Wholesale Cassava Suppliers

Nigeria is the world's largest cassava producer (~60 million t/year) but most is consumed domestically. Thailand is the dominant export market player, exporting over 8 million tonnes of cassava products annually — primarily dried chips and pellets to China (for animal feed and ethanol) and tapioca starch to food manufacturers worldwide. Indonesia and Vietnam are growing exporters of tapioca starch. Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mozambique are emerging African exporters of high-quality food-grade starch and flour. Brazil produces cassava starch (polvilho) for domestic use and South American regional trade.

Fresh cassava roots: white-fleshed (low HCN, sweet type, <100 mg HCN/kg fresh weight) for direct consumption; yellow-fleshed varieties for processing. Tapioca starch (native): fine white powder, moisture ≤13%, whiteness ≥88%, starch content ≥83%, viscosity per Brabender RVA. Modified tapioca starch: cross-linked, oxidised, hydroxypropylated — for food industry functional applications. Cassava flour (whole-root dried and milled): more nutritious than starch, retains fibre; key ingredient in gluten-free baking. Dried cassava chips/pellets: animal feed and ethanol feedstock for Chinese market. Cassava starch noodles (glass noodles): processed consumer product.

Cassava contains cyanogenic glucosides (linamarin, lotaustralin) that generate hydrocyanic acid (HCN) upon tissue disruption. CODEX STAN 176-1989 sets safety limits: sweet cassava for direct consumption must have ≤10 mg HCN/kg fresh weight. Bitter cassava (>100 mg HCN/kg) requires processing (soaking, fermentation, heating) before consumption. For tapioca starch: HCN should be non-detectable or <10 mg/kg after processing. EU Regulation 1881/2006 covers HCN limits in processed cassava products. Aflatoxin risk in dried chips during storage: maintain aw <0.70, test per lot. ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, and BRC/IFS are standard certifications for starch processing facilities.

Fresh cassava roots: highly perishable — post-harvest physiological deterioration (PPD, blue/black vascular discolouration) begins within 24–72 hours of harvest. Store at 0–5°C for up to 4 weeks; wax coating or plastic wrapping delays PPD. Air freight or cold chain trucking required for fresh root export — commercially viable only for ethnic/gourmet markets. Tapioca starch: ambient storage in moisture-proof bags (PE-lined kraft or woven PP), aw <0.60, 18–24 month shelf life. Dried chips: ambient storage, aw <0.70, 12–18 months. Pellets: same as chips.

Tapioca starch: 25 or 50 kg PP woven bags with PE liner, 1 FCL (20-ft dry container, ~22–24 tonnes net). Native starch is also available in bulk (1 MT big bags / FIBCs). Dried chips: 50 kg PP woven bags or bulk loose in container liner, 1 FCL (~24 tonnes). Cassava flour: 25 kg paper bags with PE liner, FCL or LCL. Fresh roots: 20–30 kg cardboard cartons, reefer container, LCL or FCL. Lead times from Thailand: 30–40 days ocean freight to Europe; 25–35 days to Middle East. From Nigeria: 30–40 days to Europe. Air freight for fresh roots: 1–2 days to most destinations.

Q: What is the difference between tapioca starch and cassava flour for food manufacturing? A: Tapioca starch is extracted from cassava roots by wet-milling, washing, and drying — it contains only starch (no fibre, protein, or fat), giving a clean white colour and neutral taste. Cassava flour is made by drying and milling whole cassava roots, retaining fibre and other components. Tapioca starch is used as a thickener, binder, and texture modifier; cassava flour is used in baking (gluten-free bread, tortillas, fufu).

Q: How do I verify HCN safety in imported cassava starch? A: Request a certificate of analysis from an accredited laboratory confirming HCN content per kg (alkalimetric or colorimetric method). For food-grade tapioca starch, HCN should be non-detectable (<5 mg/kg) after processing. Specify this as a mandatory parameter in your purchase specification.

Q: What certifications should I require from Thai tapioca starch exporters? A: ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 for the starch processing facility, GMP+ (if for animal feed applications), Halal certification (for Middle Eastern buyers), and a valid Thai FDA food export certificate. For organic starch: IFOAM-accredited organic certification.

Q: Is cassava gluten-free certified for coeliac market positioning? A: Cassava starch and flour are naturally gluten-free. For coeliac/gluten-free positioning, require a third-party gluten test certificate confirming <20 ppm gluten (per Codex Alimentarius standard for gluten-free) and confirm no cross-contamination in the processing facility with gluten-containing cereals.

Q: What is driving Chinese demand for Thai cassava chips and pellets? A: China uses cassava chips/pellets primarily as an animal feed ingredient (replacing corn in pig and poultry feed) and as a feedstock for ethanol production. Chinese cassava imports fluctuate with corn price differentials — when corn prices are high, cassava becomes more competitive. China imports 5–8 million tonnes of Thai cassava products annually.