Analysis of Farmers Perception, Preference and Adoption Likelihood for Provitamin-A Cassava Roots in Sierra Leone

Abstract

The main achievement of any scientific research is to ensure its technology produced is adopted by the intended clientele. The study aimed was to access Farmers’ Perception, Preferences and Likelihood Adoption for Provitamin-A Cassava storage roots in Sierra Leone. The study sampled three districts (Bombali, Kailahun and Moyamba) to examined socio-economic characteristics, analyze farmer’s perceptions, varietal preferences, determine the maximum likelihood of adoption and rank the most outstanding drivers and barriers of adoption. A multistage sampling technique was employed. Data were collected using pre-tested structured questionnaires for 150 household interviews and semi-structured questionnaires for focus group discussions (FGDs). Data collected were analysed for descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that Youths (male) predominated cassava production across the surveyed districts. 43% of the respondents didn’t have access to any formal education while 62% of the respondents did not belong to any organization. Farmers however desired provitamin-A cassava that are high yielding, early maturing, appreciable marketable root size that are Poundable. Interviewees had no prior knowledge about provitamin-A cassava, but were willing to adopt it once it’s made available. 90% of the respondents were willing to cultivate provitamin-A cassava varieties once it made available due to its nutritional value. The adoption likelihood analysis from two scenarios confirmed that total maximum likelihood adoption rate was 75.4% for scenario one followed by 78.1%forv scenario two. To increase maximum adoption rates for provitamin-A cassava varieties once release, flexible recommendations that combines both farmer’s categories and production goals of technologies should be considered given the barriers identified from this pre-ante study in the cassava breeding program.