Use of Social Media for Marketing of Agricultural Commodities in Selected Markets in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examined the use of social media for marketing agricultural commodities in Nigeria particularly in Ibadan metropolis. Descriptive survey design was used to carry out the study, while 100 questionnaires were used to obtain data from the market traders of Agricultural products in Ibadan. Data was analyzed using descriptive (mean, frequency, standard deviation, percentages) statistics. The result shows that majority of the respondents were female (61%), married (36%) and within the age range of 30-35 years. The findings also revealed that Instagram, Facebook and Youtube are the most used social media App among the respondents and almost all the respondents (96%) spend more than 1 hour daily on social media for advertising their products. The study further revealed that Facebook and Instagram were the most preferred social media tools for product marketing by the respondents. The study therefore shows that social media was used to a very high extent to enhance customer relationship and increase sales due to its mode of operation in marketing agricultural commodities. It’s recommended that agricultural commodities sellers should learn more on how to effectively use social media for agricultural commodity marketing

Determinants of Youth’s Participation in Agricultural Enterprises in Rural Communities of Ogun State, Nigeria

Agriculture is a source of livelihoods for most rural people, but majority of the rural populace face many hurdles such as lack of access to credit and other resources necessary to earn a livelihood. However, despite the opportunities available in agriculture, unemployment rate and rural-urban migration is still high and on the increase. This study was designed to identify the determinants of youth participation in agricultural enterprises in Ogun State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 125 farmers (youths) for the study. A well-structured questionnaire was used in collecting the data and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results show that many (30.4%) were between 30-34 years of age, majority (59.2%) of the respondent recorded household size 1-3 persons. Majority (52.0%) of the respondents are into farming as their primary occupation, 83.2% strongly agree that agricultural enterprise reduced dependency on government and the community, 83.2% noted subsidy on fertilizer is not available, 96.8% indicated highly benefited on increase in self-worth, 79.2% encountered poor returns to investment as the severe constraint, 96.0% were fully involved in cassava production, while 95.2% participated in maize production. These youths are confronted with different challenges constraining their participation in agricultural enterprises. Hence, access to credit facilities, increase in farm size will enable youths to participate in the available enterprises, thereby, increasing youth participation in agricultural enterprises and assist them to attain the efficient point on the production frontier

Assessment of timber species availability in selected sawmills and timber markets in Kogi State, Nigeria

This paper assessed the availability of timber species in Okun Area, Kogi West Senatorial District of Kogi State, Nigeria. One hundred copies of structured questionnaire were randomly administered to timber sellers from six selected timber markets and sawmills from two randomly selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) the State .Four timber markets were selected from Ijumu LGA and two from Kabba-Bunu LGA, making a total of six timber markets. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage distributions as well as content analysis were used to analyse the collected data. Study revealed that 21% of the timber dealers were more than 50 years of age, with about 69% of them having been in business for 20 years and above. Different reasons were given by respondents on why they engage in the timber business and these include availability, durability and demand, with 40% of them citing the demand for the timber species as the reason why they traded the species. The study shows that certain timber species such as Terminalia spp, Milicia excelsa, and Nauclea dideriichii have become endangered species due to over exploitation. Therefore, there is need for the planting of fast growing plantation species by State Forestry Department in Kogi State to replace commercially popular and endangered species as alternatives to decreasing availability of popular timber species so as to avoid running out of valuable and good quality timber species in the near future.Keywords: Timber, Okun, durability, availability, demand, workabilit

Analysis of the determinants of rural households’ adaptation to climate change in Ibarapa Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

It is a common belief that rural farmers’ livelihoods are susceptible to climate change. Literature has even suggested that locally driven adaptations are critical complementary strategies that can be targeted to reduce the negative effects of climate change in the short-term. This study examined the determinants of rural households’ adaptation to climate change in Ibarapa Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. The paper also assessed farmers’ perceived effects of climate change on their livelihood and the strategies adopted by households to adapt to the effects of climate change, as well as the constraints to their adaptation to climate change. One hundred and twenty copies of questionnaire were administered to household heads out of which only one hundred and eighteen copies were found analysable and used for the study. The results showed that there were several effects of climate change perceived by the farmers. These include poor crop yields, which is the most noticeable effect by farmers. Others are a loss of livestock, environmental degradation, and even psychological trauma. The regression results revealed that several socioeconomic variables significantly influenced rural households’ decision to adapt to climate change. Some of these variables were farmers’ access to weather information, access to credit facilities, farming experience, household size. Some of the challenges rural households encountered in their bid to adapt to climate change were also identified. These were unpredictability of weather, high costs of farm inputs, lack of access to water during dry season and lack of access to timely weather information. It is therefore recommended that government through its agency, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, should provide timely weather information to farmers to help them plan their farming activities. In addition, irrigation facilities should be made available to farmers in the study area so that they can engage in dry season farming and make farm produce available all-year round. This will help boost food security status of farmers and by extension, the entire country.Keywords: Climate Change, Adaptation strategies, Ibarapa, Mitigation, Rural Household

Economic implications of pastoralists -farmers’ conflicts on agroforestry farming in North Central Nigeria

This study examines the escalating conflict between the farmers and the pastoralists in the North Central region of Nigeria. The  conflicts have reached an alarming rate in recent times as examined. It has not only led to social disorder but has also left an unfortunate indelible mark on the agroforestry farmers in terms of their productivity. The study examines the pastoralists-farmers’ conflicts in north central Nigeria with regard to the economic implication the conflicts specifically have on the agroforestry farmers as well as their productivity in general. North Central Nigeria was purposely selected for the study because of the severity of the prevailing conflicts between the farmers and the pastoralists (Abugu and Onuba, 2015). Out of the six states that make up the North Central in Nigeria, three (3) states: Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states were purposely chosen being the most affected states (Abugu et. al., 2015). ne hundred and eighty (180) questionnaires were prepared and administered to the selected agroforestry farmers within the region. The questionnaires solicited for the following information: demographic characteristics of the respondents, causes of farmer- pastoralist conflicts, economic implication of farmer- pastoralist conflicts, frequency of conflict, among others. Keywords: Economic Implication, Pastoralist, Farmers, Conflic

Impact of pastoralists-farmers’ conflicts on agroforestry farmers’ psychology and agricultural production in north central Nigeria

The study examined the escalating conflict between the farmers and the pastoralists in the North Central region of Nigeria with regard to its impact on the psychology and productivity of agroforestry farmers. Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states were reported to be the most affected by farmer- pastoralist conflicts in North Central Nigeria, they were therefore purposively selected for the study. The local governments that are most affected by the conflicts were also selected in each state. 25% of agroforestry farmers in each of the selected local government were randomly selected for the study. A total of one hundred and eighty (180) well-structured questionnaires were administered to farmers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage while the correlation coefficient (r) was used to draw inferences between the variables of the hypotheses. The study found out that 29% of the respondents were between the ages of 31-40, 75.6% were male, 69.8% were married, 37.2% had secondary education and majority of them (83.8%) were Christians. Also, 67.8% of them take farming as their main occupation. 40% of them has 6-10 acres of farm size. The Spearman’s rho correlation analysis revealed that demographics characteristics [age (r= -0.341; p= 0.000) education status (r= 0.200; p= 0.008) and household size (r= 0.151; p= 0.042)] of the respondents significantly correlated with the impact the conflict had on respondents’ psychology. The correlation coefficient (R)) showed that frequency of conflict is significantly related to respondents’ agricultural loss (r=0.183; p=0.025) and that the conflicts impact on respondents’ psychology is significantly correlated with their agricultural productiity (r=0.1357; p=0.034)