Cassava-to-Attiéké Transformation: A Diagnosis Study in Banfora, Bobo Dioulasso and Ouagadougou

Cassava is a perishable commodity with a shelf life of less than 3 days after harvest. The general objective of our study is to take stock of the practices and equipment used in the processing of cassava into attiéké. This will subsequently allow us to optimize the operating energy of a mechanized cassava into attiéké processing unit. To do this, a diagnosis was made through a field survey of local processing companies in the cities of Banfora, Bobo Dioulasso and Ouagadougou. Our study focused on 20 processing units selected on the basis of the products manufactured and their geographical area. The results made it possible to list the equipment used at each stage of processing and their methods of use (manual or mechanized). It appears that in most companies, processing equipment is mainly manual. The inventory of equipment used in cassava processing units in Banfora, Bobo Dioulasso and Ouagadougou showed that graters/crushers are the only motorized equipment used in these units. It is therefore essential to mechanize cassava processing equipment into attiéké as far as possible in order to reduce the arduousness of the work.