Abstract
The study examined factors influencing the postharvest losses of yam among farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling techniques were used to select 200 respondents from four (4) Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the State. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages, and inferential statistic of the multiple regression analysis. Findings reveal that more than half (56.8%) of the respondents were the age range of 51-60 years and most (94.4%) were small scale farmers cultivating less than 5 hectares of farmland. Majority of the respondents were male and had no formal education. The study further reveals that the farmers had an average knowledge on postharvest activities in yam production. Major causes of postharvest losses in yam production were found to include over-storage, ineffective post handling of yam, high cost of transportation, lack of storage/processing facilities, theft on yam, lack of improved technology and injuries to yam. Multiple regression analysis show significant relationships between farmers’ sex, farm size, farm locations and accessibility, and post-harvest losses in yam production. The study recommends the provision of improved infrastructural facilities like good roads for easy and timely evacuation of yam produce to the urban markets and also farmers’ enlightenment on not too sophisticated post-harvest technologies to ensure massive adoption.
