Gender Analysis in the Adoption of Sweetpotato Value Addition Technologies by Rural Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed gender analysis in the adoption of sweetpotato value addition technologies in Imo State, Nigeria.  Multi –stage random sampling technique was used in the selection of male and female sweetpotato farmers in the study area. A sample size of 96 sweetpotato farmers comprising of 48 male and 48 female farmers were involved in the study area. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire. The result showed that, the mean (x) age of male and female sweetpotato post-harvest processors were (40.71) years and (38.00) years respectively. The  result also  showed that the most adopted sweetpotato value added products by male farmers were sweetpotato chips with mean score of (3.31), sweetpotato flour with mean score of (3.10 ) and sweetpotato meat pie with mean score of (3.35), while the female farmers also adopted sweet potato chips with mean score of (3.33), sweet potato flour with mean score of (3.21), sweet potato starch with mean score of (3.56), and sweetpotato meat pie with mean score of (3.64) respectively. The major constraints encountered by male and female sweetpotato farmers in the study area were inadequate finance, and high cost of sweetpotato processing equipment. The adoption of sweetpotato value addition technologies had a significant impact on the livelihood and income level of both male and female farmers in the study area. Therefore, policies aimed at empowering farmers through training and extension of new sweet potato value addition technologies should be made available to the rural farmers in the study area.