Farmers’ awareness, use and perception on cocoyam value addition technologies in South-East Agro-ecological Zone, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined farmers’ awareness, use and perception on cocoyam value addition technologies in South-East Agro-ecological Zone, Nigeria. A Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in selecting the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as frequency counts, percentages, mean etc and ordinary least square (OLS) regression model. Results of the study showed that out of the seven (7) value addition technologies, respondents’ awareness of “Using cocoyam leaves for soup” (72.5%) and “Preparing of cocoyam soup thickener” (97.7%) was highest in all the three States, especially in Ebonyi and Enugu States.  The result showed low extent of use of most of the value addition technologies in the study area. Result from the zone showed that respondents perceived that the cocoyam value addition technologies are of high nutritional quality ( = 3.9), lack of knowledge of improved methods of processing was a serious constraint with a mean ( ) score of 2.29 and also observed as a serious constraint across the three States of Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu with mean ( ) scores of 1.98, 2.04 and 2.84 respectively. The result of Ordinary Least Square Regression revealed that age (5%), farm size (5%), household size (5%), income (1%), membership to social organization (1%) and access to credit (1%) were the determinants of use of cocoyam value addition technologies in the study area. The study indicates that awareness for cocoyam production technologies were relatively high, while that of value addition and its level of use were low. It was recommended therefore that beyond production, it is essential to target value addition technologies in order to realize the usefulness of cocoyam, scale up production potentials of the states, and in turn create employment opportunities for our teeming youth population.