PERCEPTION AND UTILIZATION OF SWEET POTATO IMPROVED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA PERCEPTION AND UTILIZATION OF SWEET POTATO IMPROVED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the perception and utilization of sweetpotato improved production technologies disseminated in South-East Nigeria. A multi-stage stratified and proportionate sampling techniques were used to elicit data for the study. Three States, Abia, Anambra, and Ebonyi were purposively selected, and two agricultural zones were randomly selected from each of the States to give a total of six zones. Two blocks were randomly selected from each of the Zones to give a total of twelve blocks, Finally, a proportionate sampling technique was used to select farmers from the circles to give a sample size of 364 respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the majority of the farmers (72.25%) were females, the mean age was 37.3 years and the majority of the respondents (96.70%) were married. The grand mean of perception was 2.60 and the grand mean of utilization was 2.61 on a three-point rating scale, indicating that the farmers had a positive perception of the improved sweetpotato production technologies disseminated to them and they had high utilization levels. The result of regression analysis showed significant and positive 1% and 5% levels. The study concluded that sweetpotato farmers in the Zone had a positive perception and utilized the improved production technologies disseminated to them. It was therefore recommended that men should be cultivating and utilizing the improved production technologies disseminated for increased productivity since the result from the study showed that women cultivate and utilized the production technologies more than the men in the Zone. Also, the farmers are encouraged to utilize the production technologies effectively since they had a positive perception of it for increased productivity.