ATTITUDE OF FARMERS TOWARDS PAYING FOR AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

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ATTITUDE OF FARMERS TOWARDS PAYING FOR AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

and Background Information

Agriculture plays an important role in reducing poverty and serves as an engine for growth in developing countries. Additionally, it contributes in socio- economic well- being of the people through food production and employment (Aker, 2010). It is estimated that 70% of the labour force in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) work in agriculture while 67% of the labour force in South Asian are employed in the same sector (Maxwell, 2001).Based on its importance, several countries in SSA including Nigeria have put efforts to improve the sector. These efforts include the provision of extension services to change farmers’ attitude so as to enhance their efforts on productivity (FAO, 1993).

Agricultural extension services have an important role in increasing quality of the production (Hosseinet al., 2008). The extension agents intervene to bring about change by providing knowledge and information that enable farmers to understand and adopt particular practices (Oakley and Garforth, 1985). Additionally, they play a vital role in technology transfer and promoting technology development (Moris, 1991). Extension facilitation is difficult and potentially a costly undertaking that is regularly provided by the government and partly by private agents. As argued by Van den Ban and Hawkins (1996) a government will invest in extension if it believes it has value to achieve government goals such as increasing food production, stimulating economic growth, increasing the welfare of farming rural households and promoting sustainable agriculture. Therefore, the interaction between the extension agents and the farmers and the extent to which farmers perceive extension agents as useful to them is vital to bringing change in agricultural output and could explain the dynamics embedded in advices adopted by farmers in a given locale. For example, the frequency of contact by extension agents is crucial because it is through this that, important and useful information about improved and recommended agricultural practices are disseminated to farmers (Sarker and Itohora, 2009). The amount or type of useful information disseminated to farmers could be used to determine the effectiveness of extension agents in transferring knowledge needed by farmers to improve production.

Accordingly, Akure North Local Government efforts have been made to provide agricultural extension services to farmers growing maize through provision of input subsidies, training farmers and provision of advisory services on proper agronomic practices. Despite these efforts, adoption of maize agronomic practices is still low leading to low productivity (Lokinaet al., 2011).This is probably due to the fact that AEAs are not effectively transferring knowledge on good agronomic practices in maize production. Therefore, more information was required to assess the effectiveness of the extension agents in providing advisory services on proper agronomic practices to maize growers. Therefore, this study intended to investigate the perception of farmers on how they view their extension agents on their effectiveness in transferring knowledge to maize growers in Akure North Local Government.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Traditional farming is the most predominant practice adopted by many farmers in Akure North Local Government. It has been noted that, maize yield has been declining, whereas in 2008/2009 the total national maize production was 3 424 984 metric tons while the actual demand was 4 131 782 metric tons making a deficit of 706 797 metric tons (MAFC, 2009). The blame on the observed decline in maize productivity was caused by dependency of farmers on traditional agricultural technologies and producing mainly for subsistence (MINAG, 2004). Based on this, a wide range of policies, strategies, and approaches were formulated by the Nigerian government to reverse the worsening food and agricultural trends towards sustaining agricultural growth. These included, introducing a range of agricultural initiatives and the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS). Other initiatives were the implementation of District Agricultural Development Projects (DADPs), District Agricultural Sector Investment Project (DASIP), Participatory Agricultural Development and Empowerment Project (PADEP), Agriculture Sector Programme Support (ASPS), and Kilimo Kwanza (URT, 2009).

Despite all these efforts, farmers seem to have not benefited from agricultural sector initiatives and maize growers of Akure North Local Government in particular have failed to benefit from services delivered by agricultural extension agents under the introduced initiatives. According to Saidiaet al. (2010), maize growers in rural areas have been experiencing low yields per unit area and this has been attributed by lack of extension services, as a result, over the years farmers have continued to use traditional methods in producing maize leading to low yields being realised. This study therefore, gathered information about the extent to which farmers viewed their extension agents as being effective in transferring the required information and knowledge necessary to enable them grow maize and obtain higher yields.

1.3 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY

A strong relationship between extension agents and their farmers is necessary for ensuring enough and reliable knowledge transfer. According to Pauw and Thurlow (2010), slow expansion of food crops and maize in particular explains weakness in the relationship existing between extension agents and farmers in achieving agricultural growth outcomes in rural areas. Increase in agricultural productivity will reduce income poverty for both men and women in rural and urban areas as stipulated in the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP), Cluster 1; Goal number 4 and 5 which aimed at „Reduce Income Poverty of both Men and Women in Rural and Urban Areas (URT, 2007).

Results from the study could help the government and policy makers to re-structure and modify the organization of the extension services delivery to promote maize productivity. Farmers‟ perceptions on how they view the effectiveness of their extension agents in knowledge transfer to maize farmers facilitates assessment of the performance of agricultural extension agents in transferring knowledge to maize growers so as to increase productivity in the District. The results also notify extension agents and other actors on their effectiveness and enable necessary corrections to be made during implementation of their day to day activities.

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Overall objective

The overall objective of this study was to assess effectiveness of agricultural extension agents in knowledge transfer to maize growers in the District.

1.4.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the study were to;

Identify socio-economic factors affecting perceived effectiveness of AEAs in knowledge transfer to maize growers in Akure North Local Government.

Identify problems associated with low maize yields in the study

Determine farmer‟s perceptions on effectiveness of AEAs in obtaining required knowledge on maize growing in the study

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

iWhat are the socio-economic factors affecting farmers‟ adoption of maize technology? iiWhat are the production problems encountered by maize growers in the District?

iiiTo what extent have the extension agents assisted farmers in obtaining correct knowledge on maize growing?

ivHow do maize growers perceive the effectiveness of AEAs in transferring knowledge on maize production?

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the present study is to assess farmers‟ perception on the effectiveness of AEAs in knowledge transfer to maize growers in the District. This study involved maize growers, key informants, and focus group discussions so as to verify the validity of information provided. To achieve the objectives, financial matter was a key roadmap in which Mangidi,Msente, Michungwani, and Tuliani villages from Jaila and Mabalanga Wards were surveyed in the District.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

During data collection, the researcher faced some constraints, hitherto financial was the foremost key restraint and this limited time for data collection and the exercise was delayed. Moreover, there were problems in covering larger areas because households were scattered and rural roads were impassable to reach most farmers from one village to another and in some cases the researcher hired a motorcycle to facilitate reaching more farmers.

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