Comparative Analysis of Consumption Level of Pro-Vitamin A Cassava Products among Farmers in South-East and South-South Nigeria

Abstract

Pro-vitamin A cassava products which include garri, fufu, flakes, tapioca, flour for cake, bread, chin-chin, boons etc, have nutritional, health and economic values for consumption among farmers in south-east and south-south Nigeria. On that note, multistage random sampling was adopted in the selection of the sample size of 480 pro-vitamin A cassava households cumulatively chosen from Imo, Anambra, Delta and AkwaIbom states. About 8 agricultural zones, 24 blocks, 48 circles and 120 respondents from each state were randomly selected. Focus group discussion and well-structured questionnaire were used to elicit information from the respondents while descriptive (standard deviation, tables, mean) and inferential statistics (Duncan multiple range test) were used to analyze the data collected. Result emerging from analysis showed that ANOVA result detected differences in the level of consumption of pro vitamin A cassava products across the states indicating mean scores in Imo as (1.9150), Delta (1.9150), Anambra (1.9961) and AkwaIbom (2.1426) and significant at 1% level of probability. The study concluded that there were low levels of consumption of pro-vitamin A cassava products in Imo, Anambra and Delta states but high in AkwaIbom state. Therefore, promotional activities, such as awareness campaign and trainings should be organized for farmers in order to encourage more consumption of vitamin A cassava products since the result of level of consumption form and usage of pro vitamin A cassava products indicated low level of use in as flour, flakes (abacha), cassava chips, value added: bread, cake and tapioca is recommended.