IMPACT OF ADOPTION OF CASSAVA VALUE ADDED TECHNOLOGIES ON WOMEN CASSAVA FARMERS WELFARE IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA
This study analyzed effect of adoption of cassava value added technologies on welfare of women cassava farmers in Abia state, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was administered on 270 respondents selected using multistage random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, adoption scale analysis, z-test, and multiple regression model. Result showed that mean age and cassava farm size of the respondents were 48.54 years and 0.42 hectare respectively. About 65.93% of them were married, with as much as 81.11% attaining diverse levels of formal education. Meanwhile, 54.44% and 46.67% of them obtained information on cassava value addition technologies from Agricultural Development Programme and National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike respectively. Cassava value added technologies such as garri ( = 4.30), cassava fufu ( = 3.66), high quality cassava flour ( = 3.02), cassava chips ( = 3.18) and fermented flour ( = 3.01) were adopted by the women farmers. Also, adoption of cassava value added technologies impacted positively on income and expenditure level of the women farmers. Results of the multiple regression analysis using linear functional form as lead equation showed that age, education level, marital status, extension contact, processing cost, annual income, group membership, access to credit and quantity of cassava produced influenced adoption of cassava value added technologies. Major constraints associated with the adoption were inadequate capital ( = 2.13), lack of market ( = 2.11), low access to credit ( = 2.10), inadequate knowledge of technologies ( = 2.03), high cost of equipment/facilities ( = 2.02) and scarcity of labour ( = 2.00). It was recommended that training on cassava value added technologies and provision of credit facilities to women cassava farmers should be intensified. This will enable them adopt value added technologies and improve their welfare.
Keywords: Adoption, cassava, value added technologies, women farmers
