Abstract
A veritable search for solution to the soaring problem of food insecurity in Nigeria would need to encompass a renewed focus on cocoyam (Colocasia spp and Xanthosoma spp) as an important source of human nutrition, cash income and animal feed. This study examined constraints affecting adoption of cocoyam processing technologies by women farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study ascertained the level of adoption of cocoyam production technologies and also identified constraints faced by women cocoyam farmers in adopting recommended innovations. Relevant data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire from 90 women cocoyam farmers, purposively selected from a sample frame of women groups affiliated to the Women-in-Agriculture (WIA) programme of the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Development Programme (AKADEP). Data analyses utilized both descriptive and inferential statistical tools and findings revealed that cocoyam fufu and cocoyam flour (x = 2.96; rank 1 respectively) and cocoyam pudding (x =2.83; rank=3) were the major adopted technologies. The least adopted were cocoyam balls (x=1.88; rank=13 cocoyam bread (x= 2.27; rank=12) and cocoyam fritters (x= 2. 41; rank =11). Factor analysis, using principal component approach revealed seven major dimensions of factors that contribute to the general level of constraints; the major factors were: Poor technological base (21.28%) and human factors (15.9%). Recommendations have been proffered to enhance adoption of cocoyam processing technologies, based on its inherent positive attributes.