Project Abstract

<p> <b></b></p><p><b>This<br>study was carried out to examine returns to cassava processing in Ibesikpo<br>Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. The specific objectives are to<br>identify the various products from cassava in the study area; estimate costs<br>and returns to cassava processing; and identify constraints to cassava<br>processing and marketing. A multi-stage and purposive random sampling technique<br>was employed to obtain primary data from 120 respondents used for the study.,<br>It was observed that majority of the processors were females (54.2%) with an<br>average age of 40 years, mostly with one form of education or the other (83.3%).<br>The study revealed that four cassava products namely <i>garri, fufu and starch </i>were<br>the major products from cassava processing in the. Analysis of the costs and<br>returns revealed that processing cassava to <i>garri </i>gave the highest Gross<br>Margin even though processing cassava to all the three to sun-drying of cassava<br>products during rainy season. of various degrees. The study therefore<br>recommends the need for processors to have access to infrastructural facilities<br>and improved processing technology to enable them take advantage of the<br>emerging market-oriented cassava products so as to improve their means of<br>livelihoods.</b></p><p><b><b>Keywords </b>Cassava Processing, Gross Margin, Ibesikpo Austan<br>Local &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Government Area, Akwa State, Nigeria</b></p> <br><p></p>

Project Overview

<p> <b><b><b><b></b></b></b></b></p><p><b><b><b><b>INTRODUCTION</b></b></b></b></p><p><b><b><b></b></b></b></p><b><b><b><p><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>1.1 &nbsp; Background to the Study</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Food is a basic necessity for life and<br>all people need it for survival. The Agricultural sector of Nigeria provides<br>food for the growing population and income for millions of smallholders. It<br>provides employment for about 65 percent of the labour force for industrial<br>development and also raw materials for industries (Abdullahi, 1986).</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cassava is a major staple food in<br>Nigeria. A staple as defined by (IITA, 2007) is one that is eaten regularly and<br>which provide a large proportion of the population’s energy and/or nutrients.<br>Cassava serves this function as it is eaten raw or in processed form. As a<br>result of growing urbanization, cassava has become an essential part of the<br>diet of more than 70 million Nigerians (FAO, 2003). The estimated per capital<br>consumption of cassava in Nigeria is 238Kcal (Cock, 1985).</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; According to Nyerhovwo (2004), 80<br>percent of Nigerians reside in the rural areas especially Akwa Ibom State and<br>they eat cassava meal at least once a day and when compared with rice and<br>maize, cassava has a carbohydrate content which is about 40% higher than rice<br>and 25% more than maize. Also, it is the cheapest source of calories for both<br>human and animal consumption. Hence, cassava plays a major role in the<br>country’s food security. Furthermore, in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area,<br>Akwa Ibom State cassava generates income for its producers, processors,<br>transporters and marketers and it serves as raw material in industries such as<br>bakery, textile, paper, plywood and confectioneries (Babaleye, 2004; FAO,<br>2003). Given the advantages that cassava exhibit such as ability to grow on<br>marginal lands, low input requirement and high drought tolerance, the roles of<br>the crop have increased. These have made it an important commodity for<br>intervention by the government and stakeholders in the Agricultural sector.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nigeria is the largest producer of<br>cassava in the world with an average annual estimate of 46 million metric<br>tonnes and a global market share of 19 percent (Phillips <i>et al</i>, 2004; Hillocks, 2002). From year 2012 till date Nigeria<br>increase to 54 million tone making it the largest producer (FAO 2012). Azogu, (2010)<br>asserted that within 4 years the quantity of cassava produced in Nigeria<br>increased by 10 million tonnes. Also, demand for cassava and its products have<br>increased in both the national and international markets. This is as a result<br>of the increased use of the crop for food by human and livestock and as an<br>industrial raw material. The increase in demand has also been occasioned by<br>on-going government policies that are aimed at encouraging production,<br>utilization and export of value-added cassava products coupled with rapid<br>population growth which has brought about the need for more convenience food.<br>Thus cassava has the potential to fuel its commercialization in Nigeria.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; According to Ezedinma <i>et al</i>, (2007), the Nigerian cassava<br>production system has some challenges. Cassava production is concentrated in<br>the hands of resource- poor smallholders who cultivate less than 2 hectares of<br>land using rudimentary tools. The average yield per hectare is put at 10.7<br>tonnes which is not enough to meet the present demand. In addition, cassava<br>output is mainly for the traditional food market. 90 percent of cassava output<br>is consumed, 5-10 are processed into primary raw material and about 2 percent<br>are secondary raw materials. Furthermore, two types of markets exist for<br>cassava products which are: the traditional food-oriented market and new<br>emerging market for cassava products. Babatunde, (2011) stated that presently<br>in Nigeria, agricultural products are underutilized for income generation and<br>cassava is not left out. Cassava roots are prone to wastage due to inefficient<br>harvest and post-harvest handling. Furthermore, there is inadequate information<br>on income opportunities that exist in cassava processing activities.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lawal and Jaiyeola, (2007) opined that<br>value addition improves the shelf life of agricultural products and generates<br>income for participants. Since most government interventions and policies are<br>aimed at integrating the rural poor into the mainstream of the economy, one of<br>the ways of achieving this is by adding value to their produce. The evaluation<br>of the present state of small scale cassava processing is therefore imperative.<br>In order to tap the full potential that cassava presents there is therefore the<br>need for a study on value addition to cassava and the factors that are likely<br>to influence value addition so that rural communities whose livelihoods depend<br>on it will benefit from the present traditional food market and new emerging<br>markets.</p><p><b>1.2 &nbsp; Statement of the Problem</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p><b>&nbsp;</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Despite her position as the world leader in cassava<br>production, Nigeria is yet to tap the full potential embedded in cassava. The<br>country still imports some cassava products like starch due to underutilization<br>of available resources (Kirsch, 1996a). Cassava processing is mostly done by<br>women using traditional method which is labour intensive and time consuming.<br>Various initiatives on cassava are yet to yield the expected results. This may<br>be due to the fact that they do not take account of the economic circumstances<br>under which cassava is processed occasioned by inadequate statistics of those<br>who engage in different cassava products particularly at the grassroots level.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In Akwa Ibom State, it is generally<br>observed that there is low level of investment in small scale cassava processing.<br>This is evident in the preponderance of women most of whom are resource poor in<br>cassava processing enterprises. Inadequate empirical data on value addition to<br>cassava processed might be the bane of the inability of the enterprise to<br>attract the necessary attention of private entrepreneurs in the sector. This<br>therefore portends negative consequences for the food security and employment<br>generation situations in the State. It is important to note that socio-economic<br>characteristics and some other variables can affect the amount of value added<br>to cassava products and these have not been considered over time.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is also important to state that in<br>addition to the common problems faced in cassava processing and marketing such<br>as price fluctuation poor industrial application of cassava product among<br>others, processors often differ in the extent to which they experience the<br>constraints. Against this background, this study intend to address the<br>following research questions:</p><p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>What<br>are the socio-economic characteristics of cassava processor in the study area?</p><p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>What<br>are the various products from cassava processing?</p><p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>How<br>much value is added to processed cassava?</p><p>4. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>What<br>are the constraints to processing of cassava products?</p><p><b>1.3 &nbsp; Objectives of the Study</b></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The main objective of the study is to<br>carry out an analysis of economics of cassava processing in Ibesikpo Asutan<br>Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State the study area.</p><p><b>The<br>specific objectives are to:</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>i) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>to<br>examine the socio-economic characteristic of cassava processor in Ibesikpo<br>Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.</p><p>ii) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>&nbsp;identify the various products from cassava in<br>the study area;</p><p>iii) &nbsp; &nbsp; determine<br>the costs and returns to cassava processing;</p><p>iii) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>assess<br>the constraints to cassava processing ;</p></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b> <br><p></p>