Analysis of Factors Influencing Women Participation in Cassava Post Harvest Technologies in Abia State, Nigeria

Main Article Content

C. U. Nwaobiala

Abstract

This study was undertaken to analyze women participation in various trainings on cassava post-harvest technologies in Abia State, Nigeria. Purposive and multistage random sampling techniques were used to select ninety (90) women. Data for the study were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (probit regression analysis). The socio-economic characteristics of the women revealed that 63.33% of the women were married. The women had a mean age of 49.5 years and 48.89% of them acquired secondary education. Also mean processing experience of the women was 4.5 years and processing income of N226, 500.00. The result showed that the women participated in cassava odourless fufu and cassava cake technologies with mean ratings of 2.20, cassava flour ( =2.00), cassava flakes ( =2.00) and cassava biscuit ( =2.00), with a participation index of 66%. The result of probit regression estimates showed that coefficients for age, education, processing income and cooperative membership influenced women participation in cassava post harvest technologies. Drying of processed cassava products, distance to training centres, inadequacy of processing facilities and type of cassava varieties used in processing were problems encountered by women. The study, therefore, recommends training and re-training of women, cooperative formation and access to processing facilities to encourage active participation in cassava post harvest technologies.

Article Details

Section
Articles/Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology & Extension

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