PERCEPTION OF YOUTH TOWARD COCOYAM ENTERPRISE IN SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA

The study examined the perception of youth toward cocoyam enterprise in South eastern Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 437 respondents. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that almost all (95.0%) of the respondents were aware of the cocoyam enterprise. Most (76.9%) of the respondents used improved planting materials. The major activities engaged by the respondents in the cocoyam enterprise were application of herbicides (=2.9817), application of pesticide (=2.8947) and storage ( = 2.8741) which were ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The results also revealed that, high cost of labour, fluctuation in cocoyam prices and high cost of inputs with a mean of 2.8444, 2.8101, and 2.8078 were perceived as a substantial economic challenge, respectively. In addition, the results also depict that respondent’s perceived area inadequate labour Supply (= 2.5355), labour Intensive ( = 2.5172) and insurance for cocoyam enterprise ( = 2.4485) as a significant social factor affecting the cocoyam enterprise. Furthermore, the respondents perceived poor storage facilities ( = 2.3616), continuous poor harvest ( = 2.3936), reduced farm size ( = 2.3799), excessive rain ( = 2.3616) and excessive erosion and dwindling soil fertility ( = 2.3364) as environmental factors affecting cocoyam enterprise in the study area. The major constraints to the adoption of cocoyam enterprise were pest and disease attack, inadequate storage facilities, and inadequate access to viable markets ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. The study concluded that some social and environmental challenges like inadequate labour supply, insurance, poor storage facilities, excessive rain, and erosion were perceived to hinder effective participation in cocoyam enterprises in the study area. It is recommended that farmers receive training on pest control and access to pest-resistant cocoyam varieties, while governments invest in improved storage technologies to reduce post-harvest losses. Policies should also focus on developing market linkages, promoting cooperatives, and adopting soil conservation and irrigation practices to address environmental challenges.