... Cassava brings life to Plantain Garden

FARMERS WITH access to land in the community can now be contracted to grow cassava through a partnership with the St Thomas RADA Agro-Park and Red Stripe’s Project Grow. The beer company launched the project in 2013 as its raw materialsourcing initiative to obtain locally grown cassava, which it incorporates into the production process, replacing imported high-maltose corn syrup. By the end of the year, Red

Stripe will increase the cassava starch content to 15 per cent in their brewed products.

“Farmers who enlist in the programme can now be guaranteed a market for their crop, thus solving one of the biggest problems faced by farmers in the community. This will give them the confidence to plant cassava. This is a great opportunity that will not only guarantee income but also a sustainable livelihood,” share-farmer Patrick Solomon, who recently dedicated 15 acres of his land at the RADA Agro-Park to the Project Grow outgrower programme. He normally plants twice a year – at the start of the rainy seasons in May and September.

“Red Stripe has introduced to us a new approach to farming that uses the right training and tools that will equip us with the necessary skills to produce a high-quality crop. I feel motivated as a farmer to be a part of this movement, and I’m preparing for a prosperous future. I encourage my fellow farmers to set aside at least one acre of their land to cassava because they will be guaranteed a profitable return through Project Grow,” shared Solomon.

As a father of five, Solomon aspires to create a legacy in agriculture that his children can be proud of and inspire young people in the community to pursue farming. He is setting out to establish a standardised farming business so young people in the community can see it as a viable career option.

Red Stripe Farm Operations Manager Eistein McLean notes that the programme is on track to meet production targets and that plans are in place to expand its reach.

“To date, Red Stripe Project Grow has contracted over 87 farmers in our out-grower programme. The goal is to ensure we have a sustainable supply of cassava for production, while at the same time providing viable partnerships for farmers, which will redound to the benefit of communities and the wider economy,” McLean said.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Red Stripe uses starch from cassava in the production of its beer. By 2020, the beer company hopes to increase the cassava starch content to 40 per cent.Farmers planting cassava in the field. Red Stripe has contacted 115 farmers to plant cassava as part of its Project Grow programme. St Thomas farmer Patrick Solomon has been planting cassava for 30 years. He recently joined the Red Stripe Project Grow out-grower programme, which guarantees him a stable market for his crop.