ABSTRACT

The study which comparatively examined adoption and consumption level of pro vitamin A cassava in south-east and south-south Nigeria is necessitated by dearth of information and low supply recorded in demand for pro vitamin A cassava stems and products such as garri, fufu, flour, tapioca and the value added products. A purposive and multi stage random sampling procedures were employed to select 480 respondents across the four selected states in south-east and south-south Nigeria. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion and were analyzed with descriptive (frequencies, percentages and mean count) and inferential statistics: (ANOVA (DNMRT), OLS and Simple Linear Regression). The pooled mean results showed that farming experience of pro vitamin A cassava was 3.7 years with high participation in extension activities by the respondents (x =2.58). On technological attributes of pro-vitamin A cassava, a pooled mean of (x =3.7) indicated positive knowledge of technological attributes. On adoption of pro vitamin A cassava the pooled mean score of (x =3.04) indicated moderately high rate of adoption of pro vitamin A cassava with higher adopters in South-south and (x =2.05) indicated moderately high rate of consumption with higher consumers in south-south Nigeria. On factors influencing consumption, nutritional information (x =4.34), health benefit (x =4.24) and vitamin A content(x =4.14) strongly influenced the consumption of pro vitamin A cassava products across the states with south-south having more influence while on factors affecting adoption, inadequate fund (x =4.72), cost of labour (x =4.46) and lack of farm credit (x =4.24) were the factors that strongly affected adoption of pro vitamin A cassava across the states with south-east mostly affected. The multiple regression (OLS) result on (years spent in education, farming experience, farm income, farm size, access to credit, social group membership, participation in extension activities and level of palatability) influenced adoption of pro vitamin A cassava across the states with pooled R2 (0.432) at 1% level of probability. Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected. The multiple regression (OLS) result on (all the nine variables) influenced consumption of pro vitamin A cassava products across the states with pooled R2 (0.512) at 1%. The null hypothesis was rejected. The ANOVA (DNMRT) results indicated that there were significant differences on the level of adoption with (F-value of 51.74) and consumption with (F-value of 92.12) of pro vitamin A cassava across the states at 1% level of probability respectively. The null hypothesis was rejected. Multiple regression (OLS) result on Hypothesis six showed that (early maturity, yellow root colour, stay green, accessibility, affordability and complexity) influenced adoption of pro vitamin A cassava across the states with pooled R2 (0.624) at 1%. The null hypothesis was rejected. The simple linear regression result indicated that there was a significant relationship between farmers’ form of consumption and frequency of consumption of pro vitamin A cassava products at 1%. The null hypothesis was also rejected. This study concluded that there were more adopters and consumers of pro vitamin A cassava in south-south than south-east Nigeria as a result of undesirable traits and lack on nutrition information of the cassava. Research recommended more nutrition information, a better pro vitamin A cassava with increased dry matter content and can retain yellow colour during processing. There is need for NRCRI, Umudike and government to supply stems to farmers for more multiplication to boost the rate of adoption and consumption in the locality.