CONTRIBUTION OF COCOYAM TO RURAL FARMERS INCOME GENERATION IN IHITTE UBOMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE, NIGERIA

This study specifically described socio-economic characteristics of cocoyam farmers, identified various uses of cocoyam, examined profit generating ability of cocoyam to farmers, determined contribution of cocoyam to income of the farmers, determined socio-economic determinants of cocoyam income generation and identified the problems facing the rural farmers in the production and sale of cocoyam in the study area. Multi stage random sampling was used to select 120 respondents from whom data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire. Frequencies, means, percentages, net return analysis and multiple regression technique were used to analyse data. Results showed that 85.0% of the farmers cultivated between 0.1 to 2.0 hectares and cocoyam was mostly utilized in boiled form or as porridge. The net return analysis showed that cocoyam production was profitable with an average BCR ratio of 1.36 and profit of N 40919.3 (1 US Dollar = N 198) per hectare. Results also showed that cocoyam contributed 12.7% of the farmers’ total income and was an important source of income to the farmers. Factors which significantly influenced amount of income generated from cocoyam production were level of education, farming experience, land area cultivated, hired labour, quantity of cocoyam sett planted, age and gender. Main problem constraining majority of the cocoyam farmers were lack of investible funds (91.7%), poor storage facilities (90.0%), limited land (90.0%), lack of market information (86.7%), poor infrastructural facilities (85.0%), lack of extension contact (80.0%) and pest and disease attack (70.0%). It was recommended that policies aimed at improving farmers’ access to credit facilities should be made. To be more able to access available credit facilities the farmers should form cooperative societies.