Traits preferences heterogeneity and biofortified cassava varietal adoption among farming households in Southwest, Nigeria

Promoting improved crop varietal adoption will prevent a waste of scarce resources deployed to breeding programs for sustained agricultural development in Nigeria. Using household-level survey data, this study aimed to identify farmers' trait preferences and their influence on the adoption of cassava varieties in Southwest, Nigeria. Specifically, it profiled the preferences based on the perspectives of the cassava farming households and determined the factors that influenced the rate and intensity of adoption. The results are in two folds: First, for reasons bordering on the realization of cassava farming households' sustenance and economic goals, early maturing and bigger root size were given preferences among others. Second, education of household head, farm size, extension contacts, and market-related traits were the major drivers of adoption and intensity of adoption of biofortified cassava varieties. Thus, poor market demand was key to the low adoption of biofortified cassava varieties. We suggest that crop development efforts should be tailored to address farmers' concerns. This will undoubtedly increase the adoption rate and also lower the advocacy cost.