
Okoye B.CNational Root Crops Research Institute | NRCRI · Cassava Research Programme
Okoye B.C
B.Agric, M.Sc, PhD
About
92
Publications
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Introduction
Calm
Unassuming
Calculative
Additional affiliations
January 2003 - present
National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Umuahia Abia State
Position
- Research program for the past 18 years spans issues on food security, production economics, farm management, agricultural marketing, gender productivity and efficiency, environmental and resource economics, adoption studies and applied microeconomics and e
Education
January 2007 - January 2011
Publications
Publications (92)
Agriculture is important to Nigeria's economy, supporting a significant proportion of the population and serving as a key driver of food security and poverty alleviation. Despite Nigeria's vast agricultural potential, various challenges, including inconsistent and non-adoption of good agronomic practices, inadequate infrastructure, and climatic var...
bstract : In this study, pounded yam product profile in Nigeria was conducted among 4 processors; who processed each of the 4 varieties used for the study. All the varieties were coded thus; A, B, C and D. However, the experiment started with peeling down to pounding. The time allotted and quantity of water used for each activity was recorded. The...
Crop breeding in sub‐Saharan Africa has made considerable gains; however, postharvest and food‐related preferences have been overlooked, in addition to how these preferences vary by gender, social difference and context. This context is changing as participatory approaches using intersectional gender and place‐based methods are beginning to inform...
BACKGROUND
Cassava retting ability and the textural qualities of cooked fufu are important quality traits. Cassava retting is a complex process in which soaking causes tissue breakdown, starch release, and softening. The rate at which various traits linked to it evolve varies greatly during fufu processing. According to the literature, there is no...
Including gender research in cassava breeding makes it easier for farmers to adopt new varieties that meet the specific needs and preferences of both male and female farmers, leading to increased adoption of new varieties, improved productivity, and better economic outcomes for the entire farming community. Gender was included in 2013 in variety de...
Roots, tubers and cooking bananas are bulky and highly perishable. In Africa, except for yams, their consumption is mainly after transport, peeling and cooking in the form of boiled pieces or dough, a few days after harvest. To stabilize and better preserve the products and, in the case of cassava, release toxic cyanogenic glucosides, a range of in...
This study describes what did and did not work in the prioritization of preferred traits within the value chain of yam and associated food products (boiled and pounded yam) in Nigeria. Demand-led breeding protocols have enhanced participatory methods along gender lines to increase the clarity of information on the yam traits preferred by farmers an...
It is with great pleasure that we present this book, "Building a Resilient Root and Tuber Crops Research for Prosperity," to commemorate the centennial celebration of the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike. This book is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and vision of the researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who h...
The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, has achieved a remarkable milestone with the timely and appropriate publication of the book "NRCRI at 100". This book showcases the Institute's remarkable achievements, and it is imperative to recognize and underscore the significance of the various outstanding research contributions made...
BACKGROUND
Assessment of the key preferred quality traits in pounded yam, a popularly consumed yam food product in West Africa, is often done through sensory evaluation. Such assessment is time‐consuming and results may be biased. Therefore, there is a need to develop objective, high‐throughput methods to predict the quality of consumer‐preferred t...
This study investigated the trait preferences for cassava in the context of climate change and conflict stressors among value-chain actors in Nigeria to strengthen social inclusion and the community-resilience outcomes from breeding programs. Multi-stage sampling procedures were used to select and interview male and female value-chain participants...
BACKGROUND
Boiled yam key quality attributes typical for West African consumers are that it is crumbly, easy to break and has a sweet taste. New yam varieties are being developed but high‐ or medium‐throughput tools to assess the required quality traits and their range of acceptance are limited. This study assessed the acceptance thresholds of thes...
BACKGROUND: Gari and eba, forms of cassava semolina, are mainly consumed in Nigeria and other West African countries. This study aimed to define the critical quality traits of gari and eba, to measure their heritability, to define medium and high throughput instrumental methods for use by breeders, and to link the traits with consumer preferences....
BACKGROUND
Gari and eba, forms of cassava semolina, are mainly consumed in Nigeria and other West African countries. This study aimed to define the critical quality traits of gari and eba, to measure their heritability, to define medium and high throughput instrumental methods for use by breeders, and to link the traits with consumer preferences. T...
The study analysed gender differentials in the cassava seed system among entrepreneurs in southern Nigeria to proffer policies for growth and sustainable cassava seed systems. A multi-stage and purposive sampling technique was used to select respondents for the study. Village seed entrepreneurs (VSEs) and cassava farmers in the cassava seed network...
Addressing rural youth livelihood development should
not be misinformed or based on assumptions relating to
unemployment, passiveness or restiveness of youth but
on research evidence including stakeholders validation.
Our research shows rural youth have diverse capacities
and involvement based on available resources, parental
influence and mentorin...
Breeding programs are increasing efforts towards demand‐led breeding approaches to ensure that cultivars released meet the needs of end users including processors, traders, and consumers, and that they are adopted by farmers. To effectively deploy these approaches, new tools are required to better understand and quantify the degree of preference di...
Demand-led breeding strategies are gaining importance in public sector breeding globally. While borrowing approaches from the private sector, public sector programs remain mainly focused on food security and social impact related outcomes. This necessitates information on specific user groups and their preferences to build targeted customer and pro...
Proceedings of the 55th Annual Conference of the Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN) Held at the Faculty of Agriculture, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Ondo State, Nigeria, 25th -29th October, 2021
The Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN) is one of the oldest agriculturally based societies established in 1962 by the pioneer staff of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The objects of the Society among others are to foster the pursuit and understanding of both basic and applied agricultural science in Nigeria and to diss...
Over the nearly four decades of its formation, BSN has grown by leaps and bounds as a foremost Scientific Society of biotechnologists in Nigeria, and the membership strength is steadily growing – thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of biotechnology. As highlighted by the 2nd BSN National President, Prof. Abubakar G. Lamorde (of blessed memory),...
We applied methods used successfully in prioritising trait improvements in animal breeding to cassava, to demonstrate that they are also relevant to plant breeding. Preference survey methodology based on 1000minds® was adapted and utilised to assess cassava trait improvement preferences of smallholder cassava farmers and other actors in the cassava...
Fufu is a popular traditional fermented wet paste food product from cassava. We examined consumer preferences and quality attributes of fufu in Abia and Imo States of South‐East Nigeria, with special attention to gender differences, for the purpose of providing guidance to breeders. Data were analysed by the use of descriptive and inferential stati...
Within communities in Osun and Imo States of Nigeria, farmer–processors grew and processed a diverse set of improved and landrace cassava varieties into the locally popular foods, gari, eba and fufu. Local and 15 main varieties were grown in a ‘mother and baby trials’ design in each state. Mother trials with three replications were processed by far...
User’s preferences of cassava and cassava products along the value chain are supported by specific root quality characteristics that can be linked to root traits. Therefore, providing an evidence base of user preferred characteristics along the value chain can help in the functional choice of cassava varieties. In this respect, the present paper pr...
Pounded yam is a popular food in Nigeria. This study reports end‐user preferences for pounded yam and implications for trait evaluation by breeding programme. The study was carried out in two pounded yam‐consuming regions in Nigeria: south‐east and south‐west. Multistage sampling technique was used to collect information from users along food chain...
F armers can only be market oriented if his/her production plan follows market signals and produce commodities that is more marketable. In other to achieve it, this study provided empirical evidence on the gender analyses of market orientation in SouthEast , Nigeria. A stratified sampling design was used to select 360 sample respondents in 2017. Ma...
This study provides an empirical evidence on market behaviour among male and female smallholder sweetpotato farmers in South Eastern, Nigeria. A stratified sampling design using a multistage method was used to collect cross sectional data from 360 respondents in 2017. The results show that the male farmers participated more at farmgate sells while...
The Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN) is one of the oldest agriculturally based societies established in 1962 by the pioneer staff of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The objects of the Society among others are to foster the pursuit and understanding of both basic and applied agricultural science in Nigeria and to diss...
This book is a collection of original research findings, position
papers and reviews by authors of different backgrounds, in
honour of Dr. J.C. Okonkwo, who was the Executive Director of
the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike
between 2012-2017.
Technical Report Presented during the Technical Training on Cassava Production and Processing Technologies provided under the Framework of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme, 2016
The Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN) is one of the oldest agriculturally based societies established in 1962 by the pioneer staff of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The objects of the Society among others are to foster the pursuit and understanding of both basic and applied agricultural science in Nigeria and to diss...
L abour productivity affects food security, but quantifying this relationship has been scarce with respect to empirical literature. The Central Madagascar dataset explores the influence of labour productivity and related variables on the food security status of cassava farmers. Drawing on both theory and empirical evidence, this paper argues that f...
This study employed the Cobb–Douglas stochastic frontier production function to measure the level of technical efficiency among smallholder cassava farmers in Central Madagascar. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 180 cassava farmers in the region and from this sample, input–output data were obtained using the cost route app...
High transaction costs deter entry of small farmers into the market. With the data from 240 smallholder cassava farmers in Central Madagascar, this study identified strategies to promote successful smallholder commercialization. The coefficients for membership of cooperatives, native of community and farming experience, have a direct relationship w...
This paper seeks to promote turmeric ( Curcuma longa Linn ) through increased awareness of the potentials of the crop in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries in Nigeria. Nigeria can take the lead in turmeric production but this potential has not been fully tapped as the techniques needed for its produ ction have not been properly unders...
Declining yields of local taro cultivars, worsened in recent years by outbreak of taro leaf blight (TLB), necessitate the development of varieties that combine TLB resistance with high yield and quality. The objective of the experiment was to obtain viable true taro seeds (TTS), the lack of which has hindered local breeding effort to improve taro....
In West Africa, yam consumption runs on three critical fuels among others: population; market; and cultural rites practiced in major producing and consuming centres. Yam consumption is hampered by Stone Age technologies at each link in the yam value chain and by certain physiological properties of the yam tuber. This sketch is developed in this rep...
Various factors influencing the adoption of weed control technologies in Abia State were studied. A multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 510 cassava farmers in 2006. Results showed that 56.5% of the respondents were females, that are largely (90.2%) in their productive years. Most (78.8%) of the total respondents were married, 8...
This study examined gender differentials in labour productivity among small-holder cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) farmers in Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria in 2008. The study data was collected through a multi-stage random sampling technique from 120 cassava farmers, consisting of 60 males and 60 females. For the male farmer...
The research work analyzed the supply response of maize producers in Nigeria and its implication for agricultural trade. The period covered was 1987-2007 (20 years) and data were collected on import quantity and value, export quantity and value, price of maize, price of its substitute, output and hectarage within the time period. FAO statistics dat...
Owing to the seemingly recalcitrant world food crisis, the difficulties encountered by farmers in developing countries in adopting improved technologies due to resource poverty, it has become pertinent to exploit the opportunities offered by the so called minor crops. This has necessitated some investigations into the farm level efficiency in sweet...
Food crises triggered by high prices had been experienced in agricultural markets in the past. However, the current state of agricultural markets has raised a lot of concerns to policy makers, media, the public and all stakeholders. This is against the background of the fact that only a selected few crops were affected but nearly all major food and...
Cassava is a dominant component in crop mixtures in South-Eastern Nigeria. It is a preferred food security crop among smallholder farmers, because it can tolerate drought, low soil fertility and its production requires minimum external inputs. Various constraints have been shown to affect the widespread adoption of improved cassava varieties. This...
The study employed a Cobb-Douglas regression technique to measure labour productivity in the southeast agro ecological zone. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 240 respondents from the zone in 2008. The study found gender and age to be negative and significantly related to labour productivity at 1.0% level of probability. The...
The study analysed the determinants of total factor productivity by the use of OLS regression technique among small-holder cassava farmers in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. The study data was collected through a multi-stage random sampling technique from 90 farmers in 2009. The coefficients for education and extension were negative and...
A stochastic frontier translog cost function model was used to measure the level of cost efficiency and its determinants in small-holder cassava production in South-east Agro-Ecological Zone, Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 320 cassava farmers in 2008. The parameters of the stochastic frontier cost function were...
This study employed the conventional demand function analyses to examine the influence of socio-economic variables on seed yam demand in Northern Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 150 seed yam farmers in three major States in 2006. Input-output data and their prices were obtained fromthe farmers. The study revealed...
A multi-stage randomised sampling procedure was used to collect cross sectional data to test sample differences between means and frequencies of selected socio-economic statistics of 211 cassava sellers. The study showed that 166 farmers were off-farm sellers (Market) and 50 on-farm sellers (farm gate). For empirical analysis, the constructs of tra...
This study employed the Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production
function to measure the level of technical efficiency in small-holder
cocoyam production in Anambra state, Nigeria. A multi-stage random
sampling technique was used to select 120 cocoyam farmers in the state
in 2005 and from them input-output data were obtained using the costroute...
This study was carried out in Abia State, Nigeria in 2007, to compare the output, cost and returns of Adopters and Non-adopters of some selected farm technologies. Data was collected from the respondents (120) Adopters and (120) Non-adopters) using well structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, students't' test a...
The study presents the results of analysis of data collected on 120 cocoyam farmers (60 females and 60
males) across the two Agricultural blocks in Enugu North Agricultural Zone using the multi-stage
randomized sampling technique. Descriptive statistical tool (percentages) was used in analyzing farmer’s
production problems. The survey reviewed that...
Low multiplication ratio of cocoyam {Colocasia esculenta (taro) and Xanthosoma mafafa (tannia)} and
scarcity of planting materials are major constraints militating against sustainable cocoyam production. During
harvesting and processing of cocoyam, very small cormels weighing about 7.0 g (micro cormels) and less are
discarded as wastes. These ‘wast...
Lack of good storage reduces the shelf life of harvested cocoyam (Colocasia spp and Xanthosoma spp) corms
and cormels. This is a major challenge facing cocoyam farmers, processors, and marketers in Nigeria. The
National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Nigeria, which has a national mandate to research
into root and tubers crops of ec...
This study was undertaken to determine the adoption of improved cocoyam production, processing and storage technologies among small-holder cocoyam farmers in Enugu-North Agricultural Zone in Enugu state. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 120 cocoyam farmers disaggregated into 60 males and 60 female in 2008. Adoption scale a...
This study used the log linear model derived from the Cobb-Douglas functional form for explaining labour productivity of small holder cocoyam farmers in Anambra State. The study data were collected through a multi-stage random sampling technique from 120 farmers using the cost-route approach in 2005. The study found fertilizer, cocoyam setts, capit...
Low multiplication ratio of cocoyam {Colocasia esculenta (taro) and Xanthosoma mafafa (tannia)} and scarcity of planting materials are major constraints militating against sustainable cocoyam production. During harvesting and processing of cocoyam, very small cormels weighing about 7.0 g (micro cormels) and less are discarded as wastes. These ‘wast...
This study used the log linear model derived from the Cobb-Douglas functional form for explaining labour productivity of small holder cocoyam farmers in Anambra State. The study data were collected through a multi-stage random sampling technique from 120 farmers using the cost-route approach in 2005. The study found fertilizer, cocoyam setts, capit...
The results of the profitability analysis showed that the cassava/maize enterprise
combination is more profitable by returning N2.34 to every N1.00 spent when compared
to cassava enterprise (sole) and maize enterprise (sole). Farmers should be encouraged to
go into cassava/maize production since it is a highly profitable venture. The cassava and
ma...
The study employed a stochastic frontier Cobb-Douglas production function to measure Gender Efficiency of Small-Holder Cocoyam Farmers in Nsukka Agricultural Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 120 cocoyam farmers disaggregated into 60 males and 60 females in 2008. The results of the analysis sho...
This study was carried out in Abia State, Nigeria in 2007, to compare the output, cost and returns of Adopters and Non-adopters of some selected farm technologies. Data was collected from the respondents (120) Adopters and (120) Non-adopters) using well structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, students‘t’ test a...
Lack of good storage reduces the shelf life of harvested cocoyam (Colocasia spp and Xanthosoma spp) corms and cormels. This is a major challenge facing cocoyam farmers, processors, and marketers in Nigeria. The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Nigeria, which has a national mandate to research into root and tubers crops of ec...
Governance indicators are now widely used as tools for conducting development dialogue, allocating external assistance and influencing foreign direct investment. This paper argues that available governance indicators are not suitable for these purposes as they do not conceptualize governance and fail to capture how citizens perceive the governance...