ABSTRACT

The study investigated the effects of improved cocoyam production technologies on the income and output of women farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study described the socio-economic characteristics of the women farmers, identified the improved cocoyam production technologies, determine the extent of use of improved cocoyam production practices. Multi stage sampling technique was used in the selection of 160 respondents. Data were collected using structured questionnaire, interview schedule and Focus Group Discussion. The data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics like percentage, mean, multiple regression and Z-test. The result of the analysis showed that a higher proportion (46.9%) of the farmers were within the age bracket of 41 – 50 years, literate (39.4%), household size of 6 – 10 people with farming experience of 11 – 15 years and visited once per month (51.2%) by extension workers. Farmers were members of social organization (36.9%), had a farm size of 1.1 – 2.0ha, did not obtain credit (59.4%). More of the farmers were aware and used most of the improved cocoyam production practices like harvesting method (54.4%), time of planting (57.5%), planting depth (53.1%), recommended plant spacing (58.8%), cocoyam mini setts technique (55.8%), cocoyam intercropping technique (61.3%) and method of fertilizer application (56.3%). The farmers’ major source of information on improved cocoyam production practices was through cooperative societies. The extent of use of the practices was high with an average mean score of 2.4 and an agreed mean perception of 3.0. The result of hypothesis I showed that the independent variables such as educational level (1.916), household size (3.636), farming experience (2.881) and membership of social organization (3.874) were significant with the farmers’ use of improved cocoyam production practices with an R2 value of 0.547 and 2.522 F-ratio. Hypothesis II showed that, the farmers’ perception of improved cocoyam production practices was significant at 1% level of probability. Hypotheses III and IV results of Z-test showed that, the improved cocoyam production practices by farmers increased their output significantly. Farmers’ use of improved cocoyam production practices was constrained by inadequate credit facilities (90.6%), pests and diseases (81.3%), declining soil fertility (78.9%) and weeds menace (67.5%). It was recommended that more credit facilities should be made available to farmers by government. Also, extension education, campaign programmes should be carried out by agricultural extension department to tackle the problems of pests and diseases, declining soil fertility and weed menace in order to sustain the farmers’ use of improved cocoyam production practices.