ABSTRACT

The study examined the impact of cassava technologies on rural poverty in Imo State using aspects of the sustainable livelihoods framework. One hundred rural households were purposively selected from each of the three agricultural zones of Imo state to correspond with an earlier baseline study by the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP). A multistage random sampling procedure was used for the RTEP survey conducted in 2002. Data were collected from the panel of 300 selected rural households in two phases. Firstly, a biweekly data on farm and off-farm income was collected from January 2006 to February 2007. The second survey was conducted between January and February 2007 using structured questionnaire to collect data on endowment of human, natural, financial, physical and social capitals, and on rankings of perceptions of some predetermined factors. Finally, relevant secondary data were obtained from Imo state agricultural development programme. Data analyses involved the use of descriptive statistics and multivariate econometric analyses. The study revealed that values of most indicators were higher in 2006 than in 2002 for natural, human, physical, financial and social capitals. Agricultural income grew at an annual rate of 0.93 percent between 2002 and 2006 while nonagricultural income grew at a higher annual rate of 3.82 percent. Size of farm, quantity of cassava required for household consumption, loan invested in cassava production, years of education of household head, contact with extension and membership in farmers' organizations had significant positive influences on adoption of improved cassava varieties (ICVs). On the other hand, land holding fragmentation, off-farm income, age of household head and amount spent on hired labour significantly but negatively affected adoption of ICVs. Decomposition of the total elasticities of the statistically significant variables showed that the magnitude of probability of adoption elicited by any variable gave rise to at least six times more the level of intensity of adoption on account of the same variable. Direct impact of adoption of JCVs, as shown by the study, were in the areas of better performance of ICVs than local cassava varieties as regards yield levels, gross returns, net income, labour productivity, and marketable surplus. Proportion of cultivated land planted to ICVs had a positive and significant influence on rural household income thus illustrating positive indirect impact of adoption of ICVs. Test of reliability of the rankings by the rural households of factors relating to livelihood strategies, descriptors of poverty, valuable traits of ICVs, vulnerability, technological dissemination pathways and impact of ICVs produced results that require consideration in a pro-poor cassava technology development research and policy formulation for poverty alleviation. The study shows that adoption of ICVs will reduce poverty and vulnerability and improve food security of rural households. It recommends a more vigorous, demand-driven approach to cassava technologies development.