Agricultural Innovation System: Case of Cassava Producers in Kajo-Keji, South Sudan

Abstract

Abstract:The purpose of this paper was to analyze the innovation system of cassava producers related to "Food, Agribusiness and Rural Markets" (FARM) project. Socioeconomic and farm characteristics and information systems of farmers covered by FARM project and farmers not covered by FARM project members were compared and the relations between these characteristics and the innovations score were analyzed. Farmers covered by FARM project and not covered had significant differences in land preparations information sources, seed information sources and fertilizers usefulness. The results indicated that the age of farmers, land preparation information score, agricultural experience, cassava yield, number of family household, number of labor in the farm, number of family workers and casual workers were positively correlated with innovation score. Innovativeness of farmers classified according to their innovation score to less innovative and innovative. The two groups were tested with age, agricultural experience, family household, family workers in the farm, access to agricultural information, access to market and marketing experience and found significant with their innovativeness. It shows that those factors were important to consider it to the innovativeness of cassava farmers in the Kajo-keji. Recommendations for further development of cassava and strong collaboration among the stakeholders, public and private institutions is needed to encourage conventional cassava farmers to adopt modern cassava farming innovations can be suggested.