Journal of Agricultural Extension

Sex-Based Constraints in Accessing Agricultural Resources in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

2024-06-12T05:57:20+01:00

The study evaluated gender-based constraints in accessing agricultural resources in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design and a multi-stage random sampling procedure were used in selecting 120 respondents. Data were analyzed using percentages, mean means, and regression analysis. Male respondents faced constraints such as lack of collateral (x? = 2.62), inadequate finance (x? = 2.60), unfavorable government policies (x? = 2.80), and lack of access to credit (3.08). Female respondents encountered constraints such as lack of collateral (x? = 2.82), land tenure system (x? = 3.00), inadequate finance (x? = 3.20), discriminatory social norms (x? = 3.22), and lack of access to credit (x? = 3.14). Males exhibited high accessibility to information (x? = 3.52), labor (x? = 2.94), land (x? = 3.80), agrochemicals (x? = 3.36), improved cuttings/seedlings (x? = 3.40), and credit (x? = 3.80), while females demonstrated high accessibility to information (x? = 3.26), labor (x? = 4.00), agrochemicals (x? = 2.80), and improved cuttings/seedlings (x? = 3.28). The study concluded that gender-based discrimination exists in resource access and recommended interventions by government, NGOs, and community leaders to address social norms, tenures, and barriers, promoting equal access and control over agricultural resources for both genders.

Perceptions of Poultry Farmers on the Use of Growth Enhancers in Poultry Production in Rivers State, Nigeria

2024-06-05T06:16:29+01:00

Proper feeding of domesticated animals is necessary in other to meet the nutritional needs of a growing human population. The study examined the perceptions of poultry farmers on the use of growth enhancers in poultry production in Rivers State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to select 120 farmers from each group of the twenty (20) poultry farmers groups in the FADAMA and RIV CARE projects in Rivers State. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using percentage and mean scores. Results revealed that farmers (90.0%) were aware of the use of growth enhancers and pelleting additives (64.1%), feeding enzymes 64.1%, and antibiotics (51.3%) were the major growth enhancers used by poultry farmers. The perceptions of poultry farmers on the use of growth enhancers in poultry production were improved growth (x?=3.83), better nutrient utilization (x?=3.44), higher production yield (x? =3.32), consumer preference for organic products (x?=3.35), safety and quality concerns (x? =3.05), antibiotic resistance (x? =2.92) amongst others. The study concluded that for an increase in the use of growth enhancers in poultry production, there is need for stakeholders in poultry production to empower farmers with the knowledge needed to harness the potentials of feed enhancers.

Sweet Potato Processing Capabilities among Households in Delta Central Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria

2024-06-05T06:22:25+01:00

The study examined the sweet potato processing capabilities among households in the Delta central agricultural zone in Delta State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 120 households for the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using percentages. Results show that the majority of the households were capable of: sorting sweet potato based on size, shape, and quality (94.2%), peeling of sweet potato using hands and knives (94.2%), and processing sweet potatoes into confectionaries (94.2%). However, the households had low capabilities in the processing of sweet potatoes into starch (34.2%), peeling sweet potatoes using machines (18.3%), and processing sweet potatoes into sparri (15%). The major factors limiting the sweet potato processing capabilities of households were: poor monitoring of government structural programmes (65%), inadequate access to market chain (59.2%), poor sensitization of farmers on the appropriate methods of processing sweet potato (58.3%). The study concluded that households had low capabilities on some sweet potato processing techniques and recommended that stakeholders in the sweet potato value chain should empower households, especially youths on sweet potato value additions and machineries used in sweet potato processing while linking them with available markets to sell their processed products.

Capabilities of Rice Processors: Issues for Competitiveness of Rice in Enugu State, Nigeria

2024-07-13T06:07:00+01:00

The study was conducted to assess the technological capability of processors in Enugu State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting 120 respondents across two communities in two local government of agricultural zones selected. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the data collected. Findings showed that 88.3% parboilers were aware of maintaining hygienic conditions and 58.3% practice. While 100.0% know that they should wash/dewater paddy till wash water is colourless, but only 33.3% practiced. The majority (80.0%)of miller know that operational cost is reduced by ensuring that paddy is at 1%impurity rate but only 20.0% practiced. Only 15% millers owned de-stoning machine and offered the service. A minority (31.7%) of millers package milled rice while only 1.7% practiced size sorting, buffering and polishing of milled rice. This implied that rice processing in Enugu State is at primary processing of parboiling, drying, milling and bagging. Revealing the need or training and capacity building on value addition processing such as de-stoning, size sorting, polishing, and buffering which will place domestic rice at par with foreign rice. The reasons for the high disparity between knowledge and practice is a gap for extension workers to explore and address.

Determinants of Youth Participation in Rice Cultivation in South-Eastern Nigeria

2024-07-31T05:18:14+01:00

The study assessed youth participation in rice cultivation in South Eastern Nigeria. It ascertained the rice varieties cultivated by the youth, determined the extent of utilization of rice cultivation technologies, described respondents' challenges in rice cultivation, examined the determinants of youth participation in rice cultivation and determinants of the extent of utilization of improved rice cultivation technologies. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting 312 respondents for the study. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analysed using mean scores, percentages, and regression analysis. The respondents cultivated FARO 44 (84.6%), practiced early planting (2.9), and cultivated improved varieties (2.7) as utilised rice improved technologies. The major challenges of youth participation in rice cultivation were inadequate agricultural credit (89.4%) and poor access to improved seeds (86.7%) among others. Age (?=-0.214), education (?=0.212), and access to credit (?=-0.4311) were the determinants of youth participation while internet access (?=1.271), access to extension services (?=2.144) and hours spent on the internet (?=2.142) determined their extent of utilization of technologies. Socio-economic factors and the challenges faced influenced youth participation in rice cultivation. The government and nongovernmental agencies should increase youth access to agricultural digital tools, improve seeds and internet penetration in rural areas

Farmers’ Management Practices of Potato Bacterial Wilt and Its Implications in Disease Prevalence in Kenya

2024-08-12T04:45:12+01:00

The widespread occurrence of potato bacterial wilt significantly contributes to the reduced potato yields in Kenya. Implementing effective management strategies for this disease usually necessitates understanding the knowledge and practices of farmers regarding potato bacterial wilt. To gain insights into farmers' knowledge and practices in managing bacterial wilt and to outline feasible intervention strategies, a survey was conducted involving 136 randomly selected farmers from four key potato-growing counties in Kenya between April and June 2019. The results indicate that farmers mainly identified potato bacterial wilt through visual indicators like plant wilting (53.7%) and tuber rot (30.9%). It was also noted that 59.6% of farmers believed the disease to be seed-borne, however, only 5.9% used certified seeds and 35.3% left rotting tubers in the field. This suggests a gap in farmers' understanding of the link between infection and disease control. Potato breeders should consider marketability traits alongside pest and disease resistance when developing new varieties. Education on diagnosis, epidemiology, and management of bacterial wilt is also needed.

Proficiency for Digital Extension Service Delivery among Public Agricultural Extension Personnel in Imo State, Nigeria

2024-11-07T16:16:47+01:00

The study examined proficiency for digital extension services delivery among public extension personnel in Imo State, Nigeria. A sample of 120 extension personnel selected from the Imo State ADP using multistage sampling procedure participated in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean and percentages. Results showed that the extension personnel gained digital awareness from various sources. It was also found that 44.0% of the personnel were at the foundation level while 41.0% were at the intermediate level of information, data and media literacy skills, 53.0% were at the foundation level of digital communication and collaboration skills while 42.0% were at the intermediate level in digital innovation and content creation skills. Furthermore, 81.0% of the personnel were at the intermediate level in digital safety skills, 53.3% were at the foundation level in digital problem-solving and 51.0% were at the foundation level in digital learning and development. The study concluded that the personnel were proficient at digital extension services delivery however, their proficiency was still at the foundation level. The study recommended that capacity building programmes should be organized by the extension organization to raise the proficiency level of their personnel

Small-Scale Farmers’ Uptake of Eco-Friendly Vegetable Production Practices in Enugu State, Nigeria.

2024-09-20T17:13:29+01:00

The rising demand for sustainable agriculture is driving a global shift toward eco-friendly vegetable production methods that prioritise human health and environmental protection Vegetables. however, the level of uptake of eco-friendly practices and their drivers are poorly understood, which prompts the current study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 300 randomly selected vegetable farmers in Enugu State. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results show that standard eco-friendly practices adopted by vegetable farmers included minimum/no tillage (87.0%), intercropping (64.0%), reduction of chemical inputs (64.0%), agroforestry (46%), and organic farming (33%). Most (71%) farmers were medium-level adopters of eco-friendly practices. The primary constraints to the uptake of eco-friendly practices included limited access to resources (????? =4.50), limited technical knowledge (????? =4.04) and lack of support from research and extension services (????? =4.03). Education (p<0.1), farm size (p<0.05), farming experience (p<0.05), consumer demand (p<0.05), and access to credit (p<0.05) were the socioeconomic and institutional factors that influenced the level of adoption of eco-friendly vegetable production practices. To accelerate the transition to sustainable farming, the study recommends innovative solutions such as tailored farmer education programs, microfinance initiatives, government subsidies, and robust research-extension linkages.

Sex of Household Heads and Attitude Towards Home Gardening in Southwest, Nigeria

2024-11-05T15:46:28+01:00

This study investigates gender differences and household attitude towards home garden in urban Nigeria. We used a cross-sectional sex-disaggregated survey data collected from a random sample of 480 households. We used attitudinal scale to measure household attitude towards the importance and benefits of home garden by gender and teacher made test to categorize their knowledge level of home garden. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data analysis. Results show that male households generally hold a more positive attitude towards home gardening compared to their female counterparts in the study area. Findings highlight a significant difference between male and female households in their levels of knowledge about home gardening, with females exhibiting higher levels of knowledge compared to males. Major constraints reported by households in home garden production include damage from pests, diseases, animals, and theft (male: 1.98±0.63; female: 1.96±0.61) and limited access to agricultural inputs such as seeds, tools, and capital (male: (1.94±0.77; female: 2.00±0.75). Tackling these identified constraints could contribute to improving household perceptions of home gardening, reducing gender disparities in attitudes, and enhancing food security outcomes.

Adoption and Challenges of Zero-Carbon Energy among Rural Smallholder Farmers in Southeast Nigeria

2024-10-20T12:22:13+01:00

This study investigated the awareness, adoption, energy productivity and challenges of zero-carbon energy (ZCE) among rural smallholder farmers in southeast Nigeria. A Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 378 respondents. Data were analyzed using percentages, mean, ranking statistics, and a single-factor productivity model. Findings showed that the majority (97.4%) of the respondents were aware that ZCE could be used for farming activities, 15.0% knew about wind power, 6.0% were aware of hydropower, and 2.7% were not aware of any types of ZCE. Also, 90% of the farmers were aware of the major benefits of ZCE. Only 28.6% adopted the use of ZCE, while photovoltaic solar energy was the only type of ZCE adopted by the users. The major farming activities powered by ZCE, according to the adopters, were the lighting of the farmhouses (89.8%) and water supply (15.7%). The energy productivity of ZCE (4.1%) was higher than fossil fuel (1.8%). The high-ranking challenges of ZCE adoption among the farmers were the high installation cost (82.0%) and lack of credit/ subsidy for ZCE (77.0%). This study recommends that extension officers should do more to educate farmers to use the ZCE options since they have higher energy productivity than fossil fuels.

Comparison of Rice Yield among Farmer's Fertilizer Practices

2025-01-06T10:56:07+01:00

The study examined rice farmers’ fertiliser purchasing behaviour and the impact of various fertiliser regimes on rice growth, yield, and grain nutrient content. Additionally, a field experiment using a randomised complete block design tested four treatments: no fertilizer (control), NPK20:10:10 (farmer’s practice), NPK20:10:10 + Single Superphosphate (SSP), and Urea + SSP. Results showed that while Urea + SSP improved growth metrics, NPK20:10:10+SSP achieved the highest grain yield (81 kg/plot) and 1000-seed weight (24.67 g), alongside elevated levels of iron and zinc, addressing both yield gaps and hidden hunger. These findings highlight the potential of phosphorus-enriched fertilizers to enhance productivity and nutritional outcomes in smallholder systems. The study underscores the importance of tailored, balanced fertilizer recommendations and sustainable interventions to address food security and malnutrition in Nigeria. Future research should explore these practices' scalability and long-term effects in diverse agrarian contexts.

Socioeconomic Determinants of Agricultural Extension Needs among Yam Farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

2024-07-29T11:53:39+01:00

This study assessed the socioeconomic determinants of agricultural extension needs among yam farmers in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure involving both purposive and random selection was used to select 295 farmers for the study. Data were obtained with the aid of a questionnaire and analyzed using percentages and Multiple Linear Regression Model. Findings of the study revealed that the major extension needs of the farmers included information on time of planting (90.17%), spacing of tubers (98.64%), pests and diseases control (94.58%), how to source for credit (96.95%) and method of weed control (95.25%). The study also found that sex, education, extension contact, and access to credit were significantly and positively related to agricultural extension needs of the yam farmers. Additionally, age, farm size, and annual income were all significantly related to agricultural extension needs of the farmers. The study recommends targeting extension services to specific groups of yam farmers based on their socioeconomic characteristics, providing training and education on recommended yam production practices, and improving access to credit facilities.

Keywords: Socio-economic, Determinants, Agricultural Extension Needs, Yam Farmers, Nigeria