African farmers have been advised to grow drought and disease-resistant crops like cassava rather than maize, since the former will soon overtake the former' s demand in the continent.

Scientists from the world who gathered in Arusha, Tanzania, attending the 12th International Plant Virus Epidemiology (IPVE) symposium pointed out on Monday that cassava is on the verge of replacing maize as the main staple for the nearly one billion residents of the African Continent and the 'roots' value is clocking to over 2 billion U.S. dollars per year.

The meeting provides researchers a platform to share the latest knowledge, brainstorm and draw a road map to contain the spread of plant virus diseases.

Dr Nteranya Sangina, director general for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), said that cassava is currently the most drought-resistant crop, which can also thrive in low-nutrient soil.

"Scientists have come up with new varieties that are resilient to diseases," Sangina told the gathering, which brought on board a number of scientists from more than 40 countries.

Scientists attending the symposium revealed that with the threats of global warming and the related climate change, maize which has always been the main food crop for Africa is losing its hold on the continent's dinner tables as it increasingly becoming susceptible to drought and diseases.

"In Nigeria already cassava has taken over from maize, we make ugali from cassava and extract ethanol from its roots, even better we are now using cassava to make bread which means the crop is also replacing wheat," said Sangina.

During the meeting, participants took tea with bread made from cassava flour and many could not distinguish the taste from that of wheat-flour bread. With over 170 million people eating bread daily, cassava is just on the verge of becoming the "next underground gold" for Africa.

Dr Elly Kafiriti from Tanzania's Naliendele Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) said his Mtwara-based Southern Zone Research and Development Center is currently working to develop disease resistant cassava as well as developing more resilient crop variety to intercept the effects of changing climate and emerging diseases.

Morogoro region is being described to have highest potential for cassava growing in Tanzania and Kitui area can do the same for Kenya and together, they can make East Africa self reliant on food and totally abolish the importation of food during drought spells, Kafiriti said, adding that cassava is currently the main passport out of poverty for local peasants.

Running under the theme, Evolution, Ecology and Control of Plant Viruses, the symposium is said to be also focusing on emergence, epidemiology and control of native and new encounter virus diseases.

"This is to reflect on prevailing situation of virus diseases in Africa and around the world that are not only ravaging the crop production, but also affecting the international exchange of germ plasm and commerce," explained Sangina.

The five-day symposium will also provide a forum for exchange of latest knowledge and technologies to control virus diseases and pave way for an African and global strategy to combat emerging and reemerging plant virus diseases. Endi