Tomato farmers adoption level of postharvest value addition technology and its constraints in Surulere Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

The study examined tomato farmers’ adoption level of postharvest value addition technology and its constraints in Surulere Area of Oyo state. 160 tomato farmers were randomly selected and interviewed through structured interview schedule. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed prevalent causes of tomato postharvest losses to include; unreliable means of transportation, lack of adequate storage facilities, limited alternative uses of produce, diseases/pest infestation and non-accessibility to improved varieties and quality seeds. Furthermore, postharvest value addition technologies at adoption level indicated by majority were ranked as follows; sun drying and peeled tomato preserves (88.1%) ranked first, fresh refrigerated (67.5%) ranked third, pureed and sealed with oil in jars (50.6%) ranked fourth, boiled, sealed and packed sealed (50.0%) ranked fifth, cold water bath (46.9%) ranked sixth. Only (3.1%) evaluated pickling, 0.6% trialled irradiation, 2.5% trialled pulping. Constraints faced by majority include; inadequate technological knowledge about value addition, inadequate of electricity supply, lack of cold storage facilities and lack of awareness about value addition technologies. Regression analysis shows significant relation between preventive initiatives adopted by tomato farmers and their level of education, agricultural cooperative membership and availability of electricity and extension agents’ visit. In the view of the findings, the study concludes that tomato farmers have adopted several preventive initiatives for tomato postharvest losses and were still with faced with challenges. It is therefore important improve educational knowledge of tomato farmers in the study area on improved skills to further minimise post-harvest losses.Keywords: tomato, postharvest losses, value addition, constraint

Outcome of Infertility Consultations in a tropical tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Aim: To examine the outcome of gynaecological consultations for infertility in a tropical Teaching Health facility.Material & Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of infertility cases seen at the Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso over a year (16 October, 2010 to 15 October, 2011). The patients were followed up for twelve months thereafter. Data collection was done using a designed profoma. All patients coming for gynaecological consultations because of infertility within the study period were included in the study after giving their informed consents. Patient information recorded in the profoma included age, parity, educational status, occupation, duration of infertility, investigations, modality of treatment and treatment outcome. Outcome was measured by the number of live births amongst treated patients.Results: A total of 195 patients presented for gynaecological consultations during the one year period; infertility was one of the commonest reasons for gynaecological consultation, accounting for 38.5% (75) of the cases. Tubal factor, 25(33.5%) was the commonest etiological cause. The treatment modality involved myomectomy (20, 26.6%), ovulation induction (20, 26.6%), laparoscopic adhesiolysis (8, 10.7%) and tubal surgery (5, 6.7%). Treatment of infertility resulted in 10 (13.3%) live births, with ovulation induction giving the highest percentage of live births (5, 50%).Conclusion: The outcome of treatment of infertility is poor. Therefore, establishing a standard assisted reproductive technology (ART) unit will be of immense value in improving the outcome.Keywords: Infertility, consultation, outcom

Goat farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examined the goat farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. About 105 goat farmers were selected for the study. Statistical tools such as frequency count, percentage, mean score and Pearson product moment correlation analysis were used to analyse data. The result revealed that about 61% of the respondents were males. The average age of the respondents was 57.7 years. About 48.6% of the respondents had primary education. The average years of experience in goat farming was 7 years and the average annual income of the respondents was ₦65,447.62. About 44.8% of the respondents indicated crop farming as the supportive occupation. The average number of Goats reared was 6 goats and about 58.1% of the respondents’ system of goats rearing was semi-intensive system. The main motive for goat production were for financial purpose (43.8%). More than half (56.2%) of the respondents indicated that they had no access to extension services on goat production. About 50.5% of the respondents acknowledged that climate change is occurring. The result revealed that about 52.4% of the respondents had high level of usage of adaptation strategies to climate change. The highest ranked perception statement was that there is increase in temperature (mean=3.45). The result of Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) showed that income (r=0.518), educational status (r=0.425), main motive (r=0.215) and knowledge of climate change (r=0.328) were positively significant to the adaptation strategies to climate change at 5 % level of significance. The study therefore recommends that there should be creation of more awareness on climate change and provision of extension services to goat farmers on adaptation strategies to climate change

An assessment of health practises among small-scale farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria

Objective. The study examines the personal health practices of small scale farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods. Primary data were obtained using a well-structured questionnaire which was distributed to 120 small scale farmers. Descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency count, percentages were used, as well as Pearson Product Moment correlation and analysis for empirical analysis. Results. Results revealed that more than half (55%) smoke cigarettes, about 48% drink alcohol to a very great extent, while the majority (64.5%) indicated they have not been screened to know their HIV status. On a positive note, the results further show that the majority 70%, 53.3%, 80% and 73.3% indicated that they eat a balance diet, engage in physical activity, practice safer sex, and regularly visit a health care centre, respectively. It also revealed that 77% have not attended any training on healthy living. The results of PPMC showed that the health knowledge of respondents had significant (p<0.01) influence on practices like cigarette smoking, eating a balance diet and regular visits to a health care centre. Conclusion. It was concluded that health threatening practices such as cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol among the majority of the respondents, coupled with their lack of health knowledge from health professionals, contributes to the poor health status of respondents which eventually negatively influences the labour efficiency of farmers. It is recommended that farmers should endeavour to make use of health literacy programmes introduced to them at local government level, and that the government should provide more of these health literacy programmes. Key words health practices, small scale farmer

A 3D FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUID FLOW AND CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT THROUGH A POROUS LANDFILL

The paper investigated the flow of incompressible fluid and contaminant transport through a Porous Landfill using a numerical technique. A threedimensional finite element analysis technique was adopted for the solution. The problem was based on the Darcy’s Law and the Advection-Dispersion equation. The solutions of the Darcy’s and Advection-Dispersion equations were generated using Finite Element Analysis Software known as COMSOL Multiphysics. This simulation tool tracked the contaminant transport in the Landfill for 360 days at 10 days interval. It first modeled steady-state fluid flow by employing the Darcy’s Law Application Mode and then followed up with a transient solute-transport simulation by employing the Solute-Transport Application Mode from the Earth Science Module of COMSOL. The solution results obtained from this model were found to be in close agreement with reallife data obtained at the 130- million ton Bukit Tagar Mega Sanitary Landfill site, Selangor near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This showed that the model can effectively predict the trends in the distributions of pollutants from a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill into nearby land and water sources. The model is thus applicable to the issues of environmental protection and safety of groundwater

Perception of Tomato Farmers on Effectiveness of Indigenous Postharvest Value Addition Practices in Surulere Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

The study examined the perception of tomato farmers on effectiveness of indigenous postharvest value addition practices in Surulere Area of Oyo State Nigeria. 160 tomato farmers were randomly selected and interviewed through structured interview schedule. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that majority of tomato farmers in the study area were; female, married, aged between 41- 45 years and had secondary school education. Harvesting of fully ripe tomato usually packed in basket/ raffia early in the morning were common indigenous handling and packaging practices to prevent post-harvest losses by tomato farmers in the study area. Indigenous preservative methods such as sun drying, pureed and sealed with oil in jars, boiled and sealed, cold water were mostly perceived to be effective indigenous preservative methods by tomato farmers in the study area. Regression analysis further revealed that age of respondent has positive influence on farmers’ perception of the effectiveness of indigenous preservative practices. In the view of the findings, it can be concluded that tomato farmers still hold to indigenous postharvest handling, packaging and preservative practices. It is therefore important that agricultural extension services should focus on the provision of facilities that will improve sun drying method commonly used by farmers in the study area. Keywords: Tomato, post-harvest, indigenous, effectiveness, value addition

Tomato Farmers Adoption Level of Post harvest Value Addition Technology and Its Constraints in Surulere Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

The study examined tomato farmers’ adoption level of postharvest value addition technology and its constraints in Surulere Area of Oyo state. 160 tomato farmers were randomly selected and interviewed through structured interview schedule. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed prevalent causes of tomato postharvest losses to include; unreliable means of transportation, lack of adequate storage facilities, limited alternative uses of produce, diseases/pest infestation and non-accessibility to improved varieties and quality seeds. Furthermore, postharvest value addition technologies at adoption level indicated by majority were ranked as follows; sun drying and peeled tomato preserves (88.1%) ranked first, fresh refrigerated (67.5%) ranked third, pureed and sealed with oil in jars (50.6%) ranked fourth, boiled, sealed and packed sealed (50.0%) ranked fifth, cold water bath (46.9%) ranked sixth. Only (3.1%) evaluated pickling, 0.6% trialled irradiation, 2.5% trialled pulping. Constraints faced by majority include; inadequate technological knowledge about value addition, inadequate of electricity supply, lack of cold storage facilities and lack of awareness about value addition technologies. Regression analysis shows significant relation between preventive initiatives adopted by tomato farmers and their level of education, agricultural cooperative membership and availability of electricity and extension agents’ visit. In the view of the findings, the study concludes that tomato farmers have adopted several preventive initiatives for tomato post harvest losses and were still with faced with challenges. It is therefore important improve educational knowledge of tomato farmers in the study area on improved skills to further minimise post-harvest losses. Keywords: tomato, post harvest losses, value addition, constraint