Profitability of Cassava Processing: A Case Study of Otukpo Lga, Benue State, Nigeria Dorothy Ani 1,a* , Hycainth Ojila 1,b and Orefi Abu 1,c Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agriculture PMB 2373, Makurdi Benue State- Nigeria. a, *doranonye@yahoo.com, b hyojila@yahoo.com, c oriefi@yahoo.com Keywords: Profitability, Cassava, Processing, Net margin, Benue State Abstract. The study investigated the economics of cassava processing in Otukpo Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria. Data were collected using well-structured questionnaire administered to 60 cassava processors. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Profit function, independent sample t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results showed that majority of the processors were within the age group of 31-40 years with mean year of experience of 34 years. They were mostly women with an average of 8 persons per household. Traditional technologies mostly were employed by the cassava processors. The profitability analysis showed that cassava processing into garri (fried cassava granules), chips and fufu/akpu (cassava dough) are profitable, (t =23.55, 11.95, 12.37: P≤ 0.01). Moreover, the result of the ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference (F=44.48:P≤0.01) in the profit level of cassava processed into garri, chips and fufu/akpu. The result of the post-hoc of ANOVA shows that among the three cassava products studied, garri had the highest profit. The cassava processors encountered many set-backs like poor equipment, high cost of transportation, inadequate capital and poor road network even though processing is a viable and profitable venture. Modern processing technologies should be developed and disseminated to processors while adequate infrastructural facilities and credits should also be provided. Introduction Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crop native of South America, which was believed to have been introduced into Nigeria during the period of slave trade proliferation by the Portuguese explorers and colonizers in the sixteenth century [1]. Cassava is a drought-tolerant, perennial woody shrub and staple food crop with up to 32% (fresh) starch content which is cultivated extensively as a food crop in Africa, [2, 3]. It is one of the most important staple food crops in sub-Saharan Africa, and its average consumption exceeds 300 kg per person annually in some areas of Africa [4]. Cassava is a very versatile commodity with numerous uses and by-products. The leaves may be consumed as a vegetable, or cooked as a soup ingredient or dried and fed to livestock as a protein feed supplement. The stem is used for plant propagation and grafting. The roots are typically processed for human and industrial consumption. Cassava root is a good source of carbohydrates. Cassava is processed into various products such as cassava flour (lafun), fried cassava granules (garri), cassava dough (fufu/akpu) and cassava starch [5]. It is also a source for bio-fuel as well as animal feed. Apart from livestock feeds, processed cassava serves as industrial raw material for the production of adhesives, bakery products, dextrin, dextrose glucose, lactose and sucrose. Food and beverage industries use cassava products in the production of jelly caramel and chewing- gum, pharmaceutical and chemical industries also use cassava alcohol (ethanol) in cosmetic and drug production. Also, the peels are used in organo-mineral fertilizers formulation [6]. Thus, there is a very high demand for cassava products both in local and foreign markets [7]. Cassava is increasingly gaining ground as an insurance crop against hunger. Famine rarely occurs in the areas where cassava is grown since the crop provides a stable base for food production [8]: thus, it is commonly referred to as one of the major crops for food security in the tropics [9]). Sustainable Food Production Submitted: 2018-11-16 ISSN: 2624-876X, Vol. 6, pp 12-23 Revised: 2019-02-03 doi:10.18052/www.scipress.com/SFP.6.12 Accepted: 2019-03-07 2019 SciPress Ltd., Switzerland Online: 2019-05-06 SciPress applies the CC-BY 4.0 license to works we publish: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/