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This research analyzed resource productivity and determinants of technical efficiency among cassava farmers in North Central, Nigeria. This research employed a multi-stage sampling technique. Primary data were used based on a well-designed questionnaire. Inferential and descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis. The results of resource productivity of inputs show that cassava cuttings and fertilizer have the highest and lowest elasticities, respectively. The mean-TE (Technical Efficiency) score of 74% (0.74) indicates that an average smallholder cassava producer in the sample needs about 26% (0.26) additional inputs to get to the frontier. In the TE components, the coefficients of labour, and fertilizers are significant different from zero at 1% probability level. The coefficients of agrochemicals, land inputs are significantly different from zero at 5% probability level, while the coefficient of cassava cuttings are significant different from zero at 10% probability level. In the TIE (technical inefficiency), component the coefficients of age, credit received, members of cooperatives are significant different from zero at 1% probability level. The policy formulations should be directed towards considering technological substitutions and mechanized agriculture. Excessive labour supply, characteristics of the developing agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, could be pushed into the secondary sector of the Nigerian economy such as the cassava processing industry, therefore generating income, employment and maintaining Nigeria in the first (1st) position in the world ranking in term of cassava output. Also, it is recommended that improved cuttings, agrochemicals, and fertilizers should be made available to cassava farmers at appropriate time to increase productivity. Furthermore, credit should be made available to cassava farmers at a single digit interest rate, devoid of cumbersome administrative procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the food consumption patterns and food security status of cassava farmers in Imo State. Structured questionnaires were administered to 100 cassava farmers. The findings revealed that the cassava farmers mean age, farming experience, and farm sizes were 41 years, 22 years, and 0.66 hectares respectively. The food consumption pattern among the farming households showed that carbohydrate, ranked highest in the list of food items consumed daily (garri (31.18%), fufu (18.33%), plantain, and yam (13.07%). Only 35% of farming households were food secure, using the estimated Food Security Index of 0.003. The study recommends the implementation of pro-poor policies to boost farmers productivity and enhance balanced dietary food consumption among farmers. Farm families will be better able to make food decisions if they are informed about the importance of a healthy diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassava is a major staple food often promoted in Ghana. Cassava farmers in Ghana face several challenges, including high post-harvest losses and low prices due to low-value addition. Available literature on cassava value-addition practices (CVAPs) focuses more on processing due to the perishability of the crop. Moreover, the awareness of farmers and the extent of their participation in CVAPs are not known. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence cassava farmers' awareness, participation, and the extent of their involvement in processing and other CVAPs. Smallholder cassava farmers (n = 217) were sampled in the Awutu Senya West District in the Central Region of Ghana, using proportionate stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule and analysed using Multinomial regression and Cragg Double Hurdle Model. Results showed that farmers were aware of the CVAPs and viewed them as very relevant activities they could engage in to improve the marketability of their produce. About 65% were involved in at least 2 of the CVAPs. The major CVAPs that farmers engaged in were strategic sale of tubers to processors, retailers, or consumers; storage of tubers; and collective transportation of cassava products. Farmers' age, sex, household size, off-farm income, total yield, access to credit, market information, and perceived relevance of CVAPs significantly influenced their participation in CVAPs. The extent of participation was, however, influenced by sex, household size, access to processing equipment, and market information. To boost CVAPs among cassava farmers in Ghana, policies should be directed by agricultural extension services and financial institutions towards enhancing farmers’ access to market information and processing equipment. They should also provide financial literacy training to encourage increased investment by farmers in cassava production, processing, and marketing. Addressing gender dynamics within cassava value chain activities should also be a focal point in these initiatives.

Credit accessibility is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. However, the difficulty in accessing credit has caused farmers to take many considerations when taking a loan. This research aims to determine the factors determining access and credit sources for cassava farmers in Lampung Province, Indonesia. Central Lampung was chosen as the research location because it had a total cassava production share of 36%. This study used Isaac’s and Michael’s formulae to determine the total samples. The data were collected by interviewing 263 respondents. Of 263 farmers, only 109 (41.4%) had access to loans. Data were analysed using the Multinomial Logit Regression Model to examine the factors determining access and credit sources for cassava farmers. Marginal effect analysis was also used to determine the probability of changes in independent variables. Regression results showed that the type of credit sources chosen by the farmers was determined by age, income, agribusiness experience, land size, education, organisation membership, and credit experience (R 2 = 89.1%). Partially, age, income, land size, education, credit experience, and business experience significantly influence the funding source. The results indicate that age, agribusiness experience, and land size are the main factors in choosing the types of credit. Land size has the biggest positive influence on farmers’ access to formal banks (11.49%).

The study evaluated the climate change impacts and adaptation strategies of cassava farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling was used to select 419 cassava farmers who administered the questionnaire. Data were collected using primary and secondary means and were analysed using mean, frequency, percentage, beta regression model, and ordinary least squares multiple regression techniques. Factors influencing cassava production are meteorological information (95.7%), tradition and culture (94.5%), improved technology utilization (93.1%) and low access to credits (71.8%). Climate change effects on cassava production were reduced biodiversity (95.2%), increased crop failure (97.6%), decreased yield (100%) and increased soil salinity (92.6%). Cassava farmers adapted to various practices such as planting improved cassava varieties (95.9%), insurance (3.3%), planting different crops (96.9%), and livelihood diversification (94.9%). 36 Age, education, household size, farm size and extension contacts were significant determinants of climate change adaptation strategies of cassava farmers. Variables such as temperature, rainfall, humidity and sunshine had both positive and negative impacts on cassava production. The study recommends cassava farmers seek early warning signals and information on climate change before embarking on their farming operations to avert possible negative consequences.

Non-farm income is a major source of income, along with farming for most rural households, that seems to offer a pathway out of poverty. It has gained prominence in recent times as an alternative strategy. However, it is often not clear how non-farm income can contribute to farm output and income because empirical results from existing literature remain somewhat ambiguous. Therefore, more robust research is needed to understand what conditions lead to what outcomes and to identify appropriate policy responses. We extend the previous literature in the direction of understanding more finely the potential impact of non-farm income on output and farm income distributions, applying a novel approach, IVQTEs, for the first time in this context. In this paper, we analyzed the drivers of non-farm income as an alternative strategy, and its distributive impacts on cassava farmers' output and farm income in Southwestern Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 300 cassava farmers for the study. Data were analysed using the novel nehurdle estimation procedure of the double hurdle model. Our methodology of using an instrumental variable quantile treatment effect model (IVQTE) explicitly demonstrates the impact of non-farm income on farm output and income distribution at different levels. The first hurdle (Probit regression) of nehurdle results show that age, household size, years of education, years of experience, farm size, and access to credit may likely influence the decision to participate in non-farm income works; while, in the second hurdle, household size, age, years of education, farm size, gender, asset ownership, cooperative membership are the significant factors that may likely influence the amount realized from non-farm income works. Our results reveal a positive marginal impact of non-farm income at all quantiles of the conditional distribution of cassava farmers’ output and farm income, with the impact being the lowest at the lowest quantile (25th quantile) and increased across the other quantiles. In this regard, the study suggests that the creation of job opportunities outside farming will supplement on-farm works and enhance household's income. This study also suggests that measures such as education, extension services and cooperative societies, to enhance participation in non-farm income works, will spur the rural economy in Nigeria and other developing countries.

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This study assessed agricultural commercialization and rural infrastructure development of smallholder cassava farmers in rural Southwestern Nigeria. The study was conducted in Nigeria with cross-sectional data collected from 352 smallholder cassava farmers. Crop commercialization index (CCI) was used to compute each farmer’s CCI and categorized into four levels while ordered logit model was employed to analyze the determinants of agricultural commercialization of cassava farmers in the study areas. Availability of some important rural infrastructures were assessed across cassava farmers’ commercialization levels. The results revealed that 13.1 % of cassava farmers did not participate in the sale of cassava roots while 86.9 % of them participated actively in the output market. The mean and maximum CCI in the study areas was 59.1 and 95.5 respectively. The results also showed that less than 40 % and 20 % of cassava farmers in all commercialization levels had access to electricity and piped water respectively. The ordered logit regression analysis indicated that age, transport cost, cassava marketing experience, and distance to market were among the determinants of agricultural commercialization. Therefore, stakeholders should expedite policy actions capable of promoting rural infrastructure development that will enhance agricultural production, marketing and improve the quality of life of rural farming communities.

Our study provides empirical answer that verifies increase in productivity, if any, through promotion of improved agricultural technologies among smallholder food crop farmers in Africa. We specifically examined Root and Tuber Improvement and Marketing Programme (RTIMP) technology effect on improving the production efficiency of cassava farmers in Ghana. we stratified RTIMP cassava farmers into above average adopters and below average adopters based on their adoption intensity scores and further examined differences in their efficiency levels which we estimated by employing the stochastic frontier production model (SFA). In order to empirically establish if RTIMP technology has actually had effect in improving productivity of the cassava farmers, we estimated an adjusted regression model (average treatment effect and average treatment effect on the treated models). Our results show that the potential outcome mean technical efficiency of about 69% achieved by the above average RTIMP technology adopters is significantly higher than that of the below average technology adopters which was found to be about 64%. Our Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates confirm that there has been significant increase in the technical efficiency of cassava farmers attributable to the adoption of the RTIMP cassava technology.

Nigeria is an agriculturally labor-intensive economy and the protection and utilization of the labor resource to guarantee the highest productivity are of immense vitality to the growth of the agricultural sector. This study assessed the relationship between the social capital and the productivity of cassava farmers in Ijebu North-East Local Government Area of Ogun State. A purposive sampling procedure was employed in the study. Data were collected from one hundred and thirty-nine cassava farmers by the use of a well-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, total factor productivity and ordinary least squares model. The mean age and household size of cassava farmers were 44.2±9.9 years and 6.0±3.1 respectively. The density of memberships in associations was 2.7±1.3. The average meeting attendance index by farmer was three out of four meetings (77.2%). The association membership was moderately diversified with a heterogeneity index of 59.2% and farmers participated in one out of four decision making processes of their associations. A monthly cash contribution of farmers to associations was low ( ₦132.04±₦107.67) and the trust index was 0.296. Farmers cultivated an average of 1.25 ha with total factor productivity of 0.096kg/₦. Results show that age of the farmer, age squared (life cycle), household size, farm size, cash contribution and decision making significantly determined the productivity of cassava farmers in the study area. Social capital variables significantly influenced cassava farmers' productivity. It is therefore suggested that policy makers interested in farmers' production output should make active participation in local level institutions compulsory.

Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) of efficiency in agricultural production, specifically crop subsector, determines the efficiency level of households in their farming activities. If accessible, farmers in developing countries like Nigeria do not use all potential technological resources, thus making inefficient decisions in their agricultural activities. This paper therefore made effort to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of cassava production, identified drivers of technical efficiency and production constraints facing cassava farmers in Nigeria. Using cross sectional farm level data from cassava farming households in Nigeria, the study employed Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) in the Cobb-Douglas production function, Tobit regression, Benefit-cost ratio to achieve the objectives of the study. The calculated technical efficiency in the study was around 65.1 percent. The estimated variance parameter of the model (γ) was 0.92 which implies that about 92 per cent of the variation in cassava output was due to farmers' practices which comprise all variables. The study showed that there was gross inefficiency in the allocation of productive resources among cassava farmers in Oyo state. Most of these resources are over-utilized implying a sub-optimal utilization of resources. The study demonstrated that the key factors significantly influencing technical efficiency levels are years of production, size of land cultivated, household size, variety of cassava planted, total number of stem cutting used for planting and quantity of agrochemicals used per hectare. The allocative efficiency measurement shows that most of the resources were sub-optimally utilized. Meanwhile, high cost of inputs (such as labor) were identified as key constraints for cassava production in the study area. This study therefore suggest that economic efficiency and enterprise productivity will improve if government broadens the scope on provision of soft loans, adequate subsidized farm inputs (like agro- chemicals). This will improve increase income, food and nutrition security for the cassava farming households in Nigeria. Additionally, in order to achieve optimality in resource allocation, there is need introduce and encourage usage of technologies that can replace or reduce the use of inputs with high cost in the cassava production process. Hence, this will raise the productivity of resources, increase output and consequently improve revenue and net returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi Journal of Agricultural Sciences (YYU J Agr Sci) is the property of Yuzuncu Yil University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our study provides empirical answer that verifies increase in productivity, if any, through promotion of improved agricultural technologies among smallholder food crop farmers in Africa. We specifically examined Root and Tuber Improvement and Marketing Programme (RTIMP) technology effect on improving the production efficiency of cassava farmers in Ghana. we stratified RTIMP cassava farmers into above average adopters and below average adopters based on their adoption intensity scores and further examined differences in their efficiency levels which we estimated by employing the stochastic frontier production model (SFA). In order to empirically establish if RTIMP technology has actually had effect in improving productivity of the cassava farmers, we estimated an adjusted regression model (average treatment effect and average treatment effect on the treated models). Our results show that the potential outcome mean technical efficiency of about 69% achieved by the above average RTIMP technology adopters is significantly higher than that of the below average technology adopters which was found to be about 64%. Our Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates confirm that there has been significant increase in the technical efficiency of cassava farmers attributable to the adoption of the RTIMP cassava technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress is a serious problem among agricultural workers. Workers who are exposed to the extreme heat or work in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress. The physiological changes and heat related symptoms could occur due to heat stress. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the impact of heat on the health and productivity of cassava farm workers in Kratie province of Cambodia. The sampling method was a convenient sampling with some inclusive criteria. A total of 125 cassava farm workers were selected to participate in this study. The information was collected through a face to face interview using a questionnaire form. Questions were asked on heat exposure during work and heat related symptoms. The environmental heat was measured using heat stress monitor WBGT and data logger for 2 hours for each day. Automatic blood pressure monitor was used to measure blood pressure and heart rate, while ear thermometer measured the body temperature. All measurements of physiological changes were conducted during the rest and work time of the workers. Observations were conducted to determine the production hourly output of workers by using productivity forms. The productivity was determined by calculating the total of cassava roots harvested per hour, which started from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. The results indicated that the highest average of heat stress index were 32.11°C and 32.36°C respectively whereby the daily exposure to heat during work, exceeded the threshold limit value (TLV) of 27.5°C for heavy metabolic workload level with 75% work, 25% rest regimen. Meanwhile, the highest prevalence of heat related symptoms reported among workers were tiredness/weakness (84.4%), followed by heavy sweating (82.4%) and headache (61.6%). The blood pressure, heart rate and core body temperature were below the standard, indicated that the workers were fully acclimatized. There was no significant difference in the physiological changes between male and female during the resting and working period. Heavy sweating, heat, BMI and working time were the factors that were significantly related with productivity. In conclusion, the cassava farm workers in Kratie, Cambodia were exposed to high level of heat stress, which reduced their work productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed an electronic wallet (e-wallet) system and determinants of cassava farmers’ participation in off-farm activities in Abuja, Nigeria. A sample of 67 cassava farmers was selected through a multi-stage sampling technique from six selected agricultural extension blocks. Primary data were used. Data were collected using a well-structured and well-designed questionnaire. The analytical tools used were descriptive statistics and maximum likelihood estimates using the logistic regression model. The results indicated that an electronic-wallet is an innovative, motivational mobile phone technology, the first in sub-Saharan Africa to distribute mobile phones to farmers which bring fertilizers, improved seeds, financial services, and agricultural information tips to farmers, and this increases yields and output. The electronic wallet system targeted 20 million farmers with an intention to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers in 4 years. In 2014, 1,000 agro-dealers and fourteen million five hundred farmers were registered on the electronic wallet system respectively. Also, one million two hundred farmers have also received inputs via the electronic-wallet system. The electronic-wallet system added an estimated 30-40 billion dollars to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in 2014. Furthermore, the result shows that the age of most sampled cassava farmers fell between 36 and 50 years. About 94% of sampled cassava farmers were male. Off-farm income has the potential to improve the income of farmers. These types of activities undertaken by cassava farmers off the farms include: teaching, tailoring, hunting, pottery, blacksmithing, petty trading, etc. Farmers’ age, farming experience and number of off-farm activities were significant variables influencing farmers’ participation in off-farm activities at P ≤ 0.01; P ≤ 0.10; and P ≤ 0.01 respectively. The coefficient of Nagelkerke (R2) value was 0.751.This shows that the explanatory variables explain the level of participation of cassava farmers in off-farm activities at 75% level of confidence. The coefficient of Cox and Snell determinant (R2) value was 0.547. Off-farm employment is an alternative strategy and has potentials to improve the income and well-being of farmers. The study recommends that government and nongovernment organizations should introduce innovations, motivations, interventions, policies that improve crop production and support the off-farm sector in order to create job opportunities so that poor households can participate and benefit directly.

This study identified sources of risk and risk management strategies among cassava farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. A total of 518 cassava farmers were randomly selected from four local government areas and data were collected using structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percentages and frequency were used to present data. Likert attitudinal scale was used to evaluate the risk attitude of cassava farmers. Results showed that the mean age and household size of the farmers was 48 years and 7 persons respectively, with 59.9% of the farmers being females. Main sources of risk in cassava production as identified by the cassava farmers were erratic rainfall (77.2%), inadequate credit facilities (70.3%), low price of output (69.1%), cassava pest and disease (59.1%), high cost of inputs (57.5%) and inadequate market for produce (51.7%). The Likert attitudinal scale showed that 69.5% of the farmers were risk averse. Some risk reducing strategies were not employed by the farmers, reason being that they are either not available or difficult to implement. The most popular risk reducing strategy used was enterprise diversification (100.0%).The study recommended that cassava farmers with support from government and private sector should develop comprehensive risk management strategies with maximum benefit when used in combination, also agricultural policy makers should make policies that will encourage cassava farmers to use formal insurance, cooperative marketing and forward contracting more as a means of reducing social and market risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cassava has played and continues to play a remarkable role on the agricultural stage of Nigeria. The inability of the country meeting existing demand has been traced to resource use efficiency of the farmers. The study evaluates the technical efficiency among cassava farmers in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Primary data employed in the study were obtained from 155 cassava farmers selected through a 2-Stage sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier model. Results showed that the return to scale was 1.814. Cassava stem cuttings (0.484), quantity of fertilizer used (0.614) and the farm size (0.427) significantly (p ⩽ 0.05) affected cassava production. Age and farming experience contributed to technical inefficiency while cassava stem cuttings, quantity of fertilizer used and the farm size enhanced technical efficiency. Efficiency of cassava growers ranged between 35.1 and 97.0 with a mean of 68.5. It was concluded that cassava production was highly profitable and farmers operated with maximum efficiency given the current technology. The study recommends increased area under cultivation and improved cassava varieties coupled with other inputs to boost to productivity of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the effect of the 2012 flood disaster on cassava productivity in Kogi State and identified the adaptation measures and resilience capacity of the cassava farmers affected by the flood. To achieve the objectives of the study, the "with and without" approach involving the flood affected farmers and control group was employed to ascertain and compare the effect of the flood on cassava productivity. Simple descriptive statistics, productivity index, z-test of two means and multiple regression analysis were employed to analyse the data collected. The result indicated a significant cassava productivity differentials of about 56% between the flood affected farmers and the control population. The multiple regression analysis result further confirmed that flood had a significant effect on cassava productivity amongst the respondents at 5% level of significance. Against this backdrop, there is the need for farmers to continue to diversify their farming practices with a view to mitigating the effect of future flood occurrence, adopt drought resistant cassava varieties while the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should in conjunction with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Kogi State Government and the Media create effective climatic situation awareness for cassava farmers within the State with the view to containing and minimizing the adverse effect of flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the marketing extension needs of cassava farmers in Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State. Multistage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and five respondents from the list of contact farmers obtained from the state Agricultural Development Programme (ADP). Interview schedule was employed to elicit information from the respondents. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study revealed 56.2% of the respondents were within the age range of 31 and 50 years, majority (82.9%) were married and (65.7%) had primary education. Majority (70.5%) had farming as their primary occupation with 77.1% having farming experience not less than 11 years. A large percent financed their cassava business from their personal savings. Also, substantial respondents (85.7%) source marketing information from traders. Chi-square analysis revealed that, there was a significant relationship between sex (ï£2=11.667; ï²0.05), religion (ï£2 =2.752; ï² >0.05) and cassava association membership (ï£2= 3.438, ï²>0.05) were not significant. Therefore, agricultural marketing techniques should be incorporated into agricultural extension delivery packages to ensure continuous farming practices and adoption of innovations.

Food security, at national and household levels, is on the decline because traditional capital (physical, natural, human and financial) has not fully led to its improvement. There is an increasing shift of attention to social capital as an element that explains household food security, but there is a lack of adequately documented information on this. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of social capital on food security, using data collected on a cross-section of 775 cassava farming households from four zones of Nigeria. About 58% of the respondents (cassava farming households) fall under the intermediate category in terms of the benefits received from belonging in social groups. Age and educational level increased the probability to receive benefit from group activities (p < 0.05), while membership density, labor contribution and decision making significantly affected the level of benefit received (p < 0.10). Based on the estimated food security line, 41% of the cassava households were food secure, while 59% were food insecure. Membership density, cash and labor contribution significantly affected food security. Membership density (p < 0.10) and cash contribution (p < 0.05) increased the probability of being food secure. It was recommended that cassava farming households should be encouraged or aided to form cooperatives or farmers' groups, participate in the activities, and make financial contributions to investments that reduce manual labor-input in the farming activities to enhance household food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing need to improve value addition in order to get maximum utility from agricultural systems. Using a retrospective panel data from 482 cassava farmers covering the years 2015–2017, this study examined the effect of value addition on productivity of farmers in the cassava system in Nigeria. We analysed a non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis to examine productivity across cassava production systems over the three year period. We also examined the impact of value addition on productivity using an endogenous switching regression to account for unobservables that determine the decision to add value and productivity of the farmers. The study found that cost and revenue outlays increased with value addition. Cassava farmers in general operated below the efficiency frontier, with total productivity declining over the 2015–2017 period. However, higher value addition farmers had better efficiency and non-reducing productivity in the periods studied. We found evidence of selection bias in the decision to add value and productivity of the farmers. The conditional and unconditional outcome estimates revealed positive gains in productivity with value addition, confirming the hypothesis that value addition increases farming households' productivity. We recommend that essential services such as extension services, agricultural training, and ease of enterprise registration that drive agricultural value addition be made available to farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]