Sustainable children investment in guinea pig production and its implications for extension services

Abstract

This study was conducted specifically to identify the level of children investment in guinea pigs production, the major sources of fund for the children, the methods of communication between the children and their source of information, and to determine their level of performance in guinea pig production. Implications for extension service were also determined. The children who invested in the production of guinea pigs within llesa East Local Government Area of Osun State constituted the study population. Simple random sampling technique was used to select twenty-five percent of the population as sample. To this end respondents were selected and interviewed for the study using structured interview schedule. The data collected were analysed through frequency counts, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Correlation analysis was used to establish relationship between the variable of the study. Findings revealed that all the respondents were male secondary school children, aged between 11 and 20 years. The major sources of information were friends (100%), successful farmers (27.3%) Osun State Agricultural Development Programme (OSADEP) 27.3%), interpersonal visits (92.796) and field demonstration (81.8%). Majority (52.7%) of the respondents had between 1 and 4 guinea pigs while only few (9.1%) had between 15 and 19 guinea pigs. Positive and significant correlation existed between the sources of agricultural information and the performance of children in guinea pig production (r=0.313) and between methods of communication (when combined) and performance of respondents in guinea pigs production (r=0.291), Based on the findings, it was posited that the agricultural extension system should identify and reach the children guinea pig producer with programmes intended to encourage sustainable guinea pigs production.