Analysis of Constraints to Adoption of Sweet Potato Processing Technologies among Actors in South East, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was conducted to analyze constraints to adoption of sweet potato processing technologies among actors in South East, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of eighty (80) respondents used for the study. Data were analyzed using mean score, standard deviation, factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Results indicated that sex, educational level, marital status, processing experience and access to extension service had a positive influence on the adoption of sweet potato processing technologies in the study area. The respondents were highly constrained by inadequate processing machines/equipment (=2.88), high cost of processing produce (=2.86), inadequate knowledge of modern sweet potato processing techniques (=2.84), inadequate capital for start-off (=2.84), high cost of labor (=2.83), poor credit facilities (=2.80) and scarcity of processing materials like sweet potato tubers (=2.43). These variable constraints were further subjected to factor analysis and the variables were named technical and infrastructural factors. It is recommended that processors should be encouraged to form cooperative society to enable them to pool their resources together to obtain credit facilities and sweet potato labour saving processing technologies in order to increase productivity. There is also a need for creation of awareness by extension agents, public health agencies, nutritionists and non-governmental organizations on the usefulness of orange fleshed sweet potato in addressing Vitamin A Deficiency Syndrome.