Impact and adoption of value added innovations in root and tuber crops among farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike embarked on massive training and extension of technologies of new and improved food forms of root/tuber crops to rural farmers/women groups from 2005 to date in Nigeria generally and in South-eastern and South-south parts in particular. However, the main purpose of this study is to determine the impact and adoption rate of this training and extension activity among farmers in AkwaIbom State of Nigeria. A structured interview schedule, administered to 90 farmers in 3agricultural zones of Uyo, IkotEkpene and Eket was the major instrument used in data collection. The respondents were 30 farmers generated from two training points in each zone. The data were analysed using means, percentages and means scores. The result revealed that although the respondents were mostly women, there were a few number of men who participated in the training and these respondents were reasonably aware of the innovations. The adoption of the innovations (value added products of cassava)by the respondents was far 21.39%, while the adoption rates of value added products of cocoyam, sweetpotato and cultivation technologies were 12.59%, 2.22% and 33.85% respectively. The low adoption rates of these innovations translated into very little impact on the livelihood of the respondents. However, near tangible impact was made on the livelihood of the respondents in areas ofpaying school fees andacquiring new farmlands.However, the major challenges associated with the adoption were lack of funds, lack of equipment/facilities and no re-training facilities respectively. It is therefore recommended that efforts should be made to alleviate all these challenges in order to enhance the adoption and impact of these technologies among the farmers.

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