The Fight to Protect Cassava Plants
07/15/2013
A man works on a cassava farm in Nigeria.
Hello, and welcome once again to “As It Is,” our daily show for people learning everyday American English.
I’m Christopher Cruise in Washington.
Today on the program, we tell about the moringa oleifera plant. It feeds millions, but many people have never heard of it.
"It’s sometimes viewed as one of the most nutritious plants in the world.”
Protecting Cassava
But first, we tell about efforts to fight a disease that is spreading and attacking a plant that is important for Africa.
Scientists and agricultural experts recently met in Italy to talk about how to fight cassava disease. A virus that has been killing this important crop in East Africa was recently discovered to have spread to West Africa. Experts are now concerned that it could spread rapidly throughout West Africa, including Nigeria. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer and consumer of cassava.
Cassava is a tropical root vegetable that requires little work. It grows well in poor-quality soil and high temperatures. The roots are full of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Women work in a cassava grinding mill in Nigeria.
Cassava can also be used as an industrial starch to produce plywood, textiles and paper. Cassava is sometimes called a miracle crop for Africa. But diseases have been a problem for a century.
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