Abstract

Majority of the starch crops harvested in the tropical African countries are wasted to post-harvest losses, while minority are consumed locally with insignificant quantity being processed for down stream applications, with no evidence for up stream process applications. Consequently, the natural resources are under utilized but deserve value enhanced utilities. In view of this necessity, this review pooled together information on tropical agricultural starch crops endowment with respect to types, present status of utilization, possibility for value enhancement and illustrations on prospects for utilization of value-added starch based products and adjuncts in food and non-food products with view to provoke interest on enhancement of agronomical benefits of tropical African countries starch crops.

Key words: Tropical countries, starch crops, under utilization, utilization constraints, value added opportunities.