Analysis of the consumption patterns of cassava food products amongst rural households in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cassava is a staple food in Nigeria and many households largely depend on its food products for their daily calorie requirements. The need to critically evaluate the consumption pattern of cassava food products (CFPs) amongst households in Imo State, Nigeria necessitated this study. A multilevel sampling technique which involves purposive and random sampling was used to select 432 farmers for the study. Data was collected using questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 16. A three- and four-point Likert scale rating with 2 and 2.5 decision points respectively was used to measure the consumption pattern of CFPs and factors affecting them. The results show that 43% of the farmers were male, 93% attended at least primary school and 60% were aged between 30–50 years. About 65% cultivated UMUCASS 1379 cassava variety. Abacha (89%) and Garri (88%) were the most available CFPs and Garri with the highest mean score (MS = 2.84) was the most consumed. Consumer preferences (MS = 2.91), and culture, custom or tradition (MS = 2.88) were the major factors affecting the consumption pattern of CFP in the area. To effectively promote CFPs consumption, policies should emphasize more on culture and the provision of necessary processing equipment to encourage more families to produce, process and consume more CFPs.