DETERMINANTS OF IMPROVED COCOYAM TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN BENUE STATE,
Publication Type: Journal Article.
Publication Year: 2026
Author(s): Omale P. I., Tor L. G., Agbo E. P., and Odeh, M. U.
Journal Name: (IJAEMD)
ABSTRACT
This study examines the influencing effects of education, income, and access to information on the adoption of improved cocoyam technologies by smallholder cocoyam farmers in Otukpo LGA, Benue State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling approach was employed tocollect primary data from 100 cocoyam farmers who were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model were used to analyze the data. The descriptive results revealed that cocoyam farming is predominantly practiced by females (58%) and married individuals (74%), and that the average age of farmers is 45 years, indicating a productive workforce. Additionally, most respondents had some formal education (80%), whereas contact with extension services was extremely low (5.7%). Access to information was through mobile phones (15.7%) and peer networks (15.6%). The results of the inferential analysis indicate that educational status (p < 0.05) and annual income were significant determinants of cocoyam production technology adoption, whereas age, gender, and household size were not. The implication is that the ability to adopt innovations depends more on human capital and financial capacity than on demographic characteristics. The study concluded that limited extension coverage hampers the diffusion of improved practices and therefore recommended that BNARDA prioritize digital extension strategies to improve current access to low-interest credit, thereby enhancing farmers’financial resources and technical capacity and accelerating the transition from traditional cocoyam production in the region.
Keywords: Adoption, Cocoyam, Education, Information Access and Smallholder Farmers