Effect of Technologies of National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike on Poverty Reduction among Farmers in Umuahia Agricultural Zone, Abia State

Abstract

The study determined the effectiveness of dissemination of National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) technologies to rural farmers in Abia State, using Umuahia Agricultural Zone that hosts the Institute as case study. Purposive sampling technique was used in the selection of Umuahia Agricultural Zone. A sample of 120 farmers was randomly selected from six sub-circles. Data were collected using structured questionnaire, and were analyzed with descriptive statistics, such as mean, while multiple regression was used to test the hypothesis. The result showed that farmers adopted the following technologies with the following means: yam-mini-sett technology ( =3.0), cocoyam technology ( =3.0), sweet potato technology ( =2.9), pro- vitamin A cassava ( =2.5), agro-processing ( =3.4), turmeric technology ( =3.0), ginger technology ( =3.0), and value addition ( =3.3). The Institute was effective in staff visits ( =3.2), field meetings ( =3.2), regularity of meetings ( =3.2), method demonstration conducted ( =3.0), result demonstration ( =3.2), field workshops ( =2.7,) and on-farm adaptive research ( =2.7). The result of multiple regression analysis showed that the coefficients for the following technologies were positive and significant in increasing the incomes of the farmers at the following levels: yam-mini-sett, 1%; sweet potato, 5%; Pro vitamin-A cassava technology, 1%. The study found a significant relationship between adoption of NRCRI technologies and increase in the income of the respondents. The null hypothesis that, there is no significant relationship between adoption of NRCRI technologies and income of the farmers was rejected at 5% level the study also found a poverty incidence of 55% and a poverty gap of N36,240.68 The study concluded that NRCRI technologies were effective in alleviating poverty among rural farmers in the study area, and that greater adoption of the technologies would help reduce the poverty gap among the farmers.