# Cassava: Extraction

The drought-proof root that keeps for months underground

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/extraction/

What this tab covers How it is mined, drilled or grown, and processed into a tradeable form: the main methods compared, their unit economics, by-products, and the companies that do this work globally and in India.

Cassava is a woody shrub grown from stem cuttings across the humid and semi-arid tropics. It tolerates drought and poor soils better than most staples. Roots can stay in the ground for many months, a living store, but rot within days of harvest. Raw roots contain cyanogenic compounds, so they must be peeled, grated, soaked, fermented or dried. In West Africa this yields foods such as gari and fufu. In Thailand and Vietnam, factories grind roots into starch or dry them as chips for feed and ethanol.

Cassava is grown from stem cuttings, mostly by smallholders, and yields vary widely. African farmers grow it for food with few inputs, harvesting about 6-8 t of roots per hectare in Nigeria and the DR Congo. Commercial growers in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam grow for starch and chip factories and get 20-24 t/ha. India's Tamil Nadu and Kerala farmers, using improved varieties and irrigation, reach about 36 t/ha, among the highest yields in the world (FAOSTAT 2024). Because roots perish within days of harvest, processing plants sit close to farms, and most international trade is in dried chips and starch.

#### Methods compared

| Method | Share of supply | Typical scale | Recovery / efficiency | By-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Smallholder food cassava, Nigeria, DR Congo and Ghana** | Nigeria 18.3%, DR Congo 13.6% and Ghana 8.2% of world output in 2024 (FAOSTAT) | Nigeria 62.6 Mt on 10.7 Mha; DR Congo 46.6 Mt on 5.7 Mha (FAOSTAT 2024) | yields 5.8 t/ha in Nigeria, 8.2 t/ha in DR Congo, 25.9 t/ha in Ghana (FAOSTAT 2024) | leaves eaten as vegetables, peels fed to livestock | n/a |
| **Commercial cassava for starch and chips, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam** | Thailand 8.4% of world output in 2024 (FAOSTAT); Cambodia 48.4% and Thailand 34.7% of world HS 071410 export value (UN Comtrade 2024) | Thailand 28.6 Mt on 1.42 Mha; Cambodia 14.3 Mt on 0.60 Mha (FAOSTAT 2024) | yields 20.2 t/ha in Thailand, 23.8 t/ha in Cambodia, 20.4 t/ha in Vietnam (FAOSTAT 2024) | pulp and peel for feed and biogas | n/a |
| **High-yield cassava for sago and starch, Tamil Nadu and Kerala (India)** | India 1.8% of world output in 2024 (FAOSTAT); Tamil Nadu about 64% of India's production (TNAU DEMIC, 2015) | India 6.28 Mt on 0.18 Mha (FAOSTAT 2024); Tamil Nadu about 1.21 lakh ha (TNAU DEMIC, 2015) | yield 35.6 t/ha in India (FAOSTAT 2024); 25-30 t/ha around Salem; roots hold 30-35% starch; about 5 kg of roots per kg of sago (InsightsIAS, Feb 2026) | thippi (fibrous residue) for feed | n/a |
| **Cassava for flour and farinha, Brazil** | Brazil 5.6% of world output in 2024 (FAOSTAT) | 19.1 Mt on 1.23 Mha (FAOSTAT 2024) | yield 15.5 t/ha (FAOSTAT 2024) | manipueira (liquid residue) | n/a |

#### How each method works
**Smallholder food cassava, Nigeria, DR Congo and Ghana**

Farmers intercrop cassava with maize and legumes, harvest piecemeal as food is needed, and process roots at home or in village mills into gari, fufu and flour. Little is traded internationally.

Reliable food on poor soils with few inputs, but low yields and high post-harvest losses.
 FAOSTAT 2024 **Commercial cassava for starch and chips, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam**

Farmers grow cassava as a cash crop on upland fields and sell roots to starch mills and chip yards. Cambodian and Lao roots and chips cross into Thailand and Vietnam for processing and re-export to China.

Large, export-oriented supply chain, but exposed to Chinese demand and mosaic virus outbreaks.
 FAOSTAT 2024; UN Comtrade 2024 **High-yield cassava for sago and starch, Tamil Nadu and Kerala (India)**

Farmers in Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Salem and Villupuram grow improved varieties, often irrigated, and sell roots to sago and starch units around Salem. In Kerala, cassava (kappa) is mainly eaten fresh.

World-class yields and an established sago industry, but prices for roots, sago and starch swing widely.
 FAOSTAT 2024; TNAU DEMIC 2015; InsightsIAS 2026 **Cassava for flour and farinha, Brazil**

Brazilian farmers grow cassava for farinha de mandioca, tapioca starch and food. Brazil is the fifth-largest producer.

Large domestic market, little export.
 FAOSTAT 2024 Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs vary widely by deposit, region and year.

#### Who does it: global

| Company | Country | Activity | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Cargill** current cassava volume not published | US | early large-scale exporter of Thai tapioca chips to Europe; starch and feed | not published | n/a | Morgan, Merchants of Grain (1979) |
| **Ingredion** volume not published | US | tapioca starch processing in Thailand | not published | n/a |  |
| **Thai Wah** volume not available | Thailand | tapioca starch and food products | not published | n/a |  |
| **Sanguan Wongse Industries** volume not available | Thailand | tapioca starch maker | not published | n/a |  |

#### Who does it: India

| Company | Country | Activity | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **SAGOSERVE (Salem Starch and Sago Manufacturers' Service Industrial Co-operative Society)** volume not available | India | cooperative that markets sago and starch for member units; holds the Salem sago GI | not published | n/a | [InsightsIAS, 20 Feb 2026](https://www.insightsonindia.com/2026/02/20/salem-sago-javvarisi/) |
| **ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute** research body; no trading volume | India | public research institute (Thiruvananthapuram) that breeds high-yield cassava varieties | not published | n/a |  |

India grew 6.28 Mt of cassava on 0.18 Mha in 2024 at 35.6 t/ha (FAOSTAT), mostly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Salem region makes over 80% of India's sago (InsightsIAS 2026). India trades little: 6.3 kt of exports worth $5 million in 2024 (UN Comtrade HS 071410).

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/correlation/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/links/index.md)