Analysis of Farm Management Extension Services Performed by Extension Agents of Agricultural Development Projects in Southwest Nigeria

الموضوعات :

Rashid Adisa ¹ (Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria)
Mudashir Mustapha ² (Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria)
Kayode Balogun ³ (Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, Nigeria)
Hussein Ibrahim ⁴ (Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria)
Waliyat Oloyede ⁵ (Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria)

تاريخ الإرسال : 09 الجمعة , شعبان, 1438 تاريخ التأكيد : 07 الأحد , ذو القعدة, 1438 تاريخ الإصدار : 13 الخميس , جمادى الثانية, 1439

الکلمات المفتاحية: Extension agents, analysis, Farm Management Extension Services, Agricultural Development Projects, South-West Nigeria,

ملخص المقالة :

The study analyzed farm management extension services (FMESs) performed by the extension agents of Agricultural Development Projects in South West Nigeria. Study representatives were sampled randomly from Oyo ADP, Osun ADP and Ekiti ADP, making a 50% representation of the South-West. A proportionate sample of 80% of the total of the extension agents in each of the 3 case studies was randomly selected; making a total sample of 164 respondents for the study. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and mean. Findings revealed that majority (76.8%) of the respondents were males, had higher certificates than ND (92.7%) and supervised more than 199 farmers (61.6%). However, more than half of the respondents were still new in the extension work with working experience of between 1-10 years (55.5%). The results further showed that only few of the change agents performed farm management tasks related to finance and marketing. The major constraints facing the extension agents in performing FMESs in the study area were lack of incentives, farmers’ illiteracy and inadequate training ranking 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. This study recommends that extension agents should be trained more in the core aspects of FMESs which include linkage to finance and marketing. Also, extension professionals should be well motivated with incentives to ensure that FMESs are adequately rendered to their clients for increased productivity.

المصادر:

1. Adesoji, S. A. and Aratunde, T. (2012). Evaluation of the Linkage System of Research-Extension-Farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria: Lesson for Agricultural Extension Administrators. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 4(20): 561-568


2. Adisa, R.S. and Balogun, K.S. (2012). Analysis of training needs of extension agents on climate change issues in Ekiti State Agricultural Development Project (EKSADP), Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 16(2): 24-33


3. Agriculture Information Bank (2015). Meaning of Farm Management. Available online at http://www.agriinfo.in Retrieved 02/06/2017


4. Ajewole, O.O., Ojehomo, V.E.T, Ayinde, O.E., Agboh-Noameshie, A.R., Diagne, A. (2016). Gender analysis of poverty among rice farmers in a Nigerian rice hub.  Invited paper presented at the 5th International Conference of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, September 23-26, 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 


5. Amao, J.O., Atantoye, K., and Fadahunsi, O.D. (2013). Poverty among farming households in Osun  State, Nigeria. international Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3:21(135-143).


6. Auta, S.J. and Dafwang, I.I. (2010). The Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) in Nigeria: Status and Policy Implications. Research Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences, 6(2): 138-143.


7. Druce, P.C. (2012). Some developments in farm management extension in Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 8(2): 112-123.


8. Duraisumy, D.G. (2007). Market Led Extension: Emerging Perspectives. In Kaleel, F.M.H., Krishnonkutty, J. and Babu, S.K. (eds). Market Led Extension – Dimensions and Tools. Agrotech Publishing Academy, Udaipur: p. 42-51.


9. Eze, C.C., Amanze, B. and Nwankwo, O. (2010). Resource Use Efficiency in Arable Crop Production among Smallholder Farmers in Owerri Agricultural Zone of Imo State, Nigeria. Researcher, 2(5): 14-20.


10. Ezeh, C.I., Anyiro, C.O., Ehiemere, I.O. and Obioma, N.Q. (2012). Gender Issues on Poverty Alleviation Programmes in Nigeria; the case of the National Fadama 1 Development Project in Abia State, Nigeria. Agris on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, 4(3): 15-20.


11.  Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, (2017): Nigeria at a Glance. Available online at http://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a-glance/en/. Retrieved on 02/06/2017


12.  Ike, P.C., and Uzokwe, U.N.  (2015). Estimation of poverty among rural households in Delta State, Nigeria. Journal of Poverty, Investment and Development. 11: 86-93.


13. Jibowo, A.A. (2005). History of Agricultural Extension in Nigeria. In: Adedoyin, S.F. (ed). Agricultural Extension in Nigeria. Ilorin: Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria,    p. 1-15


14. Kahan, D. (2007). Farm Management Extension Services: A Review of Global Experience. Agricultural Management, Marketing and Finance Occasional Paper, FAO, Rome, 2007


15.  Moni, M. (2004). Ushering market-led agricultural extension. Available at www.i4donline.net. Retrieved on 22/02/16


16.  NPC (2006). National Population Census Publication, Abuja, Nigeria, p. 48


17.  Nwaobiala, C.U. (2017). Factors Influencing Farmer Output in the International Fund for Agricultural Development Community-Based Project in Abia and Cross River Sates, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 21(2): 135-148.


18. Odutola, W.A. (2012). Roles of Agricultural Development Programme (ADPs) Extension Services to Aquaculture Development in Ekiti and Ogun States of Nigeria. A Bachelor’s Degree Project Report submitted to the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, Federal University of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.


19. Omonijo, D.O., Toluwae, S.O.W., Oludayo, O.A., and Uche, O.O.C. (2014). Impacts of Agricultural Development Projects on Rural Dwellers in Nigeria: A Case Study of Isan-Ekiti. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics. 128: 41-55.


20. Oyo State Diary (2010). Ministry of Information, Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria


21. Panzer, B. (2016). The Importance of farm management. Available online at https://unitedfcs.com/united-on-ag/the-importance-of-farm-management/. Retrieved 03/06/2017


22. Rolls, M.J. (2001). Review of farm management in extension programmes in Central and Eastern European Countries. Working paper prepared for Farm Management and Production Economics Service, Agricultural Support Services Division, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, 2001.


23. Saliu, J.O., Obinne, P.C. and Audu, S.I. (2009). Trends in Agricultural extension services in Africa: Option for new approaches. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 1(3): 71-76.


24. United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, (2016). Risk in Agriculture. Available online at https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/risk-management/risk-in-agriculture/ . Retrieved on 05/06/2017.


25. World Bank (2012). Agricultural Development Projects in Nigeria. Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), 2012