FACTORS MOTIVATING WOMEN CHEESE PRODUCERS IN KWARA STATE

Abstract

Cheese production is an income generating opportunity in the agricultural industry that could employ the teeming youths in the populace. The study was carried out in Asa Local Government area of Kwara State where a total of eighty-eight women from five cheese organisations were interviewed. The findings revealed that most (78.8%) of the women were young and had no formal education (67.0%). The motivating factors identified in the study were interest in the business, profit from the business, friends appeal and extension agents recommendation. The constraints to cheese production were the issue of unsold products, shortage of funds, poor communication by extension agents. The study therefore recommended that there should be proper enlightenment of graduates in institutions around the area on the opportunities available in cheese production and also training of the producers to move them from the crude way of production to more healthy and acceptable techniques available in developed countries.