HOUSEHOLDS’ PREFERENCE AND USAGE OF COWPEA-BASED PRODUCTS AND VARIETIES IN WESTERN ZONE OF BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the households’ consumption preference for cowpea and its products in Western zone of Bauchi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in the selection of 210 households. Data were collected using questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression. The study revealed that majority (75.7%) of households’ highly preferred alale as cowpea-based products and used kwankwasiya cowpea variety to make kosai (52.3%), alale (87%), cowpea soup (39.5%), rice and beans (53.3%) dishes, respectively.  Furthermore, 35.7% of households prefer to consume kwankwasiya cowpea variety than other varieties. The result of the multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that, age (P<0.05), educational level (P<0.1), occupation (P<0.1), income (P<0.1), price (P<0.01), time taken to cook (P<0.1), taste (P<0.05) and weevil damage tolerance (P<0.05) were statistically significant in determining the factors influencing households’ consumption preference for cowpea varieties. The major constraints to household preference for cowpea consumption include high cost of cowpea (97.1%), insect infestation (81.4%) and abdominal discomfort (70.0%) among others. The study concluded that households’ highly preferred alale as cowpea-based products and used kwankwasiya cowpea variety to make different dishes. The study recommended that effort should be made by stakeholders and breeding institutions to create policies that would be favourable to control the menace of price fluctuations of cowpeas and cowpea farmers should divert more resources to the production of kwankwasiya cowpea variety so that they can meet consumer demand and increase their level of income.