Determinants of the usage of cassava smart agricultural practices by Cassava based farmers in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study analyzed the determinants of the usage of climate smart agricultural practices by cassava based farmers in Obio-Akpor Local  Government Area of Rivers State. The study adopted a two stage sampling in the selection of 80 respondents’ cassava-based farmers.  Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit regression model.  The mean age of the farmers was 40.69 year, majority (61.25%) of the farmers were females and had a mean farming experience of 16.14  years. Result of the logit regression revealed that the coefficients of farming experience (0.153) and household size (0.469) were statistically significant and influenced the usage of climate smart practices by cassava farmers. The study therefore, recommends that  climate smart agricultural practices should be encouraged among cassava farmers; extension officers should be develop and increase to  meet up with the policies of educating the cassava farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices; and awareness and enlightenment about the potentials of irrigation system technology as regard cassava productivity and cassava based livelihood should  be intensify.