ADOPTION AND DISADOPTION OF SWEET POTATO (IPOMOEA BATATAS (L) LAM) PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES BY FARMERS IN SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study sought to determine the adoption and disadoption of sweetpotato production and processing technologies by farmers in the South-east zone of Nigeria. The specific objectives were  to: determine  the level  of awareness  of the sweetpotato  production  and processing technologies among farmers in the zone; determine the extent of adoption and disadoption of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies by farmers in the zone; examine the determinants  of  adoption  and  disadoption  of  the  sweetpotato  production  and  processing technologies  in the study area and identify the constraints  to  the adoption of sweetpotato production and processing technologies in the zone. Using the multistage sampling technique, and the structured interview schedule as instrument, data for the study were collected from a sample of two hundred and seventy (270) sweetpotato farmers in the zone. Percentages, mean scores, probit analysis and exploratory factor analysis procedure were used as statistical tools for data analysis. The findings of  the study showed that majority (79.63%) of the farmers (270)  were  aware  of  the   sweetpotato  production  technology,  whereas  the  processing technology recorded a low level of awareness. With regard to the extent of adoption of the sweetpotato production practices, majority (37.9%) of the farmers adopted the use of ridges and  mounds,  as well as improved  sweetpotato  varieties,  while  majority  (40.2%)  of them rejected the recommended plant spacing of 30cm x 100cm on ridges and 25cm x 100cm on mounds for both sole and intercropped systems. Most (34.2%) of the farmers used the 2-node and 5/6-node vine cuttings as planting materials, as well as time for planting of sweetpotato, weeding  regime  of  one  major  weeding  at  4-6  weeks  after  planting,  inorganic  fertilizer application of 400kg of NPK 20:10:10, earthening-up practice, timely harvest of root tubers and  pest  and  disease  control  measures.  The  extent  of  disadoption  of  the  sweetpotato production  technology  was  low.  In  the  processing  of  fermented  sweetpotato  fufu  flour, majority of the farmers adopted the practices of  peeling and washing of sweetpotato  root tubers, cutting of the root tubers into 2.5mm-3.0mm chips, fermenting of the chips by soaking in water for 24 hours, draining of water from fermented chips and sun-drying of chips on

raised platforms or oven-drying at a temperature of 50oC. Majority of them also mill the dried

chips properly to produce the flour and package the flour in polyethylene bags or air-tight containers. With regard to the extent of adoption of the practices involved in the processing of unfermented sweetpotato flour, most of the farmers adopted the innovation of peeling and washing of root tubers of sweetpotato, grating of the root tubers into mash and dewatering of the mash in a clean bag. Majority of the farmers also adopted sun-drying the dewatered mash

on raised platform  or oven-drying  at a temperature  of 50oC, milling the dried mash  and

packaging the flour in polyethylene bags or air-tight containers. In processing of sweetpotato starch, majority  of the farmers  adopted  the practices  of peeling and  washing of the root tubers, grating of the root tubers into mash, dewatering of mash in clean bags and mixing dewatered mash with quantity of water that is 10 times the volume of mash. Other practices adopted by majority of the farmers included sieving of mash with muslin cloth, sedimenting, decanting and collection of starch, sun-drying of starch on raised platform or oven-drying at a

temperature of 50oC, milling of the dried starch and packaging in polyethylene bags or air-

tight containers. Household size, labour, land and health significantly influenced the adoption of  the  sweetpotato   production   and  processing   technologies.   Age,  marital   status  and participation in credit system were important in predicting farmers who will continue to use the  sweetpotato  technologies,  while  sweetpotato  problems   significantly  influenced  the disadoption  of  the  technologies.  Production/processing  complexity  problems,  economic problems, poor technical information and pathological problems were the main constraints to the adoption of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies. It was recommended that researchers, policy makers and administrators  of extension services consider seriously these  issues  which  constitute  limiting  factors  to  increased  sweetpotato  production  and processing in the study area.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background information

Sweetpotato  (Ipomoea  batatas  (L)  Lam)  is  a  herbaceous,  warm-weather creeping plant belonging to the family Convolvulaceae and genus Ipomoea (Woolfe,

1992). The family is made up of 45 genera and 1,000 species, out of which only Ipomoea batatas is of economic importance to man and animals (Woolfe, 1992). It is known to be among the world’s most important, versatile and under-exploited food crops (International Potato Centre (CIP), 1999). With more than 133 million tonnes in annual production, sweetpotato currently ranks as the fifth most important food crop on a fresh-weight basis in developing countries after rice, wheat, maize and cassava (CIP, 1999). Average yields in several countries are well below the average yield of

15 tonnes per hectare for developing countries as a whole, and these in turn are well below the crop’s potential.

In the last decade, there has been a positive growth rate for sweetpotato production in China, as well as a number of developing countries (CIP, 1999). China tops the list of world largest producers of sweetpotato with 106,197,100 metric tonnes while  Nigeria  is  third  largest  producer  with  2,150,000  metric  tonnes  annually.  In Africa, Nigeria is second largest producer of sweetpotato after Uganda with 2,600,000 metric tonnes annually (National Root Crops Research Institute, 2009).

In Nigeria, the production, marketing and utilization of sweetpotato have expanded to almost all the ecological zones within the past decade (NRCRI, 2009), and 200,000 to 400,000 hectares of land are under sweetpotato cultivation. Yields of

sweetpotato  root  tubers  have increased  from  farmers’  pre-research  era of about  3 tonnes per hectare to 20-30 tonnes per hectare due to the availability of improved varieties (NRCRI, 2009). Ezeano (2006) showed that total annual production of the crop in Cross River, Ebonyi and Enugu States of Nigeria increased from 37,080 to

84,393 tonnes from years 2000 to 2004. Similarly, its consumption as food increased from 3,740 to 7,650 for the three states within the same period, utilization as feed increased from 440 to 1,020 tonnes, export to neighbouring countries increased from 3,070 to 17,810 tonnes, while domestic sales increased from 27,440 to 50,870 tonnes (Ezeano, 2006).

Sweetpotato is traditionally used as boiled root tubers eaten with stew, boiled and pounded with either boiled or fermented cassava as fufu or boiled or pounded yam. It is also dried and milled for sweetening of gruel (‘ogi’) porridge, sliced into chips,  dried  and  boiled  with  beans  or  vegetables,  sliced  into  chips  and  fried  in vegetable oil, in addition to processing into flour for sweetening ‘kunu’ or pap. Furthermore,  root  tubers  are  boiled,  sliced,  sun-dried  and  used  later  as  snacks, processed  into  flour  for  making  buns,  chin-chin,  doughnut,  noodles,  alcoholic beverages, protein-enriched pulp and canned foods.

Sweetpotato grows best at a temperature of between 24oC and 28oC with an annual rainfall of 700mm to 1000mm. It requires about 500mm of rain during the period of vegetative growth and the rest during tuber formation and setting (Woolfe,

1992;  Onwueme  and  Sinha,  1991).  It  is  also  a  drought  tolerant  crop.  However, drought that occurs within six weeks after planting or during tuber formation reduces yield greatly. Sweetpotato does not tolerate shade. Day length of 11 hours or less

promotes flowering while day length longer than 11 hours tends to favour folial development at the expense of tubers (Woolfe, 1992; Yayock, 1988). Short day length with  cool  temperature  of  22oC  to  24oC  and  low  light  intensity  promotes  tuber formation. The best soil for sweetpotato production is sandy loam. It does not do well in poorly drained and aerated, or saline soils, as such soils tend to retard root tuber development. It grows best at a pH of 6; alkaline soils result in poor yields (Onwueme and Sinha, 1991).

Although its centre of origin, routes and times of its dispersal to some of its present locations are still in dispute, Edmond and Ammermans (1971) indicated that Ipomoea batatas originated  from Central  America and northwestern  part of South America  in  about  3000  B.C.  It  was  introduced  into  Europe  in  the  16th   century.

Presently, it is grown throughout the world from latitude 40oN to latitude 35oS, and

Asia produces more than two thirds of the world output. It arrived Nigeria between

1694 and 1698 through the early Portuguese and Spanish explorers.

Ipomoea batatas is a short duration crop with high yield and economic returns (Klink, 1997). Sweetpotato and potato are the only root and tuber crops that can be grown and harvested within four months in Nigeria. Specifically, sweetpotato can be grown two to three times in a year with supplementary irrigation (Nwokocha, 1993). It has low soil fertility requirement and better opportunity cost relative to the other root and tuber crops such as cassava, yam and cocoyam (Nwokocha, 1993). Sweetpotato is highly adaptable to relatively marginal soils and erratic rainfall, has high productivity per unit of land and labour and guarantees some yield even under the most adverse conditions  (NRCRI,  1987;  Nwokocha,  1993;  Ogbonna,  Nwauzor,  Asumugha  and

Emehute, 2005). It is, thus, a low input crop. It is a good source of vitamin C and pro- vitamin A, and can be substituted for maize in livestock production (NRCRI, 1984;

1989;  1990;  Nwokocha,  1993;  Anyaegbunam,  Asumugha,  Mbanaso  and  Ezulike,

2008). Ipomoea batatas does not have the problem of anti-nutritional factors such as cyanides and oxalates that exist in cassava and cocoyam respectively (NRCRI, 1989; Nwokocha, 1993). Furthermore its high yield potentials and short life cycle of less than 20 weeks make crops like yam (Dioscorea spp) relatively poor competitors for general industrial starch (NRCRI, 1989).

Sweetpotato is grossly under-exploited as food in Nigeria (Nwosu, 2007). The minimal utilization of sweetpotato in Nigeria is obviously due to non-availability of adequate sweetpotato-based recipes that satisfy the food habits of Nigerians (Aniedu and Oti, 2007).

1.2    The problem

Prior to 1974, the cultivation and utilization of sweetpotato had not received appropriate attention of the Nigerian populace despite its nutritional constituents, position in the food reserve of man, ease of propagation, soil conservation attribute and  industrial  use.  It  was  regarded  as  a  crop  with  little  economic  importance;  a volunteer or discard crop that children picked mostly around refuse dump sites.   Its consumption was surrounded by the erroneous idea that it caused amoebic dysentery (NRCRI, 2009).  Farmers paid no attention to the time of planting sweetpotato, where it was planted as well as its time of harvest, storage, processing and marketing.   No consideration was given to such agronomic practices as fertilizer application, pest and

disease control, weeding regime, earthening up, detopping, rolling and tying of vines at the base which were required for increased crop yield. The crop was allowed to grow wild in wasteland, marginal lands and unprepared surroundings of households without any defined pattern of management. It was often slashed and treated as weed. The crop was left at the mercy and management of children and the very poor. It was commonly categorized as ‘strictly subsistent’, ‘food security’ or ‘famine relief’ crop (Scott and Maldonado, 1999). The children of the very poor harvested the tubers, ate them in the boiled or roasted forms and with or without palm oil in-between meals since it never formed a meal or part of a meal. Sweetpotato was never a commodity in both urban and rural markets and never formed part of any extension  message or technology. Research, too did little or no work on the improvement and husbandry of the crop.

From 1974, however, the National Root Crops Research Institute  (NRCRI), Umudike, took leadership of, and embarked on rigorous and active research into the genetic improvement,  production,  processing,  storage,  utilization  and marketing  of root and tuber crops of economic importance in Nigeria (NRCRI, 2009).  The mandate crops are cassava, yam, sweetpotato, cocoyam, ginger, potato, sugar beet, turmeric, risga and Hausa potato (Nwosu, 2004). The Institute carries out the research work sometimes in collaboration with other research centres like the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture  (IITA), International  Potato Centre (CIP) and faculties  of agriculture of universities in the country. These research efforts have led to the development of many production and processing technologies. With regard to sweetpotato,  these  technologies  included  various  improved  sweetpotato  varieties, notable among which is the orange-fleshed varieties. These are rich in beta carotene, a pro-vitamin   A  from  which  the  body  synthesizes  vitamin  A  (Kapinga,  Ewell, Hagenimana and Collins, 2001).

Some varieties were introduced specifically for livestock production because of  their  high  yield  of  foliage  and  include  TIS  8164,  Tanzania  and  Wagabolige (Ikwelle,  Ezulike  and  Eke-Okoro,  2001;  Njoku,  Nwauzor,  Okorocha  and  Afuape, 2006).   Other varieties with bland taste have been introduced to benefit consumers averse to the usual sugary taste of sweetpotato. These varieties include TIS 87/0087, 440216,  440163,  Naspot  2  and  Tanzania  (Njoku  et  al.,  2006).  Varieties  such  as 199004.2, 440216, 440031, 440163, Tanzania and Centennial have low oil absorption capacity when fried, a desirable quality in sweetpotato varieties that are demanded for preparation of snacks (Njoku, et. al., 2006). Other technologies developed for sweetpotato  production  included  seedbed  preparation,  plant  population  (30cm  on ridges and 25cm on mounds), planting material, soil requirement, time of planting, weed control methods, earthening up, pest and disease control methods and time of harvest. With regard to processing, sweetpotato can be processed into fufu flour (fermented), unfermented sweetpotato flour for use in confectioneries, toasted sweetpotato, sweetpotato starch, in addition to its use as livestock feed (Aniedu and Oti, 2007; Ojeniyi and Tewe, 2001; Ezeano, 2006).

In order to disseminate these technologies to the farmers for uptake and subsequent use, NRCRI programmed the sweetpotato production and processing technologies into the technology review meetings of the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) in the South-east zone of Nigeria through the Research-Extension-Farmer-Input-Linkage  System (REFILS) (Odurukwe and Anuebunwa, 1996). Since 1996, the Institute embarked upon regular and intensive campaigns aimed at educating the farmers on the benefits of sweetpotato production and processing to ensure their widespread adoption (Odurukwe and Anuebunwa, 1996). It did this in conjunction with the State Ministries of Agriculture through  their respective  ADPs,  with the farmers  in the South-east  agro-ecological zone as the initial targeted clients.  The zone comprises Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers States.

Further more, efforts are being made to popularize sweetpotato production and processing in other parts of the country. In this regard NRCRI has so far opened six sub-stations to serve as service centres and channels for disseminating the Institute’s research  findings  (Nwosu,  2008).   These  sub-stations  are Gassol  in Taraba  State, Igbariam in Anambra State, Maro in Kaduna State, Nyanya in Abuja (Federal Capital Territory), Otobi in Benue State and Vom in Plateau State. There is, hitherto, no study carried out to elucidate the level of awareness and extent of adoption and disadoption of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies in the zone.   A work by Udealor, Ikeorgu, Ukpabi and Nwauzor (2004) showed a low level adoption of the technologies in all the surveyed states, but failed to detail the extent of initial uptake or adoption of these technologies, their continued use, abandonment or disadoption, as well as the determining factors. Ezeano (2006), which studied the changes over time (trends)  of  the  levels  of  sweetpotato  production,  utilization  and  marketing  in  the South-east zone, similarly did not cover the continued adoption and disadoption of the sweetpotato technologies. It would, therefore, be necessary to know the extent of the

initial uptake (adoption) of these technologies and their continued use or abandonment (disadoption) by the farmers in the zone. Moreover, it would be necessary to know the level of awareness of the cultivation and processing of sweetpotato the farmers, as much human, material and financial resources have been committed into the research and extension of these technologies. This study will, therefore, fill the information gap and answer such pertinent questions as: What are the characteristics of those farmers who are cultivating and processing sweetpotato? Were the sweetpotato production and processing technologies disadopted by the farmers in the zone? What are the factors affecting the adoption and disadoption of this crop in the study area? What are the constraints to continued use of the technologies by farmers in the zone?

1.3       Purpose of the study

This study sought to determine the adoption and disadoption of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies by farmers in the South-East zone of Nigeria. Specifically, the objectives were to:

i)        determine the level of awareness of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies among farmers in the zone,

ii)       determine the extent of adoption and disadoption of the sweetpotato production and processing technologies by the farmers in the zone;

iii)      examine  the  determinants  of  adoption  and  disadoption  of  the  sweetpotato production and processing technologies in the study area; and

iv)      identify   the  constraints   to  the  adoption   of  sweetpotato   production   and processing technologies in the zone.

1.4       Significance of the study

There is need for increased staple food production in Nigeria both for meeting the food demand of the population, and for export. This increase cannot be attained without  synchronization  of efforts  by research  institutes,  extension  service  outfits, input agencies and farmers in the adoption  of relevant technologies.  Technologies developed by research institutes are not likely to be adopted by the farmer-clients if they are not adapted to the farmers’ conditions. These conditions include accessibility to the technologies either in the form of availability of resources to purchase needed inputs or in the form of the relevance and appropriateness of the technologies to their needs, capabilities and environmental conditions.

Indeed, effectiveness of agricultural research effort is in terms of adoption of developed technologies by the ultimate users to increase production. Agricultural technologies  that fail to increase  production  on this premise,  implicate  ineffective research effort. It is, therefore, necessary to always determine the status of adoption of transferred technologies by target farmer groups. This will elicit information on the usefulness and relevance of the technologies to farmers. It will also elucidate further modifications that need to be made to enhance adoption of the technologies.

The National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, would benefit from this work  as  the  Institute  has  expended  a  great  deal  of  research  efforts  targeted  at increasing the production of sweetpotato as alternative/complement to yams, cassava and cocoyam, among others. This study seeks to provide information that would help the  National  Root  Crops  Research  Institute,  Umudike,  and  other  related  research institutes   and   universities,   to   develop   technological   packages   on   sweetpotato production and processing that would be relevant to the needs and problems of the farmers in the zone. It will also provide policy makers, development planners and workers with necessary data and insight for effective and sustainable  policies and programmes that would facilitate adoption of sweetpotato production and processing technologies in South-eastern Nigeria. The study would, hopefully, add to the existing body of knowledge in rural sociology and extension, which would be useful to the government.

₦8,000.00 – DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT DOWNLOAD FULL PROJECT Added to cart

---

---

---

---

Related Project Topics :