Skill Needs of Rural Farmers’ in Cassava Production and Marketing for Home Making in Ebonyi State

The study focused on skills for rural cassava farmers in food production and marketing for home marking in Ebonyi State. The design of the study is descriptive survey design. The population for the study was 403, while, the sample size is 195. Four objectives and four research questions guided the study. Instrument used for the study was structured questionnaire. Cronbach alpha reliability method was used to test the internal consistency of the instrument, which yield 0.86. The data collected was analyzed using mean with standard deviation. The findings of the study reveals that rural cassava farmers need skills for suitable land/soil for cassava cultivation, need skills for quality cassava stem. Need skills for sourcing out finance for farm operations and need skills for uprooting cassava tubers and marketing the tuber to the consumers. Based on the findings, it was recommended that rural cassava farmers should be assisted in financing farm work by government and non-governmental organizations.

firewood. When dead. Its leaves are used as vegetables. Its root is eaten, as food, cassava tuber is used in production of hydrogen cyainide, flour, tapiocas, garri, laudry starch, fufu, (pounded food) alcoholic beverages): Cassava tubers are used in chemical industries for production of crylate plastics, resins and cyclic acid, (Ede, 2014). European training foundation ETF, (2019) stress that production and its skill are prominent, However, since cassava is the substitute to wheat for production of bread baking, it, need to be produced in large quantity for demostic industries to use in Nigeria and to ensure food security for nation building. Ebonyi State is one of the food basket and salt of the nation, which, their farmers, need skills for rural cassava farmers, to produce more food for income generation, export; consumption, among others, which is a welcome development and should be given serious attention it deserve. Therefore, the worries of the researchers is to identify the skills needed for rural cassava farmers for production of the food crop to meet its demand within and outside the country. Abubakar, (2015) maintains that it is necessary to emphasis, that marketing of cassava (food, items) provide a means of livehood for many families as sources of income (cash) and substantial food item kushni (2008), stress that income is the monetary gain, one makes from transaction or sells of goods and services. Income generation is the deliberate means of making money from a business, such as purchase of house hold food items, purchase of land, among others. It give an added value over other sources of food item. Marketing of food, item are lucurative in cassava products such as garri, floor, fufu, tapioca among others, which has no constraint in processing, storage, distributing and no tax is attached to it among others. Alius, (2017) stress that the marketing of cassava food items is an open window opportunity for all and sundry to cash in economy at the time families are looking for food and sources of income. Therefore, the high demand for food, items, and need to balance the Nigerian Sources of income necessitated the need to identify the skills needed for rural cassava farmers to produce more food for family survival, export, increase demostic industries among others. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to determine the skills needs of rural cassava farmer in food production and marketing for home making in Ebonyi State, specifically, the study identified theskills for i. Selecting land/soil suitable for cultivation of cassava.
ii. Selecting quality cassava stem for planting. iii. Skills for sourcing out finance cassava. iv. Uprooting cassava tuber for marketing.

Methodology
Area of the Study: The design of the study is descriptive survey research design. Population of the Study: The population for the study is 403 comprising 393 (registered rural cassava farmers and ten (10) extension agents (statistical digest 2018) in the ministry of agriculture, in Ebonyi State, Agricultural Development Programme (ESADP). Sample for the Study: The Sample size is 195 drawn from the population, using random sampling techniques, by balloting and replacement from four (4) local government Area, out of 13 Local Government Area and four (4) communities within the Local Government Area in Ebonyi State. Instrument for Data Collection: The instrument used for data collection was structured questionnaire. The instrument was validated by three experts, two experts from department of technology and vocational education (Agric Education unit) and one in Department of science Education (measurement and Evaluation all in faculty of Education of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki for content and face validity respectively, corrections and observation made by the validate were used to produce the final questionnaire.

Method of Data Collection:
The researcher administered 195 instrument as an on spot distribution and collected with the help of two research assistants and retrieved 159, which is 100% return. Method of Data Analysis: The data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. A bench mark of 2.50 and above is needed. While below mean score bench mark of 2.50 is not needed.

Results:
The results of study were obtained from the research questions answered from the data collected and analyzed.  Select stem that resist disease attack 3.20 0.38 Needed All the item statement from 1-9 are the needed skills for selecting suitable cassava stem for planting as indicated by the respondents. Leasing some part of their land to other farmers and get money to finance farm activities 3.50 0.46 Needed All the item statement form 1-8 were needed skills for sourcing out finance for cassava production as indicated by the respondents Table IV: Means response of respondent's skills for uprooting, processing and marketing tubers for farm finance.

Discussion of Finding
The findings of the study in table I reveals that all the item statement (1-13) were needed by the respondents as correct skills in selecting suitable land for cassava production. This implies that land suitable for cassava production can easily be located by farmers. Since, they are varieties of land for cultivating cassava. This study in line with study of Ogba, (2014) who stress that skills, for selecting suitable land for cassava production is very crucial. Since, land is the medium for cassava growth like other plants for optimal production. The finding of this study is also in line with Kakkad (2013) who stressed, the, need for such soft skills in production capacity for selfreliance, economic generation and nation building. He viewed skills as the engine in planning for any country's development venture in technology. The findings of this study is also in line with the UNSCO (2005) who stress that skills in youth education and Adult is for economic and social policy in employment, and productivity, which gives away to poverty. The skills in cassava production to the rural farmers will go along the ways in creating job for adult and youth that are not doing anything for developing economic value, to himself and others. The findings in table two reveals that all the nine item statements were needed by the respondents as skills required in selecting cassava stem for production to ensure maximum yield. This findings are in agreement with the study of Oyetunde (2013) who maintains that farmers in Nigeria have not taken cognizance of the decrease in cassava yield over the time, because of varieties of cassava stem and Nutrient loses. That cassava requires good stem varieties for better yield after cultivation by the farmers. The findings of this study is in line with study of Ajibola (2014) who find out that selection strategy is very important in crop variety that yield well and a serious skill in production ventures. He maintain the farmers who possess such skills are bound to select good quality varieties best for-consumption and massive production of the food items. The findings of the study in table three (3) reveals that all the item statement 1-8 are in agreement, as the needed skills for sourcing out financing for cassava production. This study is in line with study of Ogba (2015) and Abua (2015) who maintains that no attention is given to cassava farmers in terms of farm financing to ensure better means of farm sponsorship for high productivity in Nigeria. The findings of this study is also in line with the study of Abubakar who stress that sources of income, as, input to the production process is an essential factors which justify the extent to which the production level, can achieve for himself and others (consumption and export). The finding of the study in table four reveals that all the item statement are in agreement with the respondents as the skills for uprooting cassava tubers and marketing the tubers to consumers. It implies that cassava tuber depends on what the consumer want to use them for, as the products in question like garri, tapioca, powder flour and fermented (fufu) among other. Abua (2015), stress that all the food items generate income. This is also in line with the study Kusirini (2008) who stress that sells of all the cassava products are lucrative and has no problem in marketing them. The findings of study is in line Aliu, S, (2017) who manutains that processing and marketing of Agricultural products start from farmers gate to finished products for distributing, storage, and sales to consumers in retails and wholesales as packaged, graded and ungrated using different price index for each measures in the market.

Conclusion
The study identify the skills needed in cassava production and marketing of its products in Ebonyi State in the South Eastern Nigeria. Based on the responses of the respondents and the result of the Analysis. The study established empirically forty five cardiac skills that farmers on cassava production will feed the teaming population, that, need them and generate income for individual, groups and government in Ebonyi State, Nigeria in general, for export, consumption for demostic industries among others.

Recommendation
1. The farmers should join hands as cooperative to financially produce more cassava food items. 2. The land allocation committee in the state, make Agricultural land in the farm settlement areas available for those who want to participate in the food production to utilize 3. That Agricultural sub-sidy in terms of fertilizers, should be given to the farmer, to boost food production and farmers need to organize themselves before the rainfall to ensure different period of cassava farming.