Yellow cassava facts for kids

Yellow cassava is a special type of cassava that has a yellow inside. Regular cassava is a very important root crop in many tropical countries. About 300 million people in 15 African countries rely on it for a big part of their daily food. For example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cassava gives over 40 million people more than 1000 calories each day.

Three types of yellow cassava, called UMUCASS 36, UMUCASS 37, and UMUCASS 38, are being grown in Nigeria. They are special because they have a lot of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene helps your body make Vitamin A. Not having enough Vitamin A is a big problem, especially in Africa. In Nigeria, almost one-third of young children (under five) don't get enough Vitamin A. Since cassava is a main food for many people, yellow cassava can help solve this problem and make people healthier.

What is Yellow Cassava?

Yellow cassava looks a lot like regular cassava (which is called Manihot esculenta). The main difference is its color. Regular cassava usually has a white inside, but yellow cassava has a bright yellow flesh. Cassava is a shrub that grows large roots underground. These roots are what people harvest and eat. The roots have three parts: the middle part (pith), the skin (peel), and small tubes that carry water and nutrients.

The new yellow types of cassava grow very well and can fight off many pests and diseases. Just like regular cassava, they don't need super rich soil or a lot of special care to grow. They also do well even when there isn't much rain, which is great for farmers.

How Yellow Cassava Was Developed

Cassava first came from South America. The three yellow cassava types (UMUCASS 36, UMUCASS 37, and UMUCASS 38) were created after 12 years of hard work in Nigeria. This project was supported by HarvestPlus, along with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Nigeria's National Root Crop Research Institute. Scientists are still working to make yellow cassava even better. They hope to get even more beta-carotene into it.

Growing Yellow Cassava

The new yellow cassava types are strong and grow a lot of roots. They are also good at resisting many common pests and diseases. Like regular cassava, they don't need very rich soil or a lot of special preparation before planting. They can also survive well during dry periods, which is a big help for farmers in places where rain can be unpredictable.

After Harvesting Cassava

Cassava roots are usually kept in the ground until people need them. This is because they spoil very quickly after being picked. Drying the roots is one way to keep them fresh longer. However, how you dry them matters for keeping the beta-carotene.

For example, drying cassava in an oven at 60°C (140°F) can keep about 72% of the beta-carotene. But after four weeks of storage, this amount drops to 40%. Sun drying keeps less beta-carotene, only about 38%. After four weeks, it drops even more, to about 18%. You can keep more beta-carotene by treating the cassava first. This can be done by blanching (briefly boiling) or by using a method called osmotic dehydration.

Peeling cassava roots takes a lot of effort. So, scientists have worked to create types of cassava with a white peel. This makes it easier to see if the peel is fully removed. One type, called Branca de Santa Catarina, was chosen for this reason. Even though cassava spoils fast, it's very helpful for rural farmers. It can be like a backup crop during dry times or when other crops don't grow well.

How Yellow Cassava is Shared

Three types of yellow cassava are being grown in Nigeria: UMUCASS 36, UMUCASS 37, and UMUCASS 38. Cassava can grow from seeds or from parts of the plant, like stems. You can't buy yellow cassava from stores right now. Instead, a special system is helping to share it in Nigeria. About 25,000 families in rural areas are given cassava stems. They agree to share their new stems with other farmers next season. This is the main way yellow cassava is spreading to more people.

Eating and Using Cassava

The part of the cassava root that you eat is the soft middle part. It's a great source of carbohydrates, which give you energy. The peel around the root cannot be eaten by people. However, it can be used as food for animals like pigs and goats. Some farmers also harvest and eat the cassava leaves as a vegetable. These leaves are an important part of the diet in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.

Yellow Cassava and Your Health

Not getting enough Vitamin A is a common problem in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, about 20% of pregnant women and 30% of children under five years old don't get enough. This can weaken their immune systems, making them sick more often. It can also cause problems with eyesight and, in serious cases, lead to permanent vision loss.

Yellow cassava has a lot of beta-carotene, which your body turns into Vitamin A. Cassava is also a major source of carbohydrates, mostly starches. The new yellow cassava can provide up to 25% of the Vitamin A you need each day. Since cassava is a big part of many people's meals, adding Vitamin A-rich yellow cassava is a great way to improve health for many people.

Why People Like Yellow Cassava

Usually, changing the color of a main food can make people not want to eat it. But this is not the case with yellow cassava. In many places, people often add palm oil to white cassava flour when they cook. Palm oil gives the food a golden color. So, people are already used to their cassava looking yellow. This means the yellow color of the new cassava doesn't stop people from wanting to eat it.

Challenges for Yellow Cassava

Cassava is mostly grown and eaten in rural areas. A challenge is that it spoils very quickly after harvest. This makes it hard for scientists to study it in labs for a long time. Because it spoils fast, it's not a good crop to export to other countries. So, sharing it widely needs a local approach, like farmers sharing stems with each other.

Tips for Using Yellow Cassava

Since cassava can grow from stems, sharing parts of the stem with other farmers is a good way to spread Vitamin A-rich yellow cassava. When you want to store cassava, treating it before drying can help keep more beta-carotene. Cassava doesn't have a strict harvest time. It's best to grow a lot and harvest it on the same day you plan to eat it. This makes cassava a good backup crop for times when food is hard to find.

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