ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES OF CASHEW REHABILITATION TECHNIQUES (CRTs) IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Aim: This study sought to analyze the challenges faced by cashew farmers in the adoption of cashew rehabilitation techniques (CRTs) in Osun State, Nigeria. Methods: Data was collected from primary sources using structured questionnaires. A total of eighty (80) respondents were considered, forty (40) from each of the selected local government areas. The study adopted descriptive analysis to examine the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, multinomial logistic (MNL) regression was used to evaluate the factors affecting the level of adoption of the CRTs while a Likert scale was adopted to measure the level of severity of identified constraints to CRTs adoption in the state. Results: The adoption level of coppicing is significantly affected by farm size, age of farmers and access to extension services. The adoption level of side-grafting is affected by farm size and level of education, and the level of adoption of total replanting is significantly influenced by age of farmers, age of farms and level of education. High labor costs, the high cost of agrochemicals and a labor shortage are highly severe constraints to the adoption of CRTs, while a lack of adequate knowledge and the existence of fire incidences are considered to be mildly severe constraints. Conclusions: Adoption of techniques is affected by factors such as age, education, farm size, and access to extension. Constraints to adoption include a lack of knowledge, high labor and chemical costs, labor shortage, and fire risk. Farmer education is highly encouraged to improve the technology adoption among cashew farmers in the study area.