ABSTRACT:

This study investigated the socioeconomic analysis and processing dynamics of selected cassava products in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. One-hundred and forty (140) cassava processors were sampled using a multi-stage sampling technique. The study adopted descriptive statistics, net farm income, multiple regression and Henry Garrett ranking technique to achieve specific objectives. The result showed that 72% of garri processors, 86.36% of fufu processors, and 61.9% of cassava flour processors were female with mean ages of 43, 43, and 40 years respectively and the average years of processing experience for garri, fufu, and cassava flour processors were 15, 12, and 6 years, respectively. In addition, the return on investment (ROI) showed that cassava flour had the highest ROI at 79.83%. Fufu and garri followed with ROIs of 56.58% and 49.56%, respectively. Also, the coefficients for cooperative membership, and processing experience were positively significant (p < 0.01) for garri, fufu and cassava flour. High cost of transportation to the market and lack of access to the markets were critical constraints faced by the respondents. It is concluded that the three products studied—garri, fufu, and cassava flour were all profitable and recommended that offering advanced training for the educated and simplified methods for the less educated, and strengthening cooperatives for collective marketing, resource sharing and credit access (and encouraging non-members to join) are essential to lower input costs especially tuber prices and improve labor and packaging efficiency.