Performance of high-yielding cassava varieties in terms of quantity of gari per unit of labor in Nigeria

This paper compares the quantities of gari produced per unit of labor from high-yielding and local varieties of cassava in Nigeria. Gari is a cassava-based granule obtained by roasting fermented cassava paste. It is widely consumed in Nigeria and many other West African countries. The results of the study show that, although high-yielding cassava varieties are superior to local varieties in terms of fresh roots per unit area, the difference in terms of gari (kg) per unit labor (person-day) between the two is not significant. This is due to high labor requirements for transportation and processing activities incurred by high-yielding varieties. The study further indicates a negative relationship between the adoption of high-yielding cassava varieties and distance to fields, the use of headload/backload as transportation means, and lack of processing machines in the village. This means that farmers are less likely to adopt high-yielding varieties of cassava where transportation and processing activities of cassava are carried out manually.