ADOPTION OF PURDUE IMPROVED CROP STORAGE BAGS (PICS) AMONG COWPEA SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN YAURI AGRICULTURAL ZONE, KEBBI STATE NIGERIA

This study assessed the adoption of Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) technology
among cowpea farmers in the Yauri Agricultural Zone of Kebbi State, Nigeria. It described
the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, assessed their awareness of PICS
technology, determine the extent of adoption, evaluate benefits derived, and identify
constraints associated with PICS usage. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select
300 cowpea farmers. Results showed that most respondents (76.0%) were male and aged
between 21 and 60 years. More than half (53.3%) relied on personal savings as their main
farming capital, while 47.0% used storage bags from previous harvests. Family size was
large, with 28.0% having 16–20 members, and 35.0% had 11–15 years of cowpea farming
experience. The majority (66.7%) cited insect pest prevention as the main benefit of using
PICS bags, and 76.7% were fully aware of the technology. The research work concluded
that Purdue improved cowpea storage technology was highly adopted with better
improvement on cowpea storage quality and increased in cash inflow among cowpea farmers
in the study area. Improving adoption of PICS technology in Yauri Agricultural Zone has
strong potential to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance profitability, and contribute to rural
livelihood improvement. Sustainable scaling will require coordinated efforts among
government agencies, extension institutions, private manufacturers, and farming
communities.