Industrial demand for cassava starch in India

Cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) is a staple food crop cultivated in several developing countries. Cassava is consumed either directly as cooked tubers or as the products prepared from cassava. Cassava in India is used mainly in the human consumption, industrial and animal feed sectors. In India nearly 60% of cassava is used industrially in the production of sago, starch and dry chips. The presented study has clearly indicated that the future of cassava in India lies in its diversified uses in the industrial sector. The projected demand is predominantly in the adhesive sector, especially in the corrugation gums and paper conversion industry, and in the paper industry. The projected demand-supply gap in the industrial sector is expected to be 1.5 x 10(6) t of cassava tubers requiring another 750 000 ha to be brought under cassava cultivation. New and potential areas in the non-traditional cassava-growing states are to be considered for area expansion.