Characterizing cassava marketing value chain in Kenya: A review

This paper reviews the cassava value chain with an aim of characterizing the value chain by focusing on the marketing part of the value chain, the actors, and marketing channels. The data used in this review were obtained from secondary sources particularly books, journals, articles, conferences, theses and dissertations. The data were then analyzed by descriptive statistics. The results of the study indicate that the different forms of cassava products have different marketing channels and the longer the marketing channel of any given product the higher the price paid by the final consumer for that given product. Additionally, the results show that processing cassava increases its value, shelf life, and makes it possible to market cassava products in dispersed markets. However, production of cassava in Kenya is still low and inconsistent, the cassava value chain in Kenya is not well defined and there is little value addition along the chain. Therefore, the general conclusion of this review is that the Kenyan cassava industry is under developed and unexploited hence the government in conjunction with the private sector should put in place measures that would act as an incentive for investment in the industry.