Awareness and adoption of improved cassava varieties and processing technologies in Nigeria

Abstract

Development of high yielding and disease resistant cassava varieties, coupled with the promotion of efficient processing technologies, was the principal intervention aimed at changing the cassava subsector in Nigeria. National research and extension programs in Nigeria and IITA have been spearheading efforts to disseminate these varieties alongside improving farmer's access to processing machineries. Several Research-for-Development (R4D) projects were implemented to this effect between early 1980 to date. This paper investigated the effects of improved cassava varieties and processing technologies on adopting households. It also attempts to test and establish the link between adoption of improved cassava varieties and access to processing technologies. The data used in this paper come from a sample household survey of 952 households conducted in four regions of Nigeria. The results showed that in all the study sites farmers grow mixture of improved and local cassava varieties. They process cassava at home using small processing machines and also using services of commercial processors. The most common processed cassava products were found to be garri and fufu. Adopters of improved cassava varieties have higher cassava yield of 16 tons/ha compared to 11 ton/ha for non-adopters. There was also significant yield variation between villages that participated (15 tons/ha) in research for development (R4D) training and those which did not (13 tons/ha). The bivariate probit model estimates showed a strong relationship between adoption of improved cassava varieties and farmers' access to grating machines. Moreover, farmers that were members of either community organizations or cooperative organizations had a higher tendency of using improved varieties than others, suggesting that the introduction of new cassava varieties would be enhanced by farmers' access to processing facilities and services. Moreover, training of farmers and processors through R4D programs has led to increased use of improved technologies.

Socio-economic determinants of adoption of improved millet production practices by farmers in Borno State, Nigeria

“…There is a positive relationship between awareness and adoption of improved pearl millet production practices. This agrees with the findings of Abdoulaye et al, (2014) which reported a positive relationship between awareness and adoption of improved cotton production practices in Katsina State. Table 3 reveals that 42.2% of the adopters and 21.0% of the nonadopters of improved pearl millet practices posited that inaccessibility to improved seeds was one of the major constraints to the adoption of the practices in the study area.…”

Assessing the extent and determinants of adoption of improved cassava varieties in south-western Nigeria

“…In a recent study conducted by Abdoulaye et al (2014) ICVs adopters were observed to have a higher yield of about 16 tons/ha compared with 10 tons/ha for nonadopters. The implication is that the desired increase in productivity due to the ICVs and the subsequent impact on poverty reduction will not be achieved unless the ICVs are widely adopted by the Nigerian farmers.…”

Assessing the Determinants of Tissue Culture Banana Adoption in Western Kenya

“…This could be attributed to the fact that farmers were interested in income generating farm enterprises in order to meet household financial obligations. Similar studies have shown positive effect of income both on and off-farm on technology adoption [35,36]. Therefore, any efforts to enhance household income either from farm and offfarm activities including credit would enhance technology adoption like TCB.…”