Need For Extension Services Research Articles

Factors Influencing Adoption of Technical Advice from Agricultural Extension Services: Evidence from a Field Survey in Western Uttar Pradesh, India

This article examines the key drivers of farmers’ adoption of technical advice and their preferred providers of agricultural extension services. Based on a primary survey conducted in western Uttar Pradesh, India, the data from 272 sample households were analysed using a binary logistic regression model. The findings suggest that farmers’ decisions to adopt technical advice are influenced positively by farm size, household size, average hours spent on farms, training and awareness of the extension scheme. The positive relationship between farm size and technical advice adoption demonstrates the need for extension services to reconsider their strategies for reaching out to more marginal and small farmers, who account for over 85 per cent of agricultural households, by incorporating their priorities into their outreach programmes. Non-government extension sources are found to be important for access but not for the adoption of technical advice. However, in both commercial and public extension services, a lack of faith in extension services is the fundamental cause of the relatively low adoption rate. The low preference of information and communications technology-based extension services underlines that physical forms of extension services are far more important in developing countries like India. JEL Code: Q16

Factors Influencing Farmers’ Attitude to Adopt Drought Tolerant Maize Varieties in Ondo State, Nigeria

The study investigated factors influencing farmers’ attitude towards adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties. One hundred maize farmers were selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure and data were collected through structured questionnaires. Information was collected on the socio-economic characteristics of the maize farmers, farmers’ level of awareness of drought-tolerant maize varieties, farmers’ attitudes towards agricultural innovation, constraints to adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties and, factors influencing farmers’ attitude towards adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Logit regression. The findings revealed that 76% of the maize farmers had limited awareness regarding the benefits and characteristics of drought-tolerant maize varieties. Also, the majority (74%) of the farmers lacked knowledge about the quality and advantages of these varieties. Despite positive attitude (mean = 4.28) which was measured at ordinal level, several constraints to adoption were identified, mainly low output of drought tolerant maize varieties (mean = 2.30). The findings also showed the substantial impact of two key factors (that is, sex and income) as factors influencing farmers’ attitude to adopt drought-tolerant maize varieties. Farmers are yet to take advantage of drought-tolerant maize varieties as a mitigating strategy against climate change. The need for extension services and non-governmental organizations to step up awareness creation and training on best agronomic practices in growing the maize varieties is recommended.

Effects of Agricultural Extension Services on Leaf Vegetables Farmers Use of Agro-Chemicals in Imo State, Nigeria

This study was designed to analyze the effects of agricultural extension services on leaf vegetables farmers’ use of agro-chemicals in Imo State, Nigeria. The study described socioeconomic characteristics of leaf vegetables farmers that use agro-chemicals, ascertained the role of extension services on use of agro-chemicals by leaf vegetable farmers, ascertained the sources of information on the use of agro-chemicals among leaf vegetable farmers, determined the influence of extension services on agro-chemicals use by leaf vegetable farmers and determined the extension variables influencing use of agro-chemicals by leaf vegetables farmers. Data were collected in 2021 with structured and validated questionnaire from 128 proportionately and randomly selected leaf vegetables farmers that use agro-chemicals in Imo State. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency distribution and percentages as well as econometric tools of bivariate and logit regression models. Major roles of extension services in farmers’ use of agro-chemicals for leaf vegetables production were acting as catalyst to speed up adoption rate, technology transfer and source of information. The major sources of information to the leaf vegetables farmers on agro-chemicals use were fellow farmers association and traders on vegetables. Extension services positively and significantly influenced leaf vegetables farmers’ use of agro-chemicals. The agricultural extension variables influencing use of agro-chemicals by leaf vegetables farmers were availability of certain communication media, extension agents familiarity, relevance of subject matter, size of extension staff, size of audience, frequency of use of familiar teaching methods, farmers’ satisfaction with extension information, perceived usefulness of extension information, perceived quality of extension staff and relative cost of the extension teaching methods. There is need for extension services to intensify efforts at visiting and training leaf vegetable farmers on the appropriate application techniques of agro-chemicals to their vegetables to minimize the hazardous effects of the agro-chemicals on farmers’ health and the environment and consequently increase productivity and farm income.
 Keywords: Extension services, leaf vegetables, farmers, agro-chemicals, Imo State.

ICT and agricultural sector performance: empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

ICT infrastructure is considered crucial to performance and overall development of many sectors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Yet, there exists insufficient evidence on the effect of ICT on agriculture real output and export performance in the African continent. This study investigates the effect of ICT infrastructure on agriculture sector performances in SSA using panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach. Panel data were collected over the period of twenty-three (23) years (1995–2017) in 39 SSA countries. Two models were specified using agricultural value addition and agriculture products as a percentage of total merchandise export as dependent variables. Key independent variables include mobile-cellular telephone subscription and individual using the internet. The study also introduced important control variables such as livestock production index and crop production index. The results from the estimation provide substantial evidence to show that ICT infrastructure has positive externality on agricultural sector performances in the long run. However, there is no evidence to maintain this position in the short run. The study, therefore, recommends that there should be a cautious approach to increasing investment in ICT infrastructure. Provision of in ICT infrastructure alone may not automatically improve agricultural output. Thus, there is a need for extension services to propagate and educate farmers on the importance of continuous adoption of ICT infrastructure for agricultural practices in SSA.

'All My Animals Are Equal, but None Can Survive without the Horse'. The Contribution of Working Equids to the Livelihoods of Women across Six Communities in the Chimaltenango Region of Guatemala.

Simple SummaryWorking equids are often absent from higher level policy interventions, and the global standard of their welfare is low. Understanding the social and cultural context of their contributions to human livelihoods generates evidence supporting the importance of their inclusion in livestock welfare programmes. Although there is increasing evidence globally that working equids contribute to women’s livelihoods and that women facilitate equid welfare, there is a well recognised gender gap in access to extension services. This study aims to investigate how working equids contribute to women’s livelihoods in six communities in Guatemala, using information from 34 face-to-face interviews. Results show that working equids support women’s livelihoods by generating income, saving time, feeding livestock and reducing domestic drudgery. Thirty-two women played a major role in the daily husbandry of working equids, and 31 expressed an interest in gaining more knowledge in equid care. This study explores the relationship between working equids and women in a local context, using the concept of ‘One Welfare’, and investigates the knowledge gaps that exist in the daily husbandry of horses, donkeys and mules. It emphasises the need for equid welfare organisations to understand women’s roles in their target communities and recognise what prevents women from accessing educational resources.It is widely assumed that working equid husbandry is carried out by men, and women are often not recognised as facilitating equid welfare. The aim of this study is to investigate how working equids contribute to women’s livelihoods in six of the World Horse Welfare programme target communities in Guatemala and determine what roles women have in their care. Thirty-four face-to-face interviews were carried out and data were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. This study found that working equids support women by reducing domestic drudgery, generating income, feeding livestock and saving time. Thirty-two women played a major role in the care of one or more equids, and overall, women did not feel that they knew enough about equid husbandry. Thirty-one women said they would attend training opportunities if the advertising was clear and they felt that women were able to join. This study recognises the contribution of working equids to women’s livelihoods, describes the roles women play in equid husbandry and addresses the discrepancies between women’s roles and their capacity to undertake these tasks. This emphasises the need for extension services to include and cater for women, improving equid welfare and their ability to continue supporting women’s livelihoods.

Socio-economic determinants of pastoralists\u2019 choice of camel production in Karamoja sub-region, Uganda

Camel production is a potential avenue for improved food and income security in dryland areas of East Africa. Despite this potential, there is a dearth of information on the increasing choice of camel production among pastoralists in the region. Camel-owning households were obtained through snowball sampling approach whereas those without camels were obtained randomly in the vicinity of those who had camels. A total of 116 respondents were interviewed in Moroto and Amudat districts of the Karamoja sub-region, Uganda. Descriptive statistics and binary probit regression analysis were conducted on the data. Results showed that 45% of the sampled households owned camels with an average camel holding of 17.96 ± 22.12 heads. There were more cows (9.67 ± 12.368) than bulls (3.85 ± 7.149) in the camel herds. Only 8% and 26% of camel herders had access to extension services and financial credit respectively. The binary probit regression model revealed that age of the household head, household size, on- farm income and herd size significantly influenced the decision to undertake camel production in the region. Furthermore, all the household members were engaged in different camel management activities; however, herding was mainly the responsibility of the children (34.9%) and adult males (32.1%). Milking was mainly done by women (33.6%) while disease management was done by adult males (48.7%) and the elderly (22%) in the household. Provision of higher milk quantities (44.3%) and camels being in the lineage (13.6%) were cited as the key motivations for camel rearing. On the other hand, 56% of respondents observed that the initial high cost of camel acquisition was the main limitation to owning camels. This study has shown that decision-making in transitioning to camel production in Karamoja is a result of socio-economic attributes including pastoralists’ perceptions of associated costs and benefits arising from camel production. Therefore, it is vital to strengthen innovative financing mechanisms and traditional systems such as agistments that can support pastoralists willing to acquire camels. There is need for extension services that target camel rearing where women and children are involved given their central role in camel management.

Comprender las fuentes de adquisición de información sobre las prácticas de producción de pollo de traspatio entre las mujeres mayas rurales en Yucatán, México

Este estudio se llevó a cabo para identificar las fuentes de adquisición de información sobre las prácticas de producción de pollo entre las mujeres rurales en Yucatán. Se utilizaron discusiones en grupos de foco (DGF) y entrevistas individuales frente a frente con un cuestionario prediseñado para recolectar datos de dos pueblos rurales. Dentro de cada pueblo, se realizaron tres sesiones de grupo de foco con mujeres mayas, involucrando a 10-12 participantes en cada una. Las participantes se seleccionaron con base en su nivel de habilidad en las prácticas de producción de pollo de traspatio. Los resultados revelaron que la familia, los amigos/vecinos, su propia experiencia personal y los proveedores de alimento fueron las fuentes de información más importantes utilizadas por las mujeres rurales. Respecto a las fuentes preferidas por las participantes, los agentes de extensión, los capacitadores/especialistas, la familia, los métodos de demostración, los veterinarios y los amigos/ vecinos fueron las fuentes más preferidas, significativamente. Las áreas técnicas de producción de pollo de traspatio sobre las que las mujeres recibieron información fueron alimentos y alimentación, sistemas de alojamiento, control de enfermedades, mercadotecnia y reproducción. Los resultados también mostraron que la poca disponibilidad de los agentes de extensión y el costo de los servicios veterinarios fueron los limitantes más importantes que afectaron la adquisición de información. Las recomendaciones más importantes fueron la necesidad de servicios de extensión y de programas de capacitación como fuentes de información modernas para mejorar sus habilidades de gestión y su conocimiento sobre las prácticas de producción de pollo de traspatio.

Conceptions of working life among employees with mild-moderate aided hearing impairment: A phenomenographic study

Objectives: The aim was to explore the conceptions of working life among employees with mild-moderate aided hearing impairment (HI). Design: This study has a descriptive design, in which data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The text was analysed in accordance with the phenomenographic approach. Study sample: Fifteen participants with mild-moderate aided HI were recruited to the current study. Results: The analysis of the interviews resulted in four main categories describing the participants’ conceptions of working life: (1) diffiiculties in daily work, (2) communication strategies, (3) facilitating factors in work environment, and (4) impact on daily life. The four identified descriptive categories show that the effects of HI on the lives of working adults generate far-reaching psychosocial consequences for the individual. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that difficulties and impact of having a HI interact with strategies used by the individual and contextual facilitators made in the work environment. We argue that there is a need for extensive services in aural rehabilitation for this population. This includes identifying the need of assistive listening devices, teaching the individual with HI about communication strategies and informing stakeholders about the consequence of having a HI.

Small Scale Farmers' Perception and Adaptation to Climate Change in Nasarawa State of Nigeria

Climate change and severe weather events such as temperature shocks and declining rainfall often strongly impede sustainable farming development, especially where agriculture is rain fed and when other external shocks such as poverty, poor access to inputs and credit are common. This is the context in which small scale farmers carry out their farming and other livelihoods activities. This study compares small scale farmers' perception of temperature and rainfall with the result of 30 years (1980-2009) meteorological records of temperature and rainfall, examines the farmers adaptation practices in response to climate change and the constraints to their adaptation. The study found an increasing trend in minimum and maximum temperature and a decline in rainfall trend. This validates the farmers' perception of temperature and rainfall. Tree cutting (50.7%) and sin (45.7%) are the perceived leading causes of climate change. Farmers mostly engage in change in planting date (97.8%), tree planting (77.5%) and crop diversification (70.3) in response to climate change. Inadequate money (70.3%) is the leading constraint to adaptation. There is need for extension services and the mass media to create awareness on the causes of climate change. Efforts that address poverty and provide access to agricultural support services like farm inputs and weather forecasting service will help enhance farmers' adaptive capacity to climate change. Keywords: Adaptation; Climate Change; Perception; Small Scale Farmers.

Assessment of rural poultry extension services in Oshimili North Local Government Area,Delta State, Nigeria

The study assessed rural poultry extension services in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using interview schedule with 120 household poultry rearers that were selected randomly from four communities in the local government area. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings showed that majority of the respondents were females 61.67 and 35% were above 50 years, and 70% were married with household size of 5 to 8 (30.83%), while 43.22% had no formal education. Also majority reared poultry on free range (53.3%), had stock sizes of ≤ 20 birds (77.50%) and 36.44% had poultry experience of above 15 years. About 92.50% had no contact with extension agent. There was poor access to improved poultry information and technologies (all < cut-off) while high needs were expressed with handling day old chicks and control of pest and diseases having mean=2.83 each and deworming (mean=2.78). Stock size (r= -0.312; p=0.001) and extension contact (r= -0.455; p=0.001) were significant negatively related to rural poultry extension services required. Scavenge-based poultry farmers indicated the greatest need for extension services (F= 5.81; p = 0.01). It was recommended that Delta State ADP and affiliate programmes should deploy extension agents/facilitators to the study area and ensure that information and technologies on poultry are addressed. Key words: Rural poultry, extension service.

Determinants Of Rural Agricultural Financing By The United Bank For Africa And The Need For Extension Services In Imo State, Nigeria

This study examined the determinants of rural agricultural financing by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the need for extension services in Imo State, Nigeria. Eighty (80) rural farmer loan beneficiaries from the UBA were sampled and administered with structured questionnaire. Results showed that the major significant determinant was the availability and the use of extension services by the bank. This factor is the only one that was significant at (1%). Other factors significant at 5% level include; number of dependants educational level of beneficiaries and type of agricultural activity. It is therefore recommended that extension services should form a major component in designing, formulation and administration of loans to prospective rural loan farmer beneficiaries. Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol.1(1) 2005: 97-102