The Adoption Impact of Improved Cassava Varieties on the Social Life of Rural Farmers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State
Ayoade A.R.

Abstract
The study examined the adoption impact of improved cassava varieties on the social life of farmers in oriire Local Government area of Oyo State. Using a well structured interview schedule to collect information, eighty (80) cassava farmers were sampled for the study. Specifically, the study identified the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers and determined the level of adoption of cassava varieties. Also the study determined the specific benefits derived from the varieties in use and finally investigated the constraints encountered by farmers in production of the improved varieties. The findings of the study revealed that 72.5% of the cassava farmers were male, 88.8% of them were married and 51.2% of them were Christians. The mean age of the respondents was calculated to be 46.7 and most of them earned btw 26000 and 35000 as their monthly income. 37.6% had between 21 and 30 years farming experience. The results of the findings also revealed that 64.5% of the respondents had between 6 and10 members in their household and 62.7 % of the respondent produce between 1 and 5 tones of cassava in a production year. From the findings of the study also, all the respondents were using TMS 30572 and 92.5% of them agreed that high yield was the major feature that attracted them to adopt the variety. Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis revealed that a significant and positive relationship exist between age, level of education and the adoption impact. Also a significant difference was found in the material life style and production level of the farmers before and after the adoption of improved varieties in cassava production. Poor access to credit was ranked as the most serious constraint to cassava production. Therefore the study recommends that credit facilities should be made available to registered cassava farmers by the Government so as to further boost cassava production, and loans disbursed should be properly monitored by relevant bodies.

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