AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AVAILABLE FOR CASSAVA PROCESSING OPERATIONS IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AVAILABLE FOR CASSAVA PROCESSING OPERATIONS IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the state in March 2019 conducted a state mechanization survey exercise to find out the present level of agricultural mechanization available in the state for cassava processing operations. A stratified sampling technique was used for conducting the survey exercise in the state. Survey results revealed for the eight cassava processing operations involved showed that cassava peeling and washing operations were almost dominated by manual processing methods in all the cassava processing units visited in the state. From the data obtained on processing operations, 184 factories involved in cassava processing adopted the manual method of peeling, which represents 96.84% of the factories under study, and 174 (91.58%) factories used manual washing for the processing of cassava. Out of 190 factories, 67 (35.26%), 103 (54.21%) and 83 (43.69%) factories adopted grating, chipping, and dewatering under manual method respectively. A total of 65.20% was recorded for the manual processing method for the eight processing operations involved for cassava. It was also noted that 20% was recorded for the mechanical processing method for the eight (8) cassava processing operations involved as grating, dewatering, and milling operations contributed to this figure. It is recommended that the state should encourage cassava processors the use cassava processing machines to boost cassava processing operations in the state.