ABSTRACT
The study assessed the effect of extension services of National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike on involvement of rural youths in cassava production in Abia State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the youths, ascertain the various sources of information on cassava production, determine the level of participation of the youths in cassava production, determine their reasons for engaging in cassava production, assess their level of awareness on extension service programmes of the NRCRI, and ascertain the constraints to rural youth involvement in cassava production. Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed, and data were collected from 120 youths, using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and mean score and inferential statistics involving the use of multiple and probit regression analysis. The study revealed that the mean age of the youths was 34 years. The mean years of schooling was 13 years, the mean household size was approximately 4 persons, while the mean years of experience in cassava farming was approximately 9 years. The study revealed that the foremost cassava production activities being participated by the youths were processing ( = 3.48), cultivation/ planting ( = 3.43), and harvesting ( = 3.40). The study also revealed that the major reasons the youths in the study area participate in cassava production were food security ( = 3.41), increased cost of garri ( = 3.33), and high market demand and consumption of garri ( = 3.21). Furthermore, the study revealed that among the extension programme of NRCRI, improved cassava varieties (85.8%), fertilizer application (85.0%), and time of harvesting (72.5%) had the highest awareness. The foremost constraints to participation of youths in cassava production were land tenure problem ( = 3.23), lack of access to start-up capital ( = 3.18), and lack of farm inputs ( = 3.16). The study further revealed that household size, membership to co-operative and years of experience had significant positive influence on participation of the youths in cassava production at 1%, 1% and 5% respectively, while income had significant negative influence on participation at 1%. Similarly, awareness of the youths on improved cassava varieties, fertilizer application and herbicides application had significant positive effect on youth participation in cassava production at 5% each. Furthermore, among the reasons for the participation for youths in cassava, food security, increased cost of garri, and high market demand and consumption of garri had significant positive influence on participation at 1% each. Hence, it was concluded that the extension services programme of NRCRI has significantly influenced the youths’ participation in cassava production. The study therefore recommended for Government and NGOs to encourage rural youths to belong to co-operatives, enhance extension service, encourage rural youths to practice commercial farming to enable them have farm produce for marketing, develop and provide more improved cassava varieties to the youths, provide loans and credit facilities to rural youth farmers, and enact policies on issues affecting land ownership to youths so as to promote availability and access to land by rural youths intending to venture into farming.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables x
List of Figures xi
Abstract xi
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of Problem 4
1.3 Research
Questions 6
1.4 Objectives
of the Study 6
1.5 Hypothesis 7
1.6 Significance
of the Study 6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Role
of Agriculture in the National Economy
9
2.2 The
Place of Cassava in the Nigerian Economy
9
2.3 Standard Agronomic Practices in Cassava Production
13
2.4 Rural Youth Involvement in Cassava Production 15
2.5 Role of Extension Education in Information
(Cassava) Delivery 16
2.6 Extension Delivery System to Farmers 19
2.7 Overview of Extension Services Programme
of National
Root Crops Research
Institute, (NRCRI) Umudike 21
2.7.1 Achievements of
the Programme 22
CHAPTER
3: METHODOLOGY
3.1
Study Area
25
3.2 Population
of the Study
25
3.3
Sampling Procedure
25
3.4 Data
Collection Technique
26
3.5
Validity of Instrument
26
3.6
Reliability of Instrument
26
3.7
Methods of Data Analysis
27
3.8
Measurement of Variables
27
3.9
Model Specifications
29
CHAPTER 4:
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Socio-economic Characteristics
of the Cassava Farmers in the Study Area 33
4.1.1 Sex 35
4.1.2 Age 35
4.1.3 Marital Status 36
4.1.4 Educational Level 36
4.1.5 Major Occupation 37
4.1.6 Monthly Income 37
4.1.7 Household Size
38
4.1.8 Membership to Co-operative
Society 38
4.1.9 Farm Size 38
4.1.10 Years of Experience 39
4.1.11 Access to Credit 39
4.3 Level of Participation of the Youths in
Cassava Production 41
4.4 Reasons for Participating in Cassava Production
42
4.5
Level of Awareness on Extension
Service Programmes of the NRCRI 44
4.6
Constraints to Rural Youth Participation in Cassava Production 45
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
H01: Influence of the Socio-economic
Characteristics of the Rural Youth on their Participation in Cassava Production
48
H02: Effect of
Awareness of the Rural Youths on NRCRI Extension Service
Programme their
Participation in Cassava Production in Abia State 50
H03: Influence of Reasons
for Participating in Cassava Production on Youths’ Participation in Cassava Production 52
CHAPTER 5:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary 55
5.2 Conclusion 57
5.3 Recommendations 58 References 59 Appendices 68
LIST
OF TABLES
4.1: Distribution of the Cassava Farmers according
to their Socio-economic Characteristics 33
4.2 Distribution of the Youths Based on their Level
of Participation in
Cassava Production
41
4.3 Distribution
of the Youths Based on their Reasons for Participating in
Cassava
Production 42
4.4 Distribution of the Youths Based on their Awareness
of Extension
Service Programmes of NRCRI
44
4.5 Constraints to Participation of Youths in Cassava
Production in the
Study Area 46
LIST
OF FIGURES
2.1: Contribution of Cassava Production by Geopolitical Zones 11
2.2: Cassava Value Chain and
Uptake Pathways (Production Components) 14
2.3: Cassava Value Chain and
Uptake Pathways (Processing Components) 15
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Cassava (Manihot
esculenta crantz) is one of the world’s most important food crops. In
Nigeria, as in most developing countries, it is one of the most important
carbohydrate sources (Adebisi, 2015). Cassava is an important source of dietary
carbohydrate, and provides food for over 60 million people in Nigeria
(Abdulahi, 2003). According to Nweke et
al. (2002), eighty percent of Nigerians in the rural areas eat a cassava
meal at least once a day; hence it plays a major role in the country’s food
security. Apart from its use as a staple food to human beings other uses
include animal feed formulation, agro-industrial uses (e.g. starch, ethanol,
adhesive, fructose/glucose syrup), the peels in organo-mineral fertilizers
formulation (Iyagba, 2010). Cassava is important not only as a food crop but
even more as a major source of income for rural households.
Cassava ranks very high
among crops that convert the greatest amount of solar energy into soluble
carbohydrates per unit of area and it gives a carbohydrate production which is
about 40% higher than rice and 25% more
than maize, with the result that cassava is the cheapest source of calories for
both human nutrition and animal feeding (Tonukari, 2004). A recent study on
cassava shows that it accounts for about 70% of the total calories intake of
more than half of the population (Nneoyi, et. al., 2008).Cassava is
propagated by stem cuttings and thrives in fairly bad weather and poor soils
with little or no fertilizer application.
According to Tonukari
(2004), Cassava is a crop that outstrips all others in its potential areas of
cultivation and survival on marginal lands. It produces acceptable yields on
poor depleted soils where other crops will yield virtually nothing; therefore
it can be used to take advantage of marginal soils (Alabi and Alabi, 2002). It
is therefore a crop that lends itself to cultivation by the vast majority of
Nigerians with high potentials for wealth creation (Oyewole and Philip,
2006).The trend for cassava production in Nigeria is rapidly increasing and
expansion of the multi-purpose plant has been relatively steady. Nigeria is
making use of its cassava crop to diversify and boost its economy by making
cassava a sustainable economic edge over its contemporaries. Being the largest
producers of cassava in the world, its production is currently put at about
33.8 million tons in a year (FAO, 2002).
Youth is a concept that has
enjoyed competing definitions. The term is used to describe a stage in one’s
life when he or she is still young. (Musa, 2013). Youth has also been viewed as
the period in an individual’s life which runs between the end of childhood and
entry into the world of work (Onuekwusi and Effiong, 2002). Ifenkwe (2012),
pointed out that youth is a relative term defined by a given age range and,
with its meaning varying across cultures, groups, and countries.
Youths are a formidable
force in the agricultural production process, constituting a sizeable
proportion of future progressive farmers and better citizens, especially in
rural areas (Aphunu and Atoma 2010).They possess unique capabilities (dynamism,
strength, adventure, ambition), and these are assets for agriculture (Nnadi and
Akwiwu, 2008). Youth have been noted to play a vital role in the production of
cassava especially in developing countries Nigeria inclusive, where their
contribution is paramount. In order to boost cassava production in Nigeria, the
Federal Government and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
jointly initiated the cassava multiplication programme with the aim of
promoting cassava utilization as a commodity-based approach against food
insecurity (Adeniji, 2000). Rural youths play a central role in cassava
production, processing and marketing, they are responsible for cassava
production which provides additional income earning opportunities, and enhances
their ability to contribute to household food security (Ojuekaiye, 2001).
Despite the benefits accrued
from cassava production, there are factors limiting rural youth involvement in
its activities which are economic, social and environmental. Social factors
include; public perception about farming and parental influence to move out of
agriculture: environmental issues include inadequate land, continuous poor harvests,
and soil degradation and economic factors includes; non-lucrative, lack of
initial capital, poor returns to investment, lack of basic farming knowledge,
no incentives for farmer, no agricultural insurance, lack of access to tractors
and other farm inputs, transport problem, inadequate credit facility, it is
energy-sapping, no storage facilities, no ready market, farmers are not
respected (Adekunle et al., 2009).
Youth-in-Agriculture
programme has been described as a very important structure for land and
agrarian reform. Though youths have desirable qualities that can promote
agriculture, most of them have strong apathy toward it (Adewale et al., 2005).
With fewer youths into agriculture, the long-term future of the agricultural
sector is in question. The development of the agricultural sector of the
Nigerian economy therefore depends on the young people, more especially the
rural youths. This is because a larger population of youths represents the link
between the present and the future as well as a reservoir of labour (Okeowo et
al., 1999).
In Nigeria, data on rural
youth participation in agriculture are scarce and in particular on food crops
production, the few studies available on food crops production have focused
mainly on the parents of the youths, while the youths who constituted a large
proportion of the production force are neglected (Ekong, 2003). Study has shown
that children and youth contributed significantly in agricultural activities,
such as in cassava production (Ugwoke et
al., 2005).
1.2 PROBLEM OF STATEMENT
Global population is
projected to reach 9 billion by 2050. The number of young people (aged 15 to
24) is also expected to increase to 1.3 billion by 2050, accounting for almost
14 percent of the projected global population. Most will be born in developing
countries in Africa and Asia, where more than half of the population still live
in rural areas (UNDESA, 2011). Rural youth continue to face challenges related
to unemployment, underemployment and poverty. Despite the agricultural sector’s
ample potential to provide income-generating opportunities for rural youth,
challenges related specifically to youth participation in this sector – and,
more importantly, options for overcoming them – are not extensively documented.
Furthermore, statistics on rural youth are often lacking, as data are rarely
disaggregated by important factors such as age, sex and geographical location.
In Africa, the proportion of
working youth earning less than USD 2 per day is over 70 percent (OECD, 2012)
many of whom were living in continents economically stagnant rural areas.
Compounding this problem is the size of the world’s youth cohort. In Nigeria,
data on rural youth access in agriculture are scarce and in particular on food
crops production, the few studies available on food crops production have
focused mainly on the parents of the youth, while the youths who constituted a
large proportion of the production forces are large proportion of the
production force are neglected (Ekong, 2003).
One third of the world’s
population suffers from micronutrient deficiencies. (Egesi, 2010) noted that
the distribution is highly skewed, with children under five accounting
disproportionately large shares of the total disease burden (mortality and
morbidity attributable to vitamin A deficiency VAD, iron deficiency Anaemia,
(IDA) and Zinc deficiency which stands as 94%, 57% and 100% respectively.
Inadequate dietary intakes had been identified as the primary cause of
micronutrient deficiencies (FAO STAT, 2014). In view of this, the new released
cassava varieties will provide more vitamin A in the diets of more than 70
million Nigerians who eat the root crop every day (Egesi, 2012). The yellow
colour is due to the higher vitamin A content which is a precursor to vitamin A
deficiency that is widely prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. This deadly disease
afflicts almost 20% of pregnant women and about 30 percent of children under
five in Nigeria (Egesi, 2012). Children and women will be the main
beneficiaries of these new yellow varieties which could provide up to 25% of
their daily vitamin A needs.
Unfortunately, rural youths
especially those with proximity advantage to research institutes and even
universities are denied both direct and indirect access to information,
knowledge, and innovations on improved production practices in cassava
production and processing, a gap that needs to be bridged if high productivity,
income generation and self sufficiency in agriculture must be realized.
Moreover, NRCRI Umudike have
dessiminated several improved cassava production technologies through its
Extension services. These include production of improved cassava varieties,
application of pesticides and herbicides, capacity building trainings on
cassava value addition, among several others. Inspite of the various improved
cassava production technologies dessiminated by NRCRI extension services, the
influence of the NRCRI Umuduke extension services on the involvement of the
youths in cassava production is yet unknown.The youths in the study area have
continued to show poor attitude towards agriculture especially in cassava
production. Most of the youths do not have interest and seldomly participate in
cassava production. It is against this backdrop that the study seek to assess
the influence of NRCRI Umudike extension services on the involvement of the
rural youths in cassava production in Abia State.
1.3 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The study seeks to provide
answer to the following questions:
i. What are the socio-economic characteristics of the
youths in the study area?
ii. What is the level of participation of the youths in
cassava production?
iii. What are the reasons for the youths’ engagement in
cassava production in the study area?
iv. What is the level of awareness of youths on extension service programmes of the NRCRI?
vii. What are the
constraints to the rural youth involvement in cassava production in the study
area?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the
study is to assess the effect of extension services of NRCRI on involvement of
rural youths in cassava production in Abia State, Nigeria.
The specific objectives are
to:
i.
describe
the socio-economic characteristics of the youths in the study area;
ii.
determine
the level of participation of the youths in cassava production;
iii.
determine
their reasons for engaging in cassava production;
iv.
assess their level of awareness on extension
service programmes of the NRCRI in the
study area; and
v.ascertain the constraints to the rural youth involvement
in cassava production in the study area.
1.5 HYPOTHESES
OF THE STUDY
The hypotheses of the study
which are stated in the null form are as follows:
i.
The
socio-economic characteristics of the rural youth do not significantly influence
their participation in cassava production.
ii.
The
awareness of the rural youths on NRCRI extension service programme does not significantly
affect their participation in cassava production in Abia State.
iii.
The
reasons for participating in cassava production do not significantly influence
the youths’ participation in cassava production.
1.6 JUSTIFICATION
OF THE STUDY
Cassava is very important to
Nigeria economy. The cassava plant is the highest producer of food calories
among crop plants (FAO, 2003). It is therefore a very important crop to food
security to the extent that any factor that affects cassava production may
affects food security.
Given the progresses made by
NRCRI extension programme in improvement of cassava production, it is pertinent
to study the effect of NRCRI extension programme on the involvement of rural
youths in cassava production. Hence, the study will reveal the socio-economic
status of rural youths in the study area and the sources of information on
cassava production available to the youths. This will help in knowing the best
channel to reach the youths.
The study will reveal the
level of participation of youths in cassava production in the study area and
the reasons for youths’ involvement in cassava production. This will help the
government and non-governmental organizations in assessing areas with high
involvement in cassava production and also will help in knowing the type of
intervention to employ in motivating more participation of the youths in
cassava production. The study will be useful for the economic policy makers especially
those formulating policies relating to agricultural product to make important
decisions about cassava production. It will also help in formulating policies
which facilitate youths’ involvement in cassava production.
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