Togo: Substantial increase in root and tuber crop production for the 2022-2023 season
As food security is one of the priorities on the government’s roadmap, the President of the Republic, Faure Gnassingbé, initiated reforms a few years ago to boost agricultural production. These efforts have already begun to pay off, with a steady and significant increase in the production of various crops being recorded year on year, particularly those intended for export but also for local consumption.
According to figures published on Friday 1 September by the economic newspaper “L’Union Pour la Patrie”, the 2022-2023 agricultural season was marked by a significant increase in the production of root and tuber crops.
Production totalled 2,238,530 tonnes, up 2% on the previous season’s figure of 19,355 tonnes. Cassava, for example, rose by 1.69%.
Production reached 1,224,641 tonnes last season. Taro, for its part, came in at 19,355 tonnes in 2022-2023, up 1.40% on the previous season.
According to the same source, a comparison of total root and tuber production for the 2022-2023 crop year against the five-year average shows an increase of 9.52%.
Tropical starchy root and tuber crops – cassava, sweet potato and yam – play an essential role in the food security of people living in tropical areas, against a backdrop of rapid population growth and urbanisation.
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Kodjovi Makafui
