Farmers’ Awareness and Readiness for Black Plum (Vitex doniana) Seed Value Addition in Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Vitex doniana, commonly referred to as black plum, is a tree species widespread throughout the forest and savanna zones of Nigeria, but poorly formalized in Edo State, where it grows naturally and as crops of little significance. The fleshy fruit pulp is edible and sometimes used for syrup and juice, while the seed, although documented to contain oil, protein and minerals, is largely discarded. The study examined farmers’ awareness and preparedness for value addition of black plum seed in Edo State. One hundred and eighty farmers from seven Local Government Areas were sampled using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, chi square tests and Pearson correlation were used to analyse the data. Less than half (45.6 per cent) of respondents were aware of the seed’s value addition potential; awareness was significantly related to contact with agricultural extension services and level of formal education. Based on five indicators of adoption capacity, a composite readiness index showed that the majority of farmers were in the low readiness category (64.4 per cent), with none in the high readiness category. The most common constraints were inadequate processing technology and equipment, insufficient awareness or training, and limited capital or credit access. A significant correlation existed between awareness level and readiness category. The study calls for extension programmes focused on black plum seed value addition and recommends training farmers in seed processing techniques and support for small scale processing machines to unlock its value addition potential in Edo State.