than their live span. Comparing that with the simple, innovative, mechanised and faster methods of crop cultivations these days. You will surely find out that their sufferings were huge and something else.
See how tall the cassava sticks has grown up to, just in this six months time.
There has been so much transformations in all aspects of farming in this our generation, so much improvements and progress has been achieved and that is with a tremendous efforts and proven results.
There are so many faster yielding crops that has been introduced to farmers. Like some cassava stem produces cassava roots that are completely yellow in colour, you need not add red oil when frying.
It has vitamin A in abundance. It's a new breed from other parts of the world. But the former cassava, oil must be added for the colour to outstanding.
Cassava is a tropical root crop that is a major energy giving food wildly cultivated and eaten in Africa ever since the origin of times. Cassava is rich in carbohydrates that equally builds fantastic energy in the human body any time any day. Cassava is cultivated through the stems.
A very wonderful phenomenon, that a stem was cut into many parts and planted into the loamy soil and after some time it germinates and begins to grow till the roots are formed, turned into root crops known as and called..... Cassava which will literally become so many food items serving the hunger needs of many.
Harvested cassava
I told you cassava is a root crop, these are harvested cassava from farm.
CASSAVA IS USEFUL IN MANY WAYS LIKE;
Tapioca= are made from cassava.
This is tapioca made from cassava and enjoyed with coconut, it's a cultural afternoon snacks eaten under a heavy afternoon hot sunshine. Very pleasing to the heart..😂.
Method of production of tapioca is by cutting the cassava into halves one by one. Peel out the outer skin and slice to sizes, cook, wash and soak overnight wash again it's ready for consumption with either your coconut or fried groundnut.
You can still turn it to African salad which is another production all together, i will soon demonstrate that one soonest.
Fufu (akpu) = are made from cassava.
Fufu otherwise known as ...(Akpu) Is made from cassava but has some processes to become this.
Fufu flour= are made from cassava.
Fufu flour is a process you get before turning it to fufu/akpu. Fufu/akpu is eaten with soup of your choice, and of any type, (swallow).
Gari= are made from cassava.
Gari is made from the same cassava with a little long process of peeling them, grinding them, tying them in a sack, squeezing it to separate from the starchy water that is useful too as starch used to add to clothes to thicken and bring out their beauty. When it dries, you sieve the gari, fry it on a huge fire and wood, adding red oil to turn yellow or spare the red oil it will become a white gari.
Starch added to clothes=are made from cassava.
Starch are made from cassava as i said earlier. Starch is just the squeezed out white water from grinded cassava packed in a sack and squeezed out, allowed to settle down and becomes white and thick for beautifying clothes.
Careful study here shows that they are five produce/products that emerge from cassava.
Just an ordinary cut stem of cassava stick cut into sizes, planted, and it's now feeding people all through the years and times without end all around the world mostly the African continent.
This method has been rotating, being passed on to everyone interested to cultivate this root crop. Remember cassava is tropical root crop that has been feeding thousands and millions of people all around the African continent, it's so wonderful to know.
Thank you so much for reading through. I appreciate you all.
All pictures are mine from my phone camera,
Techno spark 8.