Cassava is a major source of food and industrial raw material worldwide. It is a source of income and provides livelihood to 100 million people globally (Legg, 1999). FAO reports that the World production of cassava root has increased from 184 million tons in 2002 to 230 million tons in 2008. Of the total production, 99.1 million are grown in Africa, 51.5 million in Asia and 33.2 million in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates that world cassava production will reach 275 million tons by 2020, 60% of which is estimated to come from Africa. This stresses the important role that cassava plays in the African economies. Cassava has been identified as one of the crops that could alleviate poverty in Africa. This is because it does well on poor soils and low rainfall. In addition, it is a perennial that can be harvested for more than two seasons. This wide harvesting window makes it act as a famine reserve. It also offers flexibility to smallholders because it serves as either subsistence or cash crop.