IMPACT OF ADOPTION OF IMPROVED CASSAVA PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES ON OUTPUT, INCOME AND POVERTY STATUS OF MALE AND FEMALE HEADED CASSAVA FARM HOUSEHOLDS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study specifically described socio-economic characteristics of male and female headed cassava farm households; assess and compare level of adoption of improved cassava production technologies by male and female headed cassava farm households analyzed pre and post poverty profile of male and female headed cassava farm households in the study area; identified problems of adopting improved cassava production technologies. Multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted in the selection of two hundred and sixteen (216) respondents (108 male and 108 female headed cassava farm households. Data for the study were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. The Socio-economic profiles of male and female-headed cassava farm households in Abia State showed that the mean ages of the male and female respondents were 46.10 and 38.29 years respectively, while56.48% and 54.62% of the male and female respondents had secondary school education respectively. The mean farm sizes of male and female were 1.98 and 1.30 hectares respectively. Meanwhile, 53.70% and 62.96% of male and female had no access to extension contacts. The level of adoption of selected cassava production technologies by the male and female respondents showed that cassava production technologies adopted by male and female headed cassava farm households were improved cassava varieties such as NR 8082 (= 3.68 and = 3.58) and UMUCASS 43 (= 3.73 and = 3,69), ploughing and ridging before planting (= 4.37 and = 4.19), application of recommended fertilizer to improve soil fertility (= 4.69 and = 4.79) supplying/replacement of ungerminated cassava stem cuttings (= 4.25 and = 4.39) and weeding at least two times in a year (=  4.02 and = 4.68). The study further revealed significant difference in income, output and food security status of male and female head cassava farm households before and after adoption of cassava production technologies. Male and female headed cassava farm households were constrained majorly by insufficient land for cultivation (96.29% and 100.00%), inadequate capital (93.52% and 100.00%) and inadequate access to credit facilities (95.37% and 100.00%) respectively.