Determinants of Food Security among Forest-Based Households in Oyo State, Nigeria

The growth of food insecurity kept increasing despite numerous policies and programmes geared towards improving the living standards of rural households in Nigeria. This study assessed the determinants of food security among forest-based households in Oyo state, Nigeria by obtaining data from 240 respondents with the aid of well-structured questionnaires and interview guide. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive statistics and logit regression model. The result of the descriptive statistics showed that the mean age of the respondents was \ub142, about 65% of the respondents were female while 60% were married and about 43% had primary education. Also, the results revealed that most respondents (67%) produced food by themselves, 65% of them took two square meals per day and 70% skip meals as a coping strategy due to insufficient food. Furthermore, logistic regression model reveals that sex, household size, household\u2019s head income and land ownership have significant effects on rural household food security in the study area. The study thus recommends that food stabilization and creation of job opportunities such as crafting and agro- allied activities should be given a desired attention in the rural area

Factors Determining the Willingness to Adopt Grasscutter Domestication Technology among Urban Dwellers in Southwest, Nigeria

This study investigated factors determining the willingness to adopt grasscutter domestication technology in South west, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 160 respondents from 9 urban towns in Oyo, Ogun and Osun States. Well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive analysis, correlational analysis and t-test. Results showed that the majority (69.4%) of the respondents were male and married. Coefficient correlation (r value) at (p< 0.05), shows that there is a significant association between respondents\u2019 educational status, religion, household size, primary as well as secondary education with respondents\u2019 willingness to adopt the technology. There was also found significant relationship between, perceived health status of those who are into the grasscutter technology, perceived nutritional value and economic value of the grasscutter domestication technology with the willingness to adopt the grasscutter domestication technology. The result if the T-test revealed that there is significant relationship between perceived ease of practice and willingness to adopt the technology. The majority of the respondents are willing to rear grasscutter if variables like space, fund, availability of ready-made buyer and feed, breeding stock and training are put into place. However, issues relating to having enough plots of land, funding, ready-made buyer of grasscutter, and training facilities are most germane. It is therefore recommended that funding and training on the adoption of the grasscutter domestication technology should be made available to individuals

Assessment of Extension Officers Contribution to Cocoa Production in Nigeria

This study was carried out to evaluate the extension officer contribution to cocoa production in Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used, where two hundred and sixteen questionnaires were distributed in Osun and Ondo state , the information gathered were analyzed using descriptive statistic such as; frequency and percentage, while chi-square analysis was used to analyze the data obtained. From the results, married (77.6%), male (84.0%), secondary school holders (52.0%), between 40-49 (34.4%) years old farmers were seen as the highest cocoa producers. Extension training(64.0%), commercial agents(64.0%), fellowship(52.8%), self observation(76.0%) were the best source of information on extension service of cocoa farming , most respondents (65.0%); get extension training programme at regular basis, identified Constraints facing cocoa production in the study area includes deficient credit facilities, high cost of labour, bad road, poor marketing/storage facilities, lack of technical knowledge / assess to technical tools and so on. in view of afore mentioned result it is therefore recommended that the government should make loan available to the cocoa famers at very low interest rate and urge cocoa farmers to form cooperative society, strengthen their agricultural extension agents so that they will be able to rain cocoa farmers on the basic things they should know about primary processing such as fermentation and drying of cocoa beans in improving the quality in Nigeria to meet international market

Factors Determining the Willingness to Adopt Grasscutter Domestication Technology among Urban Dwellers in Southwest, Nigeria

This study investigated factors determining the willingness to adopt grasscutter domestication technology in South west, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 160 respondents from 9 urban towns in Oyo, Ogun and Osun States. Well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive analysis, correlational analysis and t-test. Results showed that the majority (69.4%) of the respondents were male and married. Coefficient correlation (r value) at (p< 0.05), shows that there is a significant association between respondents’ educational status, religion, household size, primary as well as secondary education with respondents’ willingness to adopt the technology. There was also found significant relationship between, perceived health status of those who are into the grasscutter technology, perceived nutritional value and economic value of the grasscutter domestication technology with the willingness to adopt the grasscutter domestication technology. The result if the T-test revealed that there is significant relationship between perceived ease of practice and willingness to adopt the technology. The majority of the respondents are willing to rear grasscutter if variables like space, fund, availability of ready-made buyer and feed, breeding stock and training are put into place. However, issues relating to having enough plots of land, funding, ready-made buyer of grasscutter, and training facilities are most germane. It is therefore recommended that funding and training on the adoption of the grasscutter domestication technology should be made available to individuals. Keywords: grasscutter, technology, urban dwellers, southwest Nigeri