ASSESSMENT OF VARIETY PREFERENCE AMONG TOMATO FARMERS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Despite the great potential for the production of tomatoes in southwest Nigeria, the region still depends largely on the north for the supply of tomatoes. This is in spite of the introduction of varieties that adapt well to different environmental conditions. The study examined the knowledge level on tomato varieties, assessed the importance and satisfaction attached to each varietal attribute and identified the most preferred cultivar. Purposive and random sampling techniques produced 205 respondents on whom an interview schedule was administered. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation were used to analyze the data. The majority of the respondents were males with a formal education, according to the study's findings. The mean age, years of farming experience, farm sizes and number of extension contacts were 47 years, 17 years, 3.24 acres and three times, respectively. The farmers’ most preferred tomato varieties were Plum (Roma VF) and Grape. The result also shows that attributes that increase the yield and income of the farmers were accorded higher priority. The result further revealed that, at p<0.05, the number of years spent in school, number of extension contacts, farm size, years of experience in tomato farming, years of membership in tomato farmers’ associations and annual income had significant relationships with the farmers’ variety preference. The study concluded that the most preferred tomato varieties in Oyo State, Nigeria, were Plum and Grape. It is therefore recommended that plant breeders and other researchers involved in tomato growing should work to enhance the least preferred varieties. Also, tomato breeders should take note of the varietal attributes that farmers considered most important for their production.