Assessment of Indigenous Knowledge Practices for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria

The study Investigated Indigenous Knowledge Practices for sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State. Data were collected using structural questionnaire administered to 120 respondent randomly selected using the simple random sampling technique. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive tools such as frequencies counts, and percentages. Findings revealed that majority of the  rural dwellers are farmers and literates and have vast knowledge of indigenous practices. There was an extensive use of indigenous knowledge in the area such as mulching, use of organic manure, sun drying, roasting and frying food, use of sacks, mixture of red pepper and placing under fire. The study further revealed that the major constraint to the use of IK as perceived by the respondents are lack of  documentation, time demanding and poor recognition. The study recommended among others that ICTs  such as computer, internet and libraries be used to make indigenous knowledge accessible  and incentives to the rural dwellers to reduce the cost they incurred in using indigenous agriculture and food security practices. Keywords; Food security, agriculture, indigenous knowledge, sustainability, developmen

THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVED EXTENSION LINKAGES IN SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

The overall purpose of dissemination is to improve the availability of information to poor farmers, and for it to become knowledge which the farmer employs to help make appropriate decisions. This includes researcher-derived information as well as more general information that supports and enhances livestock production. The provision of this information on livestock production has in the past not usually been of high priority for centralized extension services in many developing countries. Extension services are usually designed around need to provide information on annual or perennial crops. Now the potential for increasing livestock production through the provision of improved information is growing in many developing countries. For sustainable livestock production, this paper argues that the flow of information from agricultural research to farming communities requires that continuous contact be maintained by individual able to make information comprehensible to farmers. These individuals are extension workers and are at the centre of information flow. This link can be strengthened in several ways including improved collaboration between research and extension. This paper describes the context of livestock extension information growth and looks at some of the ways in which livestock extension services and institution differ and how livestock extension could be improved

Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: Higher temperatures, more variable precipitation and changes in the frequency and severity of extreme climate events will have significant consequences on food production and food security. The frequency of heat stress, drought, and flooding are also expected to increase, even though they cannot be modeled satisfactorily with current climate models. All of these will undoubtedly have adverse effects on crops and agricultural productivity over and above the effects due to changes in mean variables alone. The impacts of climate change on agriculture are likely to be regionally distinct and highly heterogeneous spatially requiring sophisticated understanding of causes and effects and careful design and dissemination of appropriate responses. Adaptation measures are needed urgently to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change, facilitated by concerted action and strategic planning. As a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture also has much untapped potential to reduce emissions through reduced deforestation and changes in land use and agricultural practices. This is where indigenous knowledge comes in to play as a key to climate change mitigation and adaptation. African communities and farmers have always coped with changing environments. They have the knowledge and practices to cope with adverse environments and shocks

Sustainable Agro-forestry practices for climate change Adaptation and Promotion of Organic Agriculture among farmers in Imo State, Nigeria.

The study ascertained sustainable agro- forestry practices and the benefits as a mitigation strategy for climate change and for promotion of organic agriculture among farmers in Imo State-Nigeria. Data was collected through questionnaire distributed to 180 respondents. It was analysed using descriptive statistics - percentages, frequency distribution tables, mean scores. The results revealed that the prevalent agro-forestry practices included rotational farming, improved fallow, intercropping, live fence making and soil and water conservation among others. The respondents agreed that the benefits of agro-forestry included reduced soil erosion, reduced heat stress, protection of crops from wind damage, improves soil fertility using organic manure, reduction of wind speed, among others practices, refer to the tables. Extension agents should visit farmers for information dissemination and land should be allocated to enterprising agro-foresters. The government should enact laws protecting agro-foresters, forest reserves, encourage and invest in organic and agro-forestry agriculture related researches to determine the best combination of forest and crop production methods best for the environment in order to reduce the effect of climate change

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION: KEY TO IMPLEMENTING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

The Millennium Declaration was adopted to motivate the international community and provide accountability mechanisms for actions taken to enable millions of poor people to improve their livelihoods. About seventy percent of the MDG’s target groups live in rural areas, particularly in Africa and Asia, and for most of the rural poor, agriculture is a critical component in the successful attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. Even though structural transformations are important in the longer term, more immediate gains in poor household welfare can be achieved through agriculture, which can help the poor overcome some of their critical constraints. Thus a necessary component in meeting the MDGs by 2015 in many parts of the developing world is effective productive agriculture-through its extension component. Agricultural extension in its broadest sense is considered an important instrument to support farmers’ efforts in agricultural development and poverty reduction in a changing world. Extension supports the MDGs in at least three areas-poverty reduction, gender equality, and sustainable environmental management. Extensions role as a facilitator, broker, coach, and even a partner in local rural development platforms and value chains represents an opportunity for rural change, innovation process and rural poverty reduction through its research and empowerment component. Extension messages now consider women farmers, groups and vulnerable individuals in its approach and models to reaching people. There is also urgent need for extension to allocate more resources and effort to educating farmers how to use sustainable natural and resource management practices and to adopt these practices continuously in order to cope with the impact of climatic and environmental change. This paper thus, using mainly literature from the web- discusses how extension functions in reducing poverty, ensuring food security, balancing gender issues and providing skills for sustainable natural resource management

Analysis of Use of Organic Farming Practices among Rural fish Farmers in South-South Nigeria.

The paper focused on the use of organic farming practices amongst fish farmers in South-South Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used and three states (Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Delta) were randomly selected from the six states that make up South-South zone in Nigeria. Data for the study was obtained with a structured questionnaire administered to a sample size of one hundred and fifteen (115) fish farmers. Findings revealed that fish farmers were aware of six out of the fourteen organic farming practices listed. Use level was low in organic farming practices for fish. The result revealed that out of the fourteen (14) practices outlined, fish farmers engaged in the use of three of such practices. Farmers agreed to the use of eco-friendly design (x ̅ = 2.56 and SD = 0.86), site is far from polluting substances (x ̅ = 2.57 and SD =1.01) and pond protection from predators ((x ) ̅= 2.70 and SD = 0.89). From the result, the following were considered not being used; Management without growth hormones ((x ) ̅= 2.41 and SD = 0.89), antibiotics is used in critical cases where no other treatment would work ((x ) ̅= 1.97 and SD = 0.88), cultivate without genetic engineering (x ̅ = 2.21 and SD = 1.18), quality water source (x ̅= 2.14 and SD = 1.09), organic fertilizer (x ̅ = 1.89 and SD = 0.98), low stock density 10kg/m3 (x ̅= 1.62 and SD= 0.98), manage without synthetic appetizer and coloring (x ̅= 1.92 and SD= 1.78), poly-culture (x ̅= 1.98 and SD = 0.99), proper record keeping (x ̅ = 1.98 and SD = 1.10), use of resistant species (x ̅ = 2.43 and SD = 1.00) and natural treatment (homeopathy) (x ̅ = 1.86 and SD = 0.89). The low use of organic farming practices among fish farmers could be as a result of challenges or difficulties in carrying out such practices and lack of awareness of the dangers associated with the conventional practices. It is recommended therefore that training on organic fish production practices be emphasized in Extension activities

Roles of Information and Communications Technologies in Improving Fish Farming and Production in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Abstract The study examined the roles of ICTs for improved fish farming and production in Rivers State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to ­- describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the responding fish farmers in the area; identify ICT devices used by respondents in the area; examine fish farming/production information needs of respondents; ascertain ICT roles in promoting fish farming and production in the study area; and identify problems of ICTs use by fish farmers in the study area. Multi stage sampling technique was adopted in sample selection. Data were collected with use of questionnaire and interview schedule. The sample size was 150 fish farmers randomly selected from a list of 1500 registered ICT user fish farmers obtained from fish farmers cooperative office in Andoni, headquarters of Zone II. Data were analyzed using descriptive tools such as percentages, presented in tabular forms. Majority, (43.3%) were 41-50 years with a mean age of 42.5 years, 91.3% were males, 76% were married, 63.3% had a family size of 1-4 people. Majority (56%) had secondary education, 50.6% had between 21-30 years in fishing experience. ICT devices used includes mobile phones, radio, television, internet, journals and magazines among. Fish farmers needed information on pond construction, sources of fingerlings, sales and marketing, diseases treatment, weather/temperature an many more. ICTs play the following roles in fish farming: information exchange, knowledge sharing, promotion of education, monitoring illegal fishing and price information provisioning. The challenges facing them includes high cost of device, low level of education, power supply, network problem among others. It was recommended that education and training be given to the farmers by the extension agents, power supply and network services should be improved the various bodies responsible for the service

Roles of Information and Communications Technologies in Improving Fish Farming and Production in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Abstract The study examined the roles of ICTs for improved fish farming and production in Rivers State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to ­- describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the responding fish farmers in the area; identify ICT devices used by respondents in the area; examine fish farming/production information needs of respondents; ascertain ICT roles in promoting fish farming and production in the study area; and identify problems of ICTs use by fish farmers in the study area. Multi stage sampling technique was adopted in sample selection. Data were collected with use of questionnaire and interview schedule. The sample size was 150 fish farmers randomly selected from a list of 1500 registered ICT user fish farmers obtained from fish farmers cooperative office in Andoni, headquarters of Zone II. Data were analyzed using descriptive tools such as percentages, presented in tabular forms. Majority, (43.3%) were 41-50 years with a mean age of 42.5 years, 91.3% were males, 76% were married, 63.3% had a family size of 1-4 people. Majority (56%) had secondary education, 50.6% had between 21-30 years in fishing experience. ICT devices used includes mobile phones, radio, television, internet, journals and magazines among. Fish farmers needed information on pond construction, sources of fingerlings, sales and marketing, diseases treatment, weather/temperature an many more. ICTs play the following roles in fish farming: information exchange, knowledge sharing, promotion of education, monitoring illegal fishing and price information provisioning. The challenges facing them includes high cost of device, low level of education, power supply, network problem among others. It was recommended that education and training be given to the farmers by the extension agents, power supply and network services should be improved the various bodies responsible for the service

Analysis of Information and Communication Technology Roles in Poverty Reduction Among Small and Medium Scale Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract This study examines the role ICTs play in poverty reduction among small and medium scale (SMS) farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 170 (SMS) farmers in Imo State using well structured questionnaire. Analysis of data collected was done using percentages and mean presented in tabular forms. It was seen from results that 38.2% of the respondents are within the age bracket of 51-60 years. Majority (43.5%) attended secondary school, 48% have put in 11-20 years in farming, while 71.7% have a farm size 0.25-1.5 hectares. ICT devices used include radio, mobile phones, television, among others. On frequency of use of ICT devices, radio is the most frequently used as indicated on a daily basis. They also use telephone, magazines and newspapers. ICTs play veritable roles such as increasing access to education, health information, information on diseases/pest outbreak, market information employment generation, credit opportunities among other. Social amenities be provided by government so that small and medium scale farmers wii have unlimited access to other modern ICT facilities

The British media coverage of Africa

How is Africa reported in the British press and why? This question is the centrepiece of this study. With the application of a longitudinal research approach – a rarity in this field, this study unravels comprehensively, the UK press coverage of Africa.Using a continuous 26-year sample duration, spanning from 01 January 1992 to 31 December 2017 and the usage of five British national newspapers, comprising of the broadsheets (The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Times) and the tabloids (The Daily Mail, and The Sun), this study sets itself apart from past studies in this field, which have been largely dominated by event-based research. In the conduct of this study, mixed research methods - quantitative content analysis and qualitative interviews were applied. This study discovered that the topics of African articles reported in the UK press were mixed, same as the actors and the tone of language used in describing Africa. Also, it was newly discovered in this study that the size of African articles became consistently more detailed from 2008 to 2017.In line with most previous studies in this field, this study further confirmed that the journalists used to cover Africa in UK newspapers were exclusively Western journalists; the representation of Africa as a single country dominated the coverage; South Africa remained the most visible African country reported; African articles were dominantly reported in the inside pages. However, some of these results were not uniform in the five individual newspapers applied to this study. While the more detailed coverage of Africa could be noted in The Daily Mail, The Guardian, and The Times, it was the opposite case for The Financial Times and The Sun.These results may have been products of multiple influences and reasons, some of which emanate from within the media organisations, while some of the other factors are from outside of the media and they collectively determine and define the direction of Africa’s coverage in the British press.</div