Role Perception and Performance of Agricultural Extension Agents in Maize Marketing in Delta State Nigeria

The rural small scale farmers have remained poor in spite of the fact that they produce the bulk of food consumed in the country. The study was designed, therefore, to investigate the role of the extension agents on maize marketing as an antidote to boosting the farmers income Fifty percent (50%) of the extension agents attached to the Delta Agricultural Development Project were randomly selected to compose the sample. Based on the affirmative responses, it was concluded that the extension agents did not perform their functions well in terms of advising the farmers about available markets for maize (10.00%), grading (4.00%), advise on transportation (10.00%), packaging (14.00%), advise on resource use efficiency (2.00%) planning and market promotion (2.00%), and sales timing (2.00%). There was a significant difference between the extension agents role perception and role performance in advisory services on available markets ( t =3.348; p = 0.002), grading ( t =3.280; p = 0.002), price information ( t = 3.934; p = 0.000), advise on transportation ( t = 3.500; p = 0.001), improved maize cultural practices ( t = 3.718; p = 0.001), record keeping ( t = 4.583; p = 0.000), and storage technologies  ( t = 5.250; p = 0.000). The extension agents should intensify efforts in carrying out their marketing functions to enable maize farmers derive the utmost incentives from their production endeavour. Keywords: Maize Marketing Extension Agents, Extension Marketing, Role Perception, Role Performance

Attitude of Youth to Agricultural Development Programmes In Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria

The problems associated with youth behaviours in the Niger Delta region necessitated the study. The specific objectives were to collate the current agricultural development intervention programmes; compare the attitude of youth leaders and non-leaders to agricultural development intervention programmes, and examine the factors militating against youth involvement in agriculture. Questionnaires were used to elicit information from respondents. Simple random sampling was used to select respondents. The sample was made up of 71 youths comprising 18 leaders and 53 non-leaders. Data were analysed by the use of mean and t-test. It was found that 5 agricultural development programmes currently existed in the study area. The non-youth leaders disagreed with the 5 positive attitude statements and agreed with 4 out of the 5 negative statements. The youth leaders disagreed with 5 positive attitude statements and agreed with the 5 negative attitude statements. There was no significant difference in the mean attitude scores between youth leaders and non-leaders (t=0.05; p>0.05). The factors militating against youth involvement in agriculture were lack of basic infrastructure ( x=2.62), lack of modern agricultural equipment ( land/land tenure system ( incentives/ incomes( x=3.34), lack of credit facilities ( x=3.46), lack of x=2.99), and poor x=3.00). Youths should be motivated to take up agriculture through extension campaigns, and provision of inputs and land for large scale farmin

Attitude of Youth to Agricultural Development Programmes In Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria

The problems associated with youth behaviours in the Niger Delta region necessitated the study. The specific objectives were to collate the current agricultural development intervention programmes; compare the attitude of youth leaders and non-leaders to agricultural development intervention programmes, and examine the factors militating against youth involvement in agriculture. Questionnaires were used to elicit information from respondents. Simple random sampling was used to select respondents. The sample was made up of 71 youths comprising 18 leaders and 53 non-leaders. Data were analysed by the use of mean and t-test. It was found that 5 agricultural development programmes currently existed in the study area. The non-youth leaders disagreed with the 5 positive attitude statements and agreed with 4 out of the 5 negative statements. The youth leaders disagreed with 5 positive attitude statements and agreed with the 5 negative attitude statements. There was no significant difference in the mean attitude scores between youth leaders and non-leaders (t=0.05; p>0.05). The factors militating against youth involvement in agriculture were lack of basic infrastructure ( x=2.62), lack of modern agricultural equipment ( land/land tenure system ( incentives/ incomes( x=3.34), lack of credit facilities ( x=3.46), lack of x=2.99), and poor x=3.00). Youths should be motivated to take up agriculture through extension campaigns, and provision of inputs and land for large scale farmin

Evaluation of directive and non-directive approaches to community development: A case study of rural community development projects in Isoko North local government area of Delta state, Nigeria

No Abstract. Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 6 (2) 2007: pp. 171-17

Preliminary Assessment of Newspaper Coverage of Agricultural News in Delta State: A Case Study of the Pointer Newspaper in Delta State, Asaba, Nigeria

The obvious advantage of the newspaper over other methods of disseminating agricultural technologies and information necessitated this exploratory study. The broad objective of the study was to investigate the extent of agricultural news coverage by the pointer newspaper in 2009. The specific objectives were to: ascertain the column inches (space) given to major categories of news by the pointer newspaper in 2009; examine the percentage column inches (space) given to each category of agricultural news by the pointer newspapers in 2009; and. determine the relationship between column inches (space) given to agricultural and other categories of news covered by the pointer newspaper in 2009. Secondary data were obtained from the pointer newspaper main office at Asaba in 2010 for the study. Eight (8) broad categories of news and seven (7) categories of agricultural news were assessed. The column inches for each category of news were measured for each month by use of a measuring tape. It was found that sports were allocated the highest number of column inches with percentage and mean values of 25.61% and 2010.35 respectively. This was followed by politics (21.43%; M= 1682.18), religion (11.49%, M= 901.77), foreign news (10.08%, M= 791.63), business (9.63%, M= 760.35), entertainment (9.26%, M= 727.07), education (8.86%, M= 695.47) and agriculture (3.59%, M= 282.03). Agriculture was the least category of news covered by the pointer news paper. Poultry news (26.43%) was the most frequently reported among the categories of agricultural news in 2009. This was followed by forestry and wild life (11.52%), commentaries (10.96%), fisheries (9.90%), and agronomy (7.17%). It was found that agriculture news were the least covered by the pointer newspaper in 2009 in spite of the importance of agriculture under the present civilian government. The Pointer newspaper should devote more spaces to agricultural news in order to enhance dissemination of agricultural information to farmers in the state

Intercurrent infections during episode of sever falciparum malaria attack in Nigerian children

No Abstract. Journal of Malaria in Africa and the Tropics Vol. 1 (2) 2002: pp. 12-1