Agricultural Cooperative Membership, Gender Gap, and Adoption of Biofortified Cassava Varieties in Nigeria

This study investigated agricultural cooperative membership, the gender gap, and the adoption of biofortified cassava varieties (BCVs) among cassava farmers in Oyo State. A multistage sampling procedure was adopted to select 180 cassava farmers for the study. Primary data were collected from the farmers using a pretested structured questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Tobit regression model. Results show that there is a significant difference (p?0.05) between the mean age of male (52.17±10.37) and female (44.97±12.54) adopters of BCVs. Also, the average farming experience of male (21.75±10.99) and female (17.18±10.73) adopters of BCVs are significantly different (p?0.05). The results further show that about 58% of the 169 respondents aware of BCVs are male, while 42% are female. Similarly, 58% of the 91 adopters of BCVs are male, while 42% are female, and the average rate of adoption of BCVs in Oyo State was 50.56%. The adoption of BCVs by males is influenced by four factors: education, membership of cooperatives, extension contact, and assets owned by farmers, while primary occupation and membership of cooperatives influence the adoption among female farmers. The membership of agricultural cooperatives influences the adoption of BCVs by male and female farmers.