Chapter
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
Nigeria
is predominantly rural in character in which more than 80% of total population
lives in the rural areas (FAO, 2002). The economy is basically agrarian, with
majority of the people living in squalor and very poor standard of living. Most
of the farmers are subsistence small holders, farming 1.2 hectares of farmland
under a traditional system characterized by low technology and production
efficiency. Besides, they are also faced by problems of natural resource
inputs, especially land, water, labour and management. The poverty among farm
families goes beyond material deprivation to include insecurity, vulnerability,
exposure to risks, shocks and stress. This poor condition of the rural
communities had continued to deteriorate since independence due to severed
neglect emanating from poor and inconsistent policies formulation and
implementation by successive governments in Nigeria (Okozie, 2003).
In
cassava production, Nigeria is rated the highest producers in terms of its
volume of production (FAO, 2002). However, it occupies the 8th position in
terms of its productivity (kg/ha), relative to countries as Brazil, Thailand,
Indonesia, Uganda, India, Ghana and Congo respectively. The reason for this is
being attributed to a number of production factors, such as: the varieties
cultivated and the management practices adopted. These farming practices have
been revealed to be poor in Nigeria compared to such countries like Brazil,
Thailand, Indonesia (FAO, 2002). The International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI),
Umudike Umuahia and many other research institutions have developed appropriate
cassava technology packages aimed at promoting cassava production and
improvement on cassava yields.
Cassava
is a versatile crop with numerous uses. Each component of the crop can be
valuable to farmer. In some area the leaves may be consumed as a vegetable or
dried and fed the livestock as a protein feed supplement. The stem is used as
planting material while the tubers are processed for human and animal
consumption. In Nigeria, cassava is produced for food especially in the form of
“gari”, “fufu”, “lafun” and “akpu” and is exported as an industrial raw
material to conserved foreign earnings. Ojuekaiye (2001), stressed that cassava
can be processed into several secondary product of industrial market value
such; chips, pellets, flour, alcohol and starch which are vital raw material in
livestock feed industries, textile and brewery industries. Cassava production also
creates employment opportunities as well as contributing to the food security
status of many farming households in Nigeria.
1.2
Problem Statement
The
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is endowed with abundant fertile lands
suitable for the production of cassava in commercial quantities. But the
problem limiting the production of cassava in the FCT is the use of traditional
methods by farmers. Traditional method in this study refers to the farmers’
ways of cultivating cassava such as; close or wide spacing, shallow planting
depth, and the continuous use of local varieties such as; “Nwanye” and “Dan
Warri” which reduced the yield potentials. The recommended cassava production
practices (RCPPs) is package aimed at improvement on cassava yield. Osuagwu (2002),
stated that cassava yield can be increased by adoption of recommended practices
or by expanding the land area under cassava cultivation. The process of
increasing cassava yield through modernization is depended on the extent to
which farmers become aware of the existence of such recommended practices,
develop interest, evaluate them, try them and become convinced of their
relevance. It is only then that it can be expected that the farmers would adopt
completely all the components of the recommended production practices. The
study made use of eight recommended production practices. These were:
i.
Recommended planting material: healthy stem cutting with 4 – 5 nodes
ii.
Recommended planting time: April & June, then Aug. or September.
iii.
Recommended method of planting: planting on ridges at an angle.
iv.
Recommended planting depth: (5cm – 10cm)
v.
Recommended plant spacing: (1m x 1m) for sole cropping
vi.
Recommended fertilizer rate: (NPK 15:15:15, 4 – 8 bags per hectare)
vii.
Weeding : (herbicide application )
a.
Pre-emergence herbicide: Alachlor (Lasso) at 300ml/CP15 knapsack pump.
b.
Selective post – emergence herbicide: Round-up at 4-5 litres per hectare.
viii.
Harvesting: (cassava lifters)
Several
studies (Okoosi 1990, Saito 1994 and Okozie, 2003) revealed that farmers in the
study area have access to different improved cassava production practices and
cassava hybrid cultivars. Thus, TMS 3057, TMS 4(2) 1425, TMS 99/2132, TMS
98/0581, NR 8032, MS6. The Federal government through the Cassava
Multiplication Programme (CMP), the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (R-TEP)
and the Abuja Agricultural Development Project (ADP) have all made a lot of
commitment in promoting the adoption of these recommended cassava production
practices. However, in spite of all the efforts, the farmers in the study area
are still practicing the traditional cassava production methods (Kuta, 2007).
Consequently, the production of cassava in the study area in terms of its yield
(1.2 million tones) is relatively low (BAC Annual Report, 2004). Therefore, the
need to determine the factors influencing the adoption of recommended cassava
production practices in the study area poses a key challenge. The research
seeks to answer the following questions:
i.
what are the socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers in the study
area?
ii.
what are the different sources through which information reach farmers on
recommended cassava production practices?
iii.
what are the levels of adoption of recommended cassava production practices by
farmers in the study area?
iv.
what are the socio-economic, institutional and technological factors
influencing the adoption of recommended cassava production practices by
farmers?
v.
what are the effects of adoption of recommended cassava production practices on
income and yield of farmers?
vi.
what are the constraints faced by farmers in the adoption of recommended
cassava production practices?
Department: Agricultural Economics
Format: Microsoft Word
Format: Microsoft Word
Chapters: 1 - 5, Preliminary Pages, Abstract, References, Questionnaire
Delivery: Email
Delivery: Email
No. of Pages: 101
Price: 3000 NGN
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