Abstract
This paper examines the socio-economic relevance of cassava to rural peasant farmers in two districts in Ghana, with the aim of highlighting its significance in ensuring improvement in rural socio-economic livelihoods. The study employed mainly the quantitative research technique in collecting data from 120 respondents from six farming communities in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya and Atebubu-Amantin districts of the Central and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana respectfully. Data collected with structured questionnaire were analyzed in accordance with the study objective. The paper establishes that since its introduction to Ghana in the sixteenth century, cassava has contributed and continues to contribute significantly to the socio-economic livelihoods of peasant farm producers in the two districts. It is a major crop cultivated in combination with other crops and hence a major contributor to the income of peasant farmers. It also serves as a major source of occupation of rural dwellers and hence provides them with a sense of relevance and dignity in their communities. To this extent, the paper suggests among others that the state pays more attention to research and development with the view to introducing a higher yielding cassava variety that would be suitable for Ghanaian soil type, and to facilitate the development of an integrated cassava industry in Ghana to link peasant farm producers to the growing global market for cassava-starch and its derivatives.KEY DESCRIPTORS: Rural Peasant Farmers, Socio-economic Livelihood, Peasant Economy, Depeasantization of Agriculture, Rural Transformation.
Highlights
Cassava is a perennial woody plant with an edible root
This paper examines the socio-economic importance of cassava to rural peasant farmers, by systematically presenting the problem under investigation and study objectives, the research method employed, some theoretical perspectives from relevant literature, the presentation analysis of primary data, conclusion and recommendations
The District is well known for the production of cassava flour which is used by bakers to produce bread and other pastries. Even though this is rather on a small scale, it signifies the importance of cassava to the people in terms of income generation. It is evident from the analyses of data above that peasant farmers’ socio-economic livelihood is largely dependent on farming and that cassava has a significant place in the scheme of activities of peasant farmers
Summary
The word cassava comes from “casabi”, the name given by the Arawak Indians to the root It is known as “yuca” in Spanish, “manioc” in French, “mandioc” in Portuguese; “cassave” in Dutch, and “maniok” in German. It is highly flexible with respect to the timing of planting and harvesting and plays an essential role for food security, especially in regions which are prone to drought and with poor soils. Statistics indicate that it is the world's fourth most important staple crop, coming only after rice, wheat and maize and is an important component in the diet of over one billion people (FAO and IFAD, 2000). This paper examines the socio-economic importance of cassava to rural peasant farmers, by systematically presenting the problem under investigation and study objectives, the research method employed, some theoretical perspectives from relevant literature, the presentation analysis of primary data, conclusion and recommendations
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