Problems and prospects of cassava production in Rivers State, Nigeria: A case study of Oyigbo local government area

Abstract

Cassava farmers generally are confronted with a lot of challenges especially in the Niger Delta. This study therefore examined the problems and prospects of cassava production in Oyigbo L.G.A. Multistage sampling technique was used in the data generation exercise. Six (6) villages were randomly selected from the seventeen villages that make up Oyigbo L.G.A. Descriptive statistical tools, such as frequency and percentages were used in analyzing the data. Results showed that majorities (65.6%) of the cassava farmers were above 51 years which implied that able bodied young men and women were scarcely available for farm work. The result further showed that about 50% of the farmers received only primary education. Most of them rented their farmlands, used old cassava stem cuttings and were scarcely visited by extension agents. It is therefore recommended that adequate infrastructural facilities such as good roads and electricity, etc be made available in the rural areas to reduce the migration of the youths to urban centers in search of non existent white collar jobs. Credit liberalization policy should also be implemented by the Government to enable the farmers increase their farm sizes and purchase improved planting materials. Adult education programmes should be intensified by the Government to raise the educational standards of these farmers. The training of more extension agents is hoped to increase the number of extension contacts among these smallholder cassava farmers.