EFFECT OF FARMERS’ SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS ON ADOPTION OF ORANGE FLESHED SWEET POTATO VARIETIES IN EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of farmers’ socioeconomic factors on the adoption of orange fleshed sweet potatoes in Ebonyi State. Multi-stage sampling method was used to collect data for the study. Two agricultural Zones were purposively selected because of their activeness in sweet potato farming in the State. Two blocks from each of the Zones were purposively selected for the same reason; two circles from each of the four blocks were purposively selected. Finally, 15 sweet potato farmers were randomly selected from each of the circles, in all, 120 sweet potato farmers made up the sample size. A structured questionnaire was used to interview the farmers. Primary data were used and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result showed that 40.8% of the farmers fell between the ages of 30-39years, the majority of the farmers (69.2%) were females, 45.9% of the farmers had farming experience between 6-10years and the majority of the farmers (81.7%) had farm size between 0.5-0.9ha. The grand mean of adoption level was 2.30. The regression analysis result showed that sex, age, marital status, farm size, and occupation were significant at 5% and 10% levels respectively. The study concluded that socioeconomic factors had a great effect on farmers’ adoption of orange fleshed sweet potato varieties in the study area. The study, therefore, recommended that more awareness should be made concerning OFSP for increased adoption of the varieties. Also, sweet potato breeders should improve the quality of Mother’s delight variety to enable farmers to accept and adopt it.