Determinants of improved cassava processing technologies’ (ICPT) utilization among rural processors in Oyo State.

Abstract

The study examined the factors determining the utilization of Improved Cassava Processing Technologies (ICPTs) in Oyo State, Nigeria. One hundred and eighty respondents were selected from twenty randomly sampled villages across four agricultural zones in the state. Analytical tools used in the study include the descriptive and inferential statistics such as Probit model and chi-square analyses. Results showed that aggregated R² valve was 0.6573, indicating that 65.73% variation in the utilization of the technologies was explained by the variables considered in the study. Socioeconomic factors of respondents such as age, gender marital status, education, experience, family size and contact with extension agents determined utilization of improved processing technologies while the technologies use were constrained by inadequate capital, skills required, operation complexity, disinterest and unavailability of equipment. It was recommended that unpopular processing technologies be made available in the study area in such a way that all attached bottlenecks are drastically reduced in order to enhance wide utilization of the technologies in the state.

Key words: Imrpoved Cassava Production Technologies (ICPTs),rural