A Logistic Regression Analysis of Poverty Status among Cassava Processors and Marketers in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the poverty status among cassava processors andmarketers in Benue State, Nigeria. The vicious circle of poverty and unbalancedgrowth theory were adopted for this study. A survey design was used to obtain crosssectionaldata through questionnaires, focused group discussions (FGDs) and oralinterviews. The research adopted the multistage random and purposive samplingtechniques and obtained a sample size of 380.The study used descriptive statisticaltools, Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) Index and logistic regression to analyze thedata for this research. The study found that cassava processing and marketingprovided income for sampled respondents which helped them in accessing basicneeds of life. The study also showed that processing and marketing of cassava inBenue State was faced with several constraints such as lack of modern processingequipment; high cost of processing due to high cost of improved technologies; hightransport cost of tubers from production areas to processing centres; lack of credit forprocessors; and poor access roads in transporting cassava products to market centresamong others. The study recommended the following based on findings that thereshould be provision of improved technologies for processing and infrastructuralsupport for the rural areas; provision of microfinance institutions that could be asource of credit to small-scale rural cassava processing units; development of ruralinfrastructure such as access roads to enhance accessibility of processors to marketcentres for sale of their products; government should provide modern processingtechnologies in key cassava production zones to help convert large quantity of tubersto processed products; extension agents should be employed to train processors onthe use and adoption of modern technologies among others.