Farmers’ willingness to pay for improved cassava cuttings attributes in Rugombo district, Burundi

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Date

2022

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Publisher

Sokoine University of Agriculture

Abstract

Despite cassava being both a staple food, a major source of calories, and the third most important crop after beans and bananas in Burundi, its seeds system is characterized by informal sectors and the unavailability of clean and healthy planting materials. These challenges, together with the traditional poor farming practices have attributed to low cassava productivity. Therefore, the study aimed at assessing farmers’ Willingness to Pay (WTP) for improved cassava cuttings attributes in Burundi, specifically the study assessed: i) farmers’ preferences for improved cassava cuttings attribute; ii) WTP for attributes of improved cassava cuttings and; iii) factors influencing farmers’ preferences and WTP for improved cassava cuttings attributes. Primary data were collected in Rugombo district, Cibitoke Province in Burundi where cassava is intensively grown. The study area is also among the regions most affected by Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Virus (CBSV). A systematic sampling approach was used to select 352 respondents for this study from the list of cassava farmers. The Focus Group Discussion (FGD), semi-structured questionnaire, and Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) questions were used to get cassava cutting attributes prioritized by farmers in the study area. The mixed logit model was used to assess preferences, WTP, factors influencing farmers’ preferences and WTP for improved cassava cuttings attributes. Results from FGD, semi-structured questionnaire, and BWS method show that farmers prioritized most resistance to diseases when compared to other cassava cuttings attributes which include roots yield, taste, maturity time and input price. Results from CE indicate that respondents have strong preferences for higher yield and they were willing to pay more for that attribute (BIF 70) compared to other attributes like resistance to diseases (BIF 36), sweet taste (BIF 35), and early maturity times (BIF 18). Further, the study found that preferences and WTP for improved cassava cuttings attributes are influenced by education level, land ownership status (both owned and rented land), increase in the size of cassava land, high experience in producing cassava, project beneficiaries, and distance to the market. The studyiii recommends to the Ministry of Agriculture and other development partners involved in cassava cuttings multiplication to avail and consider the preferred attributes in their interventions and actions. Keywords: Improved Cassava Cuttings Attributes, Willingness to Pay, Best-Worst Scaling, Choice Experiment, Burundi. DECLARATION

Description

Dissertation

Keywords

Improved Cassava Cuttings Attributes, Willingness-Pay, Best-Worst Scaling, Choice Experiment, Rugombo District, Burundi

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