CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND RESTRICTIONS TO THE PARTICIPATION OF RURAL WOMEN IN CASSAVA PROCESSING IN ISIUKWUATO AREA OF ABIA STATE, NIGERIA.

Women play a crucial role in the Nigerian Agricultural sector ranging from production to processing and marketing. About 80% of small scale cassava clusters in the western part of Nigeria are owned and operated by women. The study sought to analyse the restrictions and factors that contribute to the participation of rural women in cassava processing in Isiukwuato area of Abia State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was employed in the selection of eighty (80) respondents from whom data were elicited. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the probit regression model. The result showed that the respondents were young (44.19), with majority married (78.75%), had a mean household size of (5.16) persons, attained various levels of education but were small scale farmers with a mean farm size of (1.98) hectares. The probit regression estimate showed that the coefficients of age, education level, farm income, cooperative membership, household size and extension contact influenced the participation of the respondents in cassava processing at varied levels of significance. The model posted a pseudo R² of (0.6303). Like every other business, the respondents faced restrictions like poor storage facilities, low quality of cassava roots, discolouration and uncontrolled fermentation, inadequate supply of cassava roots all year round among others. Based on the findings, the study suggested the introduction of contract farming in the area, which will ensure a reliable supply of cassava roots for large scale processing and incorporating gender perspective into all agricultural interventions by the government to ensure equal impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]