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A time series analysis of agroclimatic influence on cassava production in Nigeria


J.O. Akintola

Abstract

Cassava is one of the most important crops especially in the Southern part of the country. It is increasingly assuming the status of an emerging ";cash crop";. One major attribute of agricultural production is that yield varies from period to period. Food production in any given year is affected most directly by the values of the critical climatic elements (rainfall, humidity, temperature, sunshine etc). the stability of available food supplies is governed by the interannual interactions aid variability of these elements.

The objective of this paper was to determine the trend of the influence of the aforementioned agroclimatic variables on cassava output in Nigeria. Secondary data were collected from various sources including FAO, IITA, and FOS. Simpler regression and diagrams were used for the analysis.

The results indicated that the steady increase in cassava output 1961-2000 which attributable to its increased cultivation by farm families who regarded the crop as an emerging ";cash crop"; would continue for the next decade. Also, agroclimatic variables would continue to exert sometimes positive, sometimes negative and sometimes indifferent influences on cassava output.


[JEXT Vol.3 2002: 99-109]

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eISSN: 1595-5125