CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information
The food problems in
Nigeria and other developing countries can be reduced or even eliminated by
intensifying agricultural production (Asiedu, 1989). It is based on this that
emphasis of agricultural research for many years has been mainly on increased
food production. One of the crops where considerable increased production level
has been noticed is cassava. Nigeria is the world's largest producer with the
total production of 38 Million tonnes in 2005 (Food and Agricultural
Organization, 2006). The major area where the crop is grown extends from the south
coast to the middle belt (Ogbe, Dixon and Alabi, 2003). By zone, the North
Central produces about 7 million tonnes of cassava a year thus ranking first on
the per capita basis of 0.72 tonnes/person in 2002 (PCU, 2003). Within the zone
Benue and Ebonyi are the largest
producers of cassava in the country (IITA, 2004).
Cassava was introduced
m the republic of Congo from South - America about 400 years back (Nweke, 2004)
and it forms the staple part of the diet in many of the African countries.
Since its introduction, it has spread through Sub-Saharan African to become the
dominant staples in the diet of the people. Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria,
Thailand and Zaire are the biggest producers, each producing over 10 million
tones and together accounting for over 63 percent of World's production (CBN,
2004). Among the root tuber crops, it ranks first accounting for about 55
percent in the Sub-Saharan African (Hahn and Keyser, 1995). Cassava became
popular with the introduction of SAP (Structural Adjustment Programme) in 1986.
This programme made imported cereals to be more costly, making cassava a
relatively cheap source of energy. Increasing trends in output has made Nigeria
the World leading producer of cassava since the beginning of the 1990s with an
estimated output of 40 million metric tones per annum and an average yield of
10.2 tonnes per hectare (Nigerian National Report, 2006). Cassava is uniquely
important as a reserve against famine (IITA, 1999; Philip, 2005) it has gained
advantage over yam to some extent due to its ease of cultivation, high
resistance to drought, ability to grow in exhausted soils and its adaptation to
wide range of ecologies (NRCRI, 1986). According to Enete (1995), cassava may
in fact hold the key to land use intensification in Africa. Another of its
comparative advantage over other crops is its efficient production of cheap
food energy, its availability all year round as well as its high degree of
tolerance to extreme conditions. According to Nweke, Dixion, Asiedu and Folayan
(1994), these qualities contribute enormously to alleviating food crises in
Africa.
After harvest, cassava
roots are processed to stop physiological and microbial spoilage, reduce the
cynogenic glucoside content and convert the roots to other products that are
more acceptable (Asiedu, 1989). Major products derived from cassava are garri,
akpu, starch, flour and abacha and other cassava based products.
Garri is one of the
products of cassava consisting of gelatinized and dried cassava particles. It
is creamy white or yellow depending on the type of cassava used or addition of
palm oil. It is a convenient product because it has a long sheif life and it is
in a form which is ready to eat. Garri may be soaked in hot or cold water
depending on the type of meal desired and this makes it attractive to urban
consumers.
Cassava pellets is
obtained in two different methods. First the cassava roots are peeled, cut into
small pieces and left to dry under the sun after spreading them on rafters or
on gathered straws. The dried pieces are later stored in bags; these bags are
often kept on rafters built over a fire place to prevent insect and fungal
attack. When flour is required, the dried cassava pieces are pounded in mortars
and taken to the mills for grinding. The flour so obtained is sieved and ready
for use. Second, the fresh pieces are soaked to ferment and soften. The
softened roots are collected and water pressed out. The fermented pieces are
then sundried, collected and stored. When necessary dried pieces (pellets) are
grounded into cassava flour.
There are as many as
seventeen forms into which cassava may be processed in Africa (Hahn, 1989;
Gebremeskel, 1989) and the forms into which cassava is processed and consumed
is said to be dependent on cultural food habits, tastes and preferences of the
people.
It is believed that
some crops are produced by men and some by women (Ajayi 1995). Over the years
women have become a strong productive force in subsistence agriculture. They
are involved in almost all phases of food production and they execute certain
farm operations that are thought to belong to men (Okorji, 1985). Adegeye, et
al (1999) asserted that women are active in the cassava industry and that they
are more predominant in the processing and marketing than the men folk.
Gender is a term
associated with roles and responsibility of males and females in the society.
It is the socio-cultural differences between males and females as against the
biological differences (Sinkaiye, 2005). The interrelations of these roles
produce a mutual understanding of each other's capabilities and constraints.
The focus of gender analysis is on the experiences of men and women as the
members of the society. According to the International Institute for Tropical
Agriculture, it is a concept used in social science analysis to look at roles
and activities of men and women (IITA,, 1996).
This study concentrated
on the processing of cassava into gari
(flour) being the two most important commodities that are produced from
cassava in commercial quantity in the study area. These two commodities are
widely utilized for human consumption among the different socio-economic groups
in contributing enormously to energy intake of the population of the study
area. A survey conducted by the Ebonyi Agricultural Development Project (1999) on the
processing and utilization of cassava showed gari as the most common among the various ethnic
groups. They are consumed in various forms and are also known to be major
source of income for the processors. Among the urban and rural poor these
products are known to be consumed at least once a day. This is in line with
Nweke (2004), that in Nigeria cassava is consumed daily and sometimes more than
once a day.
1.2 Problem Statement
The most basic form of
malnutrition in the developing countries is the under consumption of energy and
protein known as the protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and it is a
manifestation of household food insecurity (Cabal, 2000). Protein is more
expensive than energy but studies over the last 30 years have showed that the
deficiency in energy is a more serious problem than protein deficiency. A study
by Food and Agriculture Organisation showed that almost all protein requirement
are met while that of energy is lagging behind (FAO, 1999).
Furthermore, the deep
population growth in the Sub-Saharan Africa exacerbates the problem. The sixth
world food survey showed a very high population growth rate with only a slight
increase in dietary energy supply (FAO, 1996).
This situation is
further aggravated by food losses that occur as a result of inadequate storage
facilities and poor processing technologies. According to the FAO (1995), poor
processing is the major cause of post-harvest losses in the world with special
emphasis on developing countries such as Nigeria and poor processing has been
shown to be associated with inappropriate technologies. Current research
emphasis should therefore be conducted to assess appropriate technology for
increasing food availability. Studies in which cassava processing technologies
has been captured include that of Kolawole, Agbetoye and Ogunlowo (2010) and
Odebode (2008) but economic aspects of cassava processing into various forms
were not captured. Also, Asogwa, Umeh and Ater (2006), Oluwasola (2009) and
Ibrahlm (2009) who carried out a survey on cassava processing excluded the
technological aspect involved in cassava processing. It is also imperative to
state that none of the empirical studies cited above captured gender
contributions in cassava processing. These economic issues constituted the gap
that this study aims to fill to estimate economics of cassava processing into
garri while identifying the cassava processing
technologies in use in the area. Also, gender influence on cassava processing
activities have not yet been analyzed to access involvement of men and women in
the study area which is one of the major concern of this study.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The broad objective of
this study is to investigate the economics of processing cassava into gari in Ebonyi State.
The specific objectives
are to:
(i) describe the socio-economic characteristics
of cassava processors;
(ii) identify and describe the various technologies
utilized by cassava processors;
(iii) ascertain the gender roles in cassava
processing; '
(iv)
estimate the influence of socio-economic characteristics of the
processors on their income.
(v) determine the profitability of processing
cassava into gari ;
(vi) identify constraints militating against the
processors of cassava in the study area;
1.4
Hypotheses
1. There is no significant difference between the
mean contributions of men and women in cassava processing activities.
2. There is no significant relationship between
socio-economic characteristics of the processors and their income.
3. Processing
cassava into garri is not profitable.
1.5
Justification of the Study
This research work is
necessary as it will guide processors and the potential processors in the
adoption of processing techniques that will make for delivery of high quality
and sustainable quantity of selected cassava products to the consumers.
Knowledge of a more viable technology will also help in the proper allocation
and re-allocation of resources which will enhance efficiency and productivity.
It is hoped that the
findings would be a guide to agricultural engineers in the choice, design and
fabrication of tools and equipment suitable and gender specific thereby
reducing drudgery. This study will help processors to understand the costs and
returns accrued to them, how the returns can be improved leading to a better
standard of living thereby alleviating poverty. It will also bring into lime
light health implications and dangers associated with various traditional
techniques of cassava processing.
Finally, the empirical
findings and suggestions based on the study will be of help to policy makers
and to interested research scholars as useful reference point.