ASSESSMENT OF CONSTRAINTS TO COCOYAM CONSUMPTION IN SELECTED COMMUNITIES OF ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

The study assessed constraints to cocoyam consumption in selected communities in Enugu State, Nigeria. A total of 80 cocoyam consumers were interviewed for the purpose of eliciting information. Cocoyam consumers were of low economic status with a greater proportion (38.7%) of them earning between #0.00 to #9,999.00 per month. About 63.0% of the respondent consumed 6 ? 10 kg of cocoyam chips (Achicha) while 11 ? 15 kg and 16 ? 20 kg were consumed by 6.3% and 2.5% of the respondents, respectively. Only about 5% and 1.2% of the respondents made use of 1 ? 5kg and 6 ? 10kg of cocoyam flour respectively per month. In the communities, respondents expressed both positive and negative attitudes towards cocoyam but more of positive attitude than negative attitude. The major constraints to consumption of cocoyam are traceable to scarcity of the products which are caused among other factors by low research interest to boost production and increase disease outbreaks as a result of climate change. Some strategies suggested that could promote consumption of cocoyam were improving the storability of cocoyam to ensure its availability ( = 3.67) and subsidizing the production of cocoyam ( = 3.64). The study concluded among other things that cocoyam was culturally accepted and not regarded as poor man’s food in the communities.