Adoption level on Organic Farming Practices by Fluted Pumpkin Vegetable Farmers in Enugu State, Nigeria

The study investigated the adoption level of organic farming practices among fluted pumpkin vegetable farmers in Enugu state, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 84 fluted pumpkin farmers, and data was collected through structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and presented in mean, percentages and frequency distributions. Findings indicated that majority (65.5%) of fluted pumpkin farmers regularly acquire information about organic practices through fellow farmers. Approximately 70.2% and 61.9% of the respondents noted that the use of animal manure and farmyard manure were the organic farming practices mostly disseminated in the zone. Among the different organic farming practices examined, only the use of animal manure (M=3.94; SD=1.302) was adopted. Poor storage of organic material (M=3.01; SD=0.768), low yield (M=2.76; SD=1.082), little/no policy (M= 2.74), inadequate information (M=2.70) among others, were the major challenges militating against the adoption of organic farming practices among farmers. Results also revealed that promoting government policy that supports organic farming (M=1.58; SD=.564), increasing extension service deliveries on organic farming (M=1.55; SD=.589) and establishing organic producing companies to supply adequate inputs (M=1.48) among others, were the major strategies suggested by farmers that will help in improving the adoption of organic farming on vegetable production. Therefore, government, through the ministry of agriculture, should train extension agents on organic farming practices to enable them have required capability to enlighten fluted pumpkin and other vegetables farmers. Also, government should bring up policies that would promote production, marketing and consumption of organically produced vegetables.