Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the economics of cassava processing into garri and pellets in Kogi State. Data were collected from 100 cassava processors (22 males and 78 females) and analysed to describe socio-economic characteristics, identify and describe various technologies used in cassava processing, ascertain gender roles, estimate the influence of socio-economic characteristics on income of processors, determine profitability and identify constraints militating against the processors of cassava in the study area. Multi-stage random sampling techniques were employed in the selection of local government areas, communities and processors on who structured questionnaires were administered. Descriptive statistics, gross margin, rate of return on investment and multiple regressions were used for analysis. Results shows that majority of the processing fell within the middle age group (31 – 50 years) with an average years of processing experience of 22 years; mostly women with an average of 8 persons per household and 7 years of schooling. Traditional technologies were employed by the cassava processors with low level of men’s involvement relative to high involvement of women in cassava processing activities. Six out of nine explanatory variables were significantly related to income. These include; age, gender, education, experience, access to credit and number of labourers in the cassava processing enterprise. Processing cassava into garri and pellets were profitable, although processing cassava into garri was more profitable with gross margin of 22,700 and profitable index (PI) of 0.04 than pellets with gross margin of 13,100 with profitable index (PI) of 0.33. The major constraints facing the cassava processors in the study area include: poor storage facilities, high cost of processing inputs, poor road network for the transportation, bulkiness of fresh tubers, unstable weather and shortage of labour. The study therefore recommended that improved cassava processing technologies should be made available to the processors to enhance productivity and acceptability of their products, capacity building of the cassava processors for their improved profitability in the cassava processing enterprise, regular visits by agricultural extension agents for quick adoption of improved cassava processing technologies, stabilization of prices of agricultural commodities through the provision of a functional marketing channel and provision of storage facilities with good road network for improved production.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information
The food problems in Nigeria and other developing countries can be reduced or even eliminated by intensifying agricultural production (Asiedu, 1989). It is based on this that emphasis of agricultural research for many years has been mainly on increased food production. One of the crops where considerable increased production level has been noticed is cassava. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer with the total production of 38 Million tonnes in 2005 (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2006). The major area where the crop is grown extends from the south coast to the middle belt (Ogbe, Dixon and Alabi, 2003). By zone, the North Central produces about 7 million tonnes of cassava a year thus ranking first on the per capita basis of 0.72 tonnes/person in 2002 (PCU, 2003). Within the zone Benue and Kogi are the largest producers of cassava in the country (IITA, 2004).
Cassava was introduced m the republic of Congo from South – America about 400 years back (Nweke, 2004) and it forms the staple part of the diet in many of the African countries. Since its introduction, it has spread through Sub-Saharan African to become the dominant staples in the diet of the people. Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand and Zaire are the biggest producers, each producing over 10 million tones and together accounting for over 63 percent of World’s production (CBN, 2004). Among the root tuber crops, it ranks first accounting for about 55 percent in the Sub-Saharan African (Hahn and Keyser, 1995). Cassava became popular with the introduction of SAP (Structural Adjustment Programme) in 1986. This programme made imported cereals to be more costly, making cassava a relatively cheap source of energy. Increasing trends in output has made Nigeria the World leading producer of cassava since the beginning of the 1990s with an estimated output of 40 million metric tones per annum and an average yield of 10.2 tonnes per hectare (Nigerian National Report, 2006). Cassava is uniquely important as a reserve against famine (IITA, 1999; Philip, 2005) it has gained advantage over yam to some extent due to its ease of cultivation, high resistance to drought, ability to grow in exhausted soils and its adaptation to wide range of ecologies (NRCRI, 1986). According to Enete (1995), cassava may in fact hold the key to land use intensification in Africa. Another of its comparative advantage over other crops is its efficient production of cheap food energy, its availability all year round as well as its high degree of tolerance to extreme conditions. According to Nweke, Dixion, Asiedu and Folayan (1994), these qualities contribute enormously to alleviating food crises in Africa.
