Abstract

Cocoyam is a nutritious food crop which is consumed in different parts of Nigeria. Its importance in the food systems of many communities in Nigeria, particularly among the Igbo people is based on its nutritive value and its relative ease in cultivation. Studies on the crop focused more on production and marketing without examining consumer behaviour. Although, an understanding of the determinants of the consumption of various processed forms as well as volume consumed by households is important information for policy makers, this has scarcely been examined in Nigeria. Understanding the socio-economic dynamics that make consumers choose one form of the product and not another is crucial for ensuring the food security of the poor. This study therefore examined the factors that influenced consumption of processed cocoyam and the volume consumed. For the study, multistage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Data collected was analyzed using multiple linear regression and multinomial logistic regression. The results show that income allocated for cocoyam consumption, hectares of cocoyam cultivated, number of times cocoyam is consumed, distance from home to market and household size are important determinants of volume of cocoyam consumed by households, while, household size, quantity of cocoyam consumed by households, farming experience, age, marital status and income spent on cocoyam are important determinants of consumption of processed cocoyam. 

Key words: Consumer behaviour, household, processed cocoyam, food security.