International Journal of Agricultural Science Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems
Volume:12 Issue: 2, Jun 2022

This study ascertained access and usefulness of agricultural information among poultry farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria. A total of Ninety poultry farmers were selected using multistage sampling technique and data were collected through a structured interview schedule. Findings revealed that both male and female poultry farmers got information on poultry production from multiple sources. Internet was the most accessible platform for sourcing information on poultry production by farmers. Results also revealed that the outbreak of disease and prevention, management of vaccine failure and poultry feed were the most frequently sourced information. Furthermore, results indicated that male poultry farmers considered information from veterinary personnel (M = 4.2) as most useful, while female poultry farmers rated information from internet (M = 5.0) most useful than others. Some of the major constraints to access and usefulness of agricultural information by male poultry farmers were poor internet access (M = 0.813) and poor access/irregular extension visit (M = 0.812) while cost of acquiring communication facilities (M = 0.800), lack of awareness (M = 0.779) and inadequate fund (M = 0.594) were major constraints to access and usefulness of information by female poultry farmers. Thus, government, policy makers, NGOs and related organizations should train many extension agents to dissemination agricultural information since multiple sources of information can lead to contradiction, confusion and information distortion. Also, government should ensure that internet network is made available to farmers in different communities to enable them have access to information using internet services.

AbstractThis study examined the value chain of catfish products in Ibadan metropolis. The data used was from a primary origin. The instrument of data collection was structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Purposive sampling method using snowball technique was employed to select 50 catfish farmers and 50 catfish marketers in the study area. While random sampling technique was engaged for selection of 100 catfish consumers.more over, descriptive statistics, profitability and value chain analysis techniques were used to analyse the data collected. The findings revealed that majority of the actors in the catfish value chain were relatively young adults with moderate household size and having higher level of education. The catfish farmers should be induced with productive resources to harness their potentials. Also, catfish experts should collaborate and work on local feed materials to reduce the cost of catfish feeds and catfish marketing cooperative or self-help groups should be developed to stimulate consumption

This study examined the determinants of frequency of cellphone applications’ usage among farmers in North-West Nigeria using Negative Binomial Regression Model (NBRM). Using ex-post-facto research design, multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 385 respondents from ADP geo-ecological zones of three agrarian states (namely Katsina, Kano and Kaduna) for the study. Thereafter, three Local Government Areas (LGAs) were randomly selected from each state and from which 5 communities were randomly selected from each of the LGAs in Katsina and Kaduna, and 10 from the most densely populated Kano state. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and summarized using frequency counts, percentages and mean. Though most frequently used mobile applications include voice call app (mean value of 1.410), SMS app (0.932 mean score) and Opera with 0.640 mean value, weighted mean values showed that all the apps were rarely being put to use by the farmers, indicating generally low frequency of usage. NBRM analysis results showed that educational attainment, knowledge, phones farmers operate well, phone as information garget, app store, social media and agencies as sources of apps positively influenced the frequency of mobile apps usage. A well guided effort through appropriate policies that would encourage the frequency of mobile phone usage by farmers for information accessing, should be put in place by major stakeholders of rural and agricultural development in the area.

The purpose of the research was identifying and analyzing of indicators and sub-indicators of innovation management in agricultural cooperatives of Khuzestan province, Iran. Causal-comparative research has been used to achieve the research objectives. In this study, the Ex-Post Facto or causal-comparative research method was used to compare the current and favorable situation of agricultural production cooperatives in accordance with the indicators of innovation management in Khuzestan province, Iran. Members of agricultural cooperatives with farming branch in Khuzestan province were 3823 people. the sample size was determined by using Krejcie and Morgan table, (n=349). The sampling method was stratified random sampling method. Statistical analysis of the research was performed using SPSS software version 22. To compare the current and favorable situation of innovation management indicators in agricultural cooperatives, Wilcoxon test was used. Based on the results, all indicators of innovation management, ie innovation creation, innovation organization, innovation planning, financing and creation of innovation facilitation infrastructure, attention to innovation application strategies, innovation research and development, innovative human resource development Dissemination of innovation, organizational developments in the direction of innovation, application of innovation and marketing of new products in the current and favorable situation with a 99% probability had significant difference.

The awareness of consumers' choice of a product is an eye-opener to guide and develop a robust policy for such an industry. This study applied the descriptive statistics and Multinomial Logit (MNL) Model to analyse consumers' behaviour in fish products. Data for this study were collected from a primary source. Results indicated that consumers’ choice among alternative fish products was influenced by income and education level of consumers. About 38%, 31% and 31% of respondents choose frozen, fresh and smoked fish, respectively as their main preferred products. The mean income was N 29929.41(USD71.49) per month with a standard deviation of N 34517.08(USD82.45). The average amount spent per day on fish consumption was N 1269.97(USD3.03) while the amount spent per day on substitutes for fish was N 1958.824 (USD 4.68). Factors that significantly influenced the consumers’ behaviour for smoked fish were age, gender, marital status, household size, fish price per day, price of fish close substitute, health status and fish quality. It is recommended that these identified factors should be incorporated into policy formation by the stakeholders for the sustainable development of the fisheries industry.

The present study seeks to evaluate the agricultural research, extension, and farmers linkages in Gezira State, Sudan. A field survey was used to collect data from50 extension agents, 50 farmers and50 researchers in Gedarif State, Sudan. The collected data were coded, fed to the computer, statistically analyzed using (SPSS), discussed, and interpreted using descriptive statistics. The results revealed weak linkages between research and farmers, between extension and farmers, and between research and extension. The used method of communication between research, extension, and farmers are workshops, training periods for extension agents, field days, and demonstrations. The Main constraints facing the linkages between research, extension, and farmers are a lack of budgets for linkage activities, weak infrastructure, transfer of extension agents, and separate administrations of research and extension organizations. From this study, it can be concluded that the weak linkages between these three agricultural pillars will lead to low adoption of new agricultural technologies and consequently lead to low income from agricultural production in the country. The study recommends that constraints facing agricultural research, extension, and farmers linkages should be solved.