FACTORS INFLUENCING CASSAVA VALUE ADDITION BY RURAL AGRIBUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

The study analyzed the factors influencing cassava value addition by rural agribusiness entrepreneurs in Abia state, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: ascertain the various forms of the value added cassava products produced by the respondents; estimate the factors that influence farmers' decision to add value to cassava; and make recommendations based on the findings. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 70 respondents. Primary data were collected through the aid of a well structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as frequency, mean, tables, percentage as well as the binary logit model. The result of the binary logistic results indicated that the coefficients of gender, education, income, household size and output were statistically significant at different levels of probability. The study therefore recommended that encouragement should be given to females to go into cassava value addition as well as making high yielding varieties available to the entrepreneurs by the government and its agencies whose mandate is to do so.