Economics Of Stakeholders Contribution In Cassava Value Chain In South-Eastern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The processors had the highest market share contributing 60.19% of the total profit, followed by the marketers with 32.55% while the least were the producers with 7.26%. Results of the determinants of value addition show that the coefficients for processing experience, transportation cost, and price of garri were positively signed and significant atl%,5% and 10% respectively while age and gender were negatively signed and significant at 5% for the processors. For the producers, age, farming experience, education and extension contact where positively signed and significant at 5%, 10%,5%, 10% respectively, while for the marketers experience, household size, transportation and price of garri were positively signed and significant at 10%, 1% and 5% respectively. The determinants of the quantity sold by the processors were significant for age, education, processing expenence, transportation cost and price at 5%, 1%, 5%, 10% and 10% levels respectively. For the marketers, quantity sold was significantly influenced by credit, household size, transport cost and member of cooperative societies at 5%, 10%, 1% and 5% respectively. The major strengths identified with respect to the actors in the value chain were high demand and availability of products while transportation and unavailability of funds were the major weaknesses. The results of the factor analysis showed that high market charges, unstable prices, unavailability of credit facilities, high cost of processing, lack of extension services, poor road network and outdated processing facilities were the major constraints militating against the cassava value chain actors. From the results therefore, it is recommended that policies aimed at the provision of infrastructijral facilities like rural roads, storage facilities, modernized processing facilities should be put in place. Also institutional policies such as price regulation, provision of credit facilities at subsidized interest rates and provision of bulking centers to reduce the cost of transportation within the chain should be adopted.