International Journal of Agricultural Science Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems
Volume:6 Issue: 1, Jun 2016

The study analyzed factors that motivate agricultural extension agents in Agricultural Development Programme of Abia State. Primary data were collected from 96 extension agents in Abia State, Nigeria who were selected using multi-stage random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean score, ordered logit and Spearman rank correlation. It was revealed that 58.3% of the extension agents were in medium motivation level. Result of the ordered logit regression revealed that salary, work incentive, job security and allowance exerted positive significant influence on extension agents’ motivation level, while work load exerted a negative significant influence. The Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed that level of motivation of extension agents was positively correlated with their age and education level but negatively correlated with their home distance from work location at p˂0.01. Constraints faced by majority of the extension agents were delay/infrequent payment of salary (84.34%), poor linkage between research centres and extension organizations (78.12%), illiteracy among farmers (72.92%), inadequate funding (72.92%) and inadequate equipment/tools (71.88%). It was recommended that the management board of extension agencies in Abia State in collaboration with the state government should design appropriate incentive mechanism for extra working hours and weekend tasks of extension agents and also create a system whereby excellent job performance by extension agents could be rewarded and motivated. These will attract, retain and motivate extension agents to better performance.

This study was conducted to reveal the impact of rural-urban migration on broiler production in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 795 household heads and farmers/managers/supervisors of 25 selected broiler farms in the study area. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis was utilized to analyze the data. Able bodied young men constituted most of the rural-urban migrants. All the broiler farmers visited except 5 experienced labour shortage. Consequent upon labour shortage, most of the farms could not stock birds up to full capacity of their pens. This translated into foregone revenue for the poultry farms. Rural-urban migration significantly and positively correlated with shortage of labour, under stocking and foregone revenue. It was recommended that the States governments in the Niger Delta Region should embark on infrastructural development for the rural areas and encourage farmers to adopt mechanized/automated poultry farming operations in collaboration with donor agencies so as to make provision for lost labour in the broiler farming.

This study was on the analysis of livestock waste management practices among rural farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select the 60 respondents for the study. Primary data used the study were collected using well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistical tools such as frequency counts, percentages, means, and multinomial logit regression were used in data analysis. Result showed that the mean age of the livestock farmers was 34.3 years and the average household size was 6 persons per household. The average years of educational attainment was 9 years and the livestock farmers have on the average spent 8 years in the business. The average distance to livestock farm from residential dwelling was 0.4km. The average number of livestock reared was 111, while the average monthly expenditure on water was N1470.80. The average cost of waste management per month was N2195.80 and the average monthly net return from the livestock business was N27400. The significant determinants of use of waste management systems were distance from livestock farms to residential quarters, number of livestock reared, frequency of visitation of livestock sanitation officers, number of farm labour, and the quantity of faecal material generated. The major benefits from livestock waste management were environmental sustainability, reduced cost of fertilizer, increased in income, reduced cost of agrochemicals, reduced incidence of pests, increased productivity, and biogas production. Strict enforcement by supervisory agencies of the existing sanitation/health policies aimed at environmental preservation and protection was recommended so as to ensure environmental sustainability.

The purpose of this research was socioeconomicanalysis of farms using primary data in two villages of Mymensingh Sadar. A total of 60 farms including 20 small, 20 medium and 20 large were randomly selected for the study. Socioeconomic analysis showed that indebtedness was higher in large farms than those of small and medium ones. Large farms also engaged more in farm activities than others. All of the asset position, income expenditure and saving were positively related with farm size but non-farm income was negatively related. Analysis of balance sheet depicted that all the farms became able to generate a positive net worth which was the highest in large farms followed by small and medium ones in terms of percentage term. Income statement analysis showed that each of the farms was profitable and earned positive net profit at the end of the accounting year. Net profit had a positive relation with farm size. Results of ratio analysis expressed that none of the farms was fully financially strong. But maximum of seven ratios were favorable to large farms followed by small and medium farms. So, considering overall situation, large farms were relatively strong followed by small and medium farms in the study area. This study recommends for similar studies in other parts of country to develop a benchmark for comparison which is almost absent in present situation of Bangladesh.

The objective of the experiment was the opinion of respondent about effects of Grazing on Tabar plant on animal health and milk characteristic in Gezira State, Sudan. This the questionnaire was conducted in two localities of Gezira state where Tabar plant was cultivated. This included, South Gezira locality and Greater Wad Madani Locality. The questionnaire was distributed randomly to 50 animal owners who already have experience with grazing of Bt-CCR, in each of the two localities. Revealed that the results of increase in milk production, the color of milk ,the taste of milk , There is an impact on animal health, Symptoms of feeding on Tabar plant, Quick coagulation of milk , presence of diarrhea and increased frequency of affected animals by Tabar plant grazing was significantly different (p< 0.001) higher in no effect of Grazing on Tabar plant . It is recommended that, further studies are required for recommending of the optimum level of inclusion of Tabar plant in ruminant diets.

It is often argued that learning from best examples in the neighbouring Burkina Faso and elsewhere, Ghana can succeed in revamping the collapsing cotton industry by introducing Bt cotton to farmers. This paper therefore presents a survey findings on farmers’ views and perceptions towards the possible introduction of Bt cotton. A stratified random sampling techniques was applied in selecting 254 farmers from the four cotton producing zones in northern Ghana and Q methodology adopted in collecting narratives and perceptions towards Bt cotton. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was applied in extracting the underlying constructs from farmers’ narratives on Bt cotton. The extraction method was guided by Kaiser’s Eigenvalue-greater-than-one rule follow by Parallel analysis method of Monte Carlo and Scree test techniques. Results of the PCA identified five broad issues representing farmers’ views about the introduction of Bt cotton. The broad issues explaining farmers’ views and perception towards Bt cotton are ‘contractual issues with cotton companies’, ‘issues relating to problems and challenges in cotton farming’, ‘issues relating to farmers desire to go back to cotton farming’, ‘positive views on Bt cotton’ and ‘some reservations on Bt cotton’. This paper therefore recommends that for government and other stakeholders to succeed in revamping the cotton industry, there is the need for farmers’ concerns on contractual issues to be addressed and for more information on Bt cotton to be provided to resolve the reservation farmers have about Bt cotton.

Agricultural extension services have been playing a central role in transformation process of agricultural sector in Nigeria but there are challenges which affect the quality of service delivery especially increasing cost of services and poor funding and therefore, promoting emergence of new extension strategies offered by private sector . The study investigated the perception of maize crop farmers and willingness to pay for technical agricultural information in Oyo State, Nigeria. Data were collected by administering interview schedule to 127 maize crop farmers selected using multi-stage sampling procedure. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; Mean age of the respondents was 46.7 years with modal class of age category of 41-50 years. Majority (66.1%) of the sampled respondents were males, 81.9% were married with average household size of 6 members. Technical agricultural information the respondents were willing to pay for include improved high yielding maize varieties (MS=1.09), method of fertilizer application (MS=1.07) and selection rate of chemical application for weed control (MS=l.06). Majority (52.8%) of the respondents had unfavourable disposition to willingness to pay for technical agricultural information. Respondents’ household size (r=0.365, P<0.05), farming experience (r=0.568, P<0.05) cultivatable farm size (r=0.228,P<0.05) were significantly related to willingness to pay for technical agricultural information on maize production. The study therefore recommends that technical agricultural information on maize production should be made available to farmers through a private extension service in order to meet the extension information need of farmers in the study area.