The Social and Economical Factors Influence the Use of Cassava for Improving Livelihood in Central African Republic

Cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a traditional crop in the food systems in Central African Republic. The objective of this study was to determine the socio-economic and institutional factors that influence the choice of smallholders for use different accessions of Cassava. In total 82 accessions were reported in surveyed sites. In Sibut, more accessions were collected (32 accessions or 39.0%) followed by Yaloke (30 accessions or 36.6%) and (Pissa 20 accessions or 24.4%). The Ancestral Accessions (AA) is the most representative with 39.02%, followed by Accessions Origin Unknown (AOI) with 35.36%. The largest proportion of Cassava planting is the bitter accessions (74, 40%). There are short cycle accessions that are harvested within 10 months (6%); accessions to normal or average cycle can be harvested between 12 to 18 months (49%) and the longest cycle accessions that can be harvested for 2 years and over (45%). The Cassava cycle is one of parts of the selection criteria those producers despite for other selection factors. Farmers’ perception of accessions varied depending on the food habits and the cassava production objective. Some selection criteria considered to be important by farmers at one site were not necessarily important at another site.