Abstract
Abstract Low adoption of modern agricultural technologies amongst farmers in Nigeria has been identified as one of the main reasons for the low agricultural productivity and increase in poverty level. The general objective of this study is to examine the welfare impact of farm households adoption of improved cassava varieties in Southwestern (SW) Nigeria using poverty as an indicator. It utilizes cross-sectional farm household level data collected in 2013 from a randomly selected sample of 312 cassava producing households (186 in Ogun State and 126 in Osun State). The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis such as Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) poverty measure and Logit regression model. The results revealed that adoption of improved cassava varieties increases the annual income and the annual consumption expenditure of producing households’ thus increasing welfare in the SW Nigeria. An analysis of the determinants of adoption with logistic regression model showed that access to improved cassava cuttings within the villages, use of radio, farming experience and farming as a major occupation are significant factors influencing adoption of improved cassava varieties in the study area. In order to achieve the much desired poverty reduction and generate an improvement in farming households’ welfare in SW Nigeria, efforts should be intensified in ensuring that farmers have access to adequate improved cassava cuttings at the right time and place. All programs, strategies and policies that would promote farmers’ education on the technology and consequently lead to improved adoption should be pursued.
Highlights
Cassava is an important regional food source for about 200 million people of sub- Saharan Africa (Abdoulaye et al, 2014)
A unit increase in access to improved cassava cutting within the villages has a likelihood of increasing farmers’ adoption of improved cassava varieties by 28 %
Conclusion and policy recommendations This study assessed the impact of adoption of improved cassava varieties on the welfare of cassava producing households in two states in the SW Nigeria
Summary
Cassava is an important regional food source for about 200 million people (nearly onethird of the population) of sub- Saharan Africa (Abdoulaye et al, 2014). Cassava provides food and income to over 30 million farmers and large numbers of processors and traders in Nigeria (Abdoulaye et al, 2014). Technological improvement (such as improved cassava varieties) is the most important factor in increasing agricultural productivity and reduction of poverty in the long-term (Solomon 2010; Solomon et al, 2011). To. Afolami et al Agricultural and Food Economics (2015) 3:18 increase productivity, technology must be adopted in the production process and the rate of adoption of a new technology is subject to its profitability, degree of risk associated with it, capital requirements, agricultural policies and socioeconomic characteristics of farmers (Shideed and Mohammed 2005). This study is of significance because eradication of rural poverty through adoption of new agricultural technologies has been a major concern for the underdeveloped and developing countries and donors for many decades
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