The Nigerian starch market is witnessing a boom as a result of limited domestic supplies and smuggling activities exploiting the dual tariff system on imports of corn starch. The price of food grade native starch have peaked in the last four months from N90,000 to N100,000 per ton in the last (January 2006) month. Prices are likely to remain high in the coming months until new starch plants come into production towards the end of the year. An investment in the cassava starch industry is perhaps the most lucrative investment at this time in the protected Nigerian cassava agribusiness sector.

Meanwhile high quality cassava flour prices have remained steady at N65000 per ton but expect a slight rise in price following the Presidential deadline to wheat flour millers to include cassava flour in wheat flour by July 1st 2006. Posted January 2006.

Cross border trade in cassava based products in Kano State, Nigeria.