EFFECT OF ADP'S CASSAVA PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES ON PRODUCTIVITY OF WOMEN FARMERS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

This research investigates how the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and its specific cassava cultivation methodologies influence the output efficiency of female cultivators in Benue State, Nigeria. Using a multi-stage sampling framework, researchers isolated a cohort of 120 participants split evenly between 60 individuals utilizing ADP frameworks and 60 operating independently. The data underwent rigorous evaluation through a suite of analytical mechanisms, encompassing descriptive statistics (means, percentages, standard deviations, and frequencies), alongside inferential methods such as total factor productivity (TFP) modeling, multiple regression frameworks, chi-square evaluations, t-tests, and the Chow test. Demographically, the average participant was 41.53 years old. A notable 60% of these women were married. Academic attainment varied, with approximately 70% of the ADP participants possessing secondary or tertiary credentials, compared to 66.66% among the independent group. The typical household comprised 8.20 members, while an identical 60% of the cohort successfully secured financial credit and identified crop cultivation as their primary livelihood. The average participant possessed 9.05 years of agrarian experience, and every single subject was integrated into a cooperative farming alliance. Both indigenous and genetically enhanced crop strains were utilized by 59% of the surveyed cultivators. Among the accessible crop variants, the TMS4(2)142 and TMS 3419 strains dominated usage rates at 57% and 60%, respectively. Output efficiency averages stood at 11.86 for the ADP cohort and 10.95 for the independent group. Regression analysis highlighted that age, plot dimensions, and cultivation history were the primary catalysts driving ADP participant output. Conversely, age and family size emerged as the core determinants of success for the independent demographic. Crucially, the Chow’s F statistic calculation demonstrated a 1% significance level, solidly confirming that ADP-driven cassava methodologies wield a tangible and meaningful impact on the overall productivity of the participating female farmers.