Value Addition on Cassava Wastes among Processors in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the utilisation of Cassava Wastes Value Addition Strategies (CWVAS) among cassava processors in Oyo State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to draw 110 cassava processors as respondents. Questionnaire was used to collect information from respondents. Data were analysed using descriptive and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Mean age was 33.25±8.72 years, 85.5% were female, 45.5% had primary education, while 57.3% of the respondents had between 1 and 10 years of processing experience. Overall, knowledge on the various CWVAS was high among 88.9% of the respondents, 61.8% of the respondents had a favourable attitude towards CWVAS utilisation and 97.3% perceived the benefit from utilisation of CWVAS to be high. High humidity (x=1.64) and inaccessibility of processing materials (x=1.61) were constraints to utilisation of value addition strategies. Majority (90.0%) frequently used sun drying as value addition strategy, while composting was occasionally practiced by 59.1% of the respondents. Overall, the level of CWVAS utilisation was low for 90.9% of the respondents. Significantly related to utilisation of CWVAS were knowledge on biogas (r= 0.25), composting (r=0.10), fermentation (r= 0.55) and ethanol (r=0.19). The study advocates that extension agent and government should sensitize and train cassava processors on the utilisation of cassava waste value addition strategies.