Production and Marketing Performance of Farmers Participating in Cassava Initiative across Agricultural Zones in Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the production and marketing performance of farmers participating in cassava initiative. Data were obtained from individuals who had at least 10 years membership of Cassava Growers Association (CGA) which constituted the target group in the implementation of the initiative. A total of 290 respondents were selected from the three cassava-growing zones (central, southwest and southeast) in Nigeria using multistage sampling procedure. Interview schedule was used to elicit information on cassava farmers’ enterprise characteristics, change in cassava production and marketing activities before and during initiative (performance). Descriptive statistics, production and marketing indices and ANOVA were used to analyse the data at p = 0.05. Mean farm size before the initiative was 1.2±1.1ha and  2.3±2.4ha after the initiative while mean yield was 14.1±7.1 and 20.3±8.4 tonnes/ha, respectively. Production performance was high for 14.5% ( ³12.58), moderate for 68.6% (1.8< <12.58) and low for 16.9% ( £1.8). Also, 17.2% ( ³14.98), 28.3% (0.56< <14.98) and 54.5% ( £0.56) had high, moderate and low marketing performance, respectively. There were significant differences in marketing performance (F=26.47) but no difference in production performance (F=0.795) across the cassava growing zones. The cassava initiative improved the production and marketing performance of the cassava farmers.

Keywords: Cassava, production, marketing, performance.