Awareness of Value Addition of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) In Osun State, Nigeria

Authors: A. M. Omoare, E. O. Fakoya, O. E. Fapojuwo, W. O. Oyediran

Abstract:

Awareness of value addition of sweet potato has received comparatively little attention in Nigeria despite its potential to reduce perishability and enhanced utilization of the crop in diverse products forms. This study assessed the awareness of value addition of sweet potato in Osun State, Nigeria. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents for the study. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Findings showed that most (75.00%) of the respondents were male with mean age of 42.10 years and 96.70% of the respondents had formal education. The mean farm size was 2.30 hectares. Majority (75.00%) of the respondents had more than 10 years farming experience. Awareness of value addition of sweet potato was very low among the respondents. It was recommended that sweet potato farmers should be empowered through effective and efficient extension training on the use of modern processing techniques in order to enhance value addition of sweet potato. 

Keywords: Awareness, value addition, sweet potato, perishability.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1326808

References:

[1] Food and Agricultural Organization Statistics (FAO), 2008. www.fao.org.
[2] Njoku, J. C. Effect of Cultivar and Time of Harvest on Yield and Total Carotenoid Content of Carotene-Based Sweet potato Cultivars. NRCRI, Annual Report, 2007: 45-53.
[3] Egeonu I. N. Characterizations of 35 sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) (L) Lam) accessions in South Western Nig. MSc. Project Report. Dept. of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, 2004, 72p.
[4] CIP (International Potato Centre) Lima Peru. Sweet potato: Treasure for the power in sweet potato, 2003. http://www.cipotato.org. Accessed on November 20th, 2012.
[5] Abidin, P. E. Sweet potato breeding for Northeastern Uganda farmers varieties, farmer-participating selection, and stability of performance. PhD Thesis, Wageninger University, The Netherlands, 2004, 152p. ISBN 90 – 850-033-7.
[6] Ndunguru, G. Thompson, M. Waida, R. Rwiza, E. and Wesby, A. Methods for examining the relationship between quality characteristics and economic value of marketed fresh sweet potato trop, Agric (Trinidad), 2008, Vol. (75(1): 129-133.
[7] Mmasa, J. J., Elibariki, E. M. and Melchion, M. Performance of various marketing channels for sweet potato value added products. Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development, 2013, Vol. 2(2), pp. 065-076.
[8] National Population Commission (NPC). www.onlinenigeria.com. 2006. Accessed on 4th February 2012.
[9] Oladoja, M. A., Adisa. B. O. and Ahmed-Akinola A. A. Effectiveness of communication methods used in information delivery to cocoa farmers in Oluyole LGA of Oyo State. The Ogun Journal of Agricultural Science, 2006, Vol. 4, pp. 78-88.
[10] Adisa, B. O. and Okunade, E. O. Women-In-Agriculture and Rural Development. In. S. F., Adedoyin (ed). Agricultural Extension in Nigeria Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON). c/o Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, 2005, 69-77.
[11] Ezeano, C. I. On-farm Evaluation of the use of sweet potato as a weed control in Yam/Maize production in Enugu State. On-Farm Adaptive Research (OFAR) Trial-Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), 2005.
[12] Fawole, O. P. "Constraints to Production, Processing and Marketing of Sweet Potato in Selected Communities in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria” 2007, Journal of Human Ecol. 22(1): 23-25.
[13] Adam, K. L. Sweet potato: Organic production, 2005. Online Available from: http://www.ncat.org/attra-pub/sweet potato.html. Retrieved on 19th November, 2012.
[14] Burris, B. J. Evaluating sweet potato as an intervention food to prevent vitamin A deficiency. Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Safety, 2011. 10: 118-130.
[15] Ofoh, M. C. (2009). Food security and mitigation of climate change through Ecosystem based Agriculture (13th inaugural lecture of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO). Imo State, P. 24.
[16] Schneider, Y., Kluge, C., Weib, U. and Rohm, H. "Packaging Materials and Equipment". In: Barry Law, A. and Tamime, A. Y. Technology of Cheese making: Second Edition. Wiley-Blackwell. 2010, p. 413, ISBN 978-1-4051-8298.
[17] Wheatley, C., and Loechl, C. A critical review of sweetpotato processing research conducted by CIP and partners in Sub-Saharan Africa. Social Science Working Paper No. 2008-4.
[18] Philip, D., Nkonya, E., Pender, J. and Oni, O. A. (2009). Constraints to increasing Agricultural productivity in Nigeria: A Review. International Food Policy Research Institute Journal. NSSP006.Email: ifpri-nigeria”cigar.org. www.ifpri.org.
[19] Oyediran, W. O. Factors affecting melon (Citrullus colocynthis) production in Oyo state, Nigeria. Unpublished, M. Agric. Thesis, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, 2013, Pp. 108-111.
[20] Greene, W. H. Econometric Analysis, Fifth Edition Prentice Hall. New Jersey, 2008.