EFFECT OF DIVERSIFICATION ACTIVITIES ON THE PRODUCTION TREND OF CASSAVA FARMERS

EFFECT OF DIVERSIFICATION ACTIVITIES ON THE PRODUCTION TREND OF CASSAVA FARMERS

Background of the study

Cassava is one of the most important crops in Nigeria. It is the most widely cultivated crop in the southern part of the country in terms of area devoted to it and number of farmers growing it. Indeed, it is grown by almost every household. Cassava has also increased in importance in the Middle Belt in recent years. In all places, cassava has become very popular as a food and cash crop and is fast replacing yam and other traditional staples of the area. In all, over four-fifths of the cultivable land area is suitable for cassava growing.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) was introduced into central Africa from south America in the sixteenth century by the early Portuguese explorers (Jones, 1959). It was probably the emancipated slaves who introduced the cassava crop into southern Nigeria, as they returned to the country from South America via the islands of Sao Tome and Fernando Po. At that time there were Portuguese colonies off Nigeria's shores (Ekandem, 1962). Cassava, however, did not become important in the country until the end of the nineteenth century when processing techniques were introduced, as many more slaves returned home.

Cassava is important, not only as a food crop but even more so as a major source of income for rural households. Nigeria is currently the largest producer of cassava in the world with an annual production of over 34 million tonnes of tuberous roots. Cassava is largely consumed in many processed forms in Nigeria. Its use in the industry and livestock feed, is well known, but is gradually increasing, especially as import substitution becomes prominent in the industrial sector of the economy. As a cash crop, cassava generates cash income for the largest number of households in comparison with other staples (Table 1). It is produced with relevant purchased inputs as frequently as and in some cases more frequently than other staples. A large proportion of total production, probably larger than that of most staples, is planted annually for sale.

As a food crop, cassava has some inherent characteristics which make it attractive, especially to the smallholder farmers in Nigeria. First, it is rich in carbohydrates especially starch and consequently has a multiplicity of end uses. Secondly, it is available all year round, making it preferable to other, more seasonal crops such as grains, peas and beans and other crops for food security. Compared to grains, cassava is more tolerant of low soil fertility and more resistant to drought, pests and diseases. Furthermore, its roots are storable in the ground for months after they mature. These attributes combined with other socioeconomic considerations are therefore what IFAD has recognized in the crop as lending itself to a commodity-based approach to poverty alleviation (FAO/IC, 1995). The socioeconomic importance of cassava and the accidental introduction of cassava mealybug which ravaged most cassava fields in the major producing areas led to the Government's direct intervention in the subsector, in the implementation of the IFAD-assisted Cassava Multiplication Project (CMP) between 1987 and 1996.

In the early 1980s, Nigerian cassava production fell drastically due to the combined effects of pests (mealybug and green spider mite) and diseases (mosaic virus and cassava bacterial blight), thereby posing a threat to national food security. In response, IFAD initiated the CMP as a parallel-financed part of the World Bank-assisted MSADP-L The overall objective of the CMP was to multiply, promote and distribute improved varieties to farmers so as to improve productivity and income.

Statement of Problem

In lieu of our discussion above, various researchers have found different uses of cassava and the different methods the agricultural produce has been modified to serve various uses. Apart from the traditional method whereby cassava is processed to get garri which is consumed by large portion of household in Nigeria, manufacturing companies have also discovered that cassava can be used for other productive uses. These productive uses can serve as an end in itself or a means to an end. For example, cassava is used in biscuit manufacturing company as an ingredient for their end product, biscuit. In some other manufacturing companies, cassava is processed as flour which is used to produce edible items like bread and so on. Therefore, we undertake this study to examine the effect of these diversification activities on the production trend of cassava farmers.

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