Assessment of training needs of extension staff of agricultural development programme (ADP), Edo state, Nigeria.

The study assessed the training needs of extension agents in Edo State Agricultural Development Programme (ESADP). The study specifically examined the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, tasks and new tasks performed by them and the task areas in which they needed further training. Using structured questionnaire, data were collected from seventy six (76) randomly selected extension agents in 3 agricultural zones of Edo State. Findings revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 41.7 years. More than half (55.3%) of them holders of National Diploma (ND) and about seventy two percent of the respondents had been working in extension service for 6 and 7 years. The tasks performed by the extension staff ranged from advising farmers on improving methods of farming to new task on health issues such as campaign on HIV/AIDS. The study identified strong training needs for Edo State extension agents on communication skills (X= 4.60), planning demonstration (X=4.60), evaluation of trials (X= 4.57) and farmers training (X=4.56). The correlation analysis showed that education had significant relationship many areas of the respondents’ training needs: farmer identification (r= -0.190, p ≤ 0.05), nutrition and food utilization (r = 0.339, p X 0.05), communication skills (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05), planning demonstration (r = 0.190, p ≤0.05), recording and reporting (r = 0.260, p ≤ 0.05), evaluation of trials (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05 ), and rodents and pest control (r = 0.236, p ≤ 0.05 ). Similarly, job experience had significant relationship with the respondents’ training need in the area of planning demonstration (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05). It was suggested that there is a need for regular training needs analysis, especially for new recruited agricultural graduates to determine their areas of deficiencies.Key Words: Assessment, Tasks Performed, Training Needs, Extension Staff, ADP

Constraints Associated With Pesticide Safety Measures Adoption Among Users In Oil Palm Farms In Edo, Delta And Ondo States, Nigeria

Safety of farmers is basic to the realization of food security and agricultural transformation in developing countries globally. Most farming activities predispose farmers, non-farmers and farming communities to health hazards because some users of these hazardous substances deliberately refuse to observe necessary precautionary measures. This study assessed constraints associated with pesticide safety measures adoption among users of pesticides in oil palm farms in Edo, Delta and Ondo States. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 268 respondents. Questionnaire was used to collect primary data analyzed for this study using frequency counts, percentages, and means while Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine the relationships between the response and predictor variables of the study. Results showed that about 95% of the respondents adopted the 28 identified pesticide safety measures. Nine constraints to pesticide users’ adoption of pesticide safety measures were identified by respondents. Inconveniences of personal protective clothing on users (=2.28), some pesticide safety measures are dangerous to man ( =2.16), and lack of money to buy protective equipment ( =2.05) were found to be serious constraints to adoption of safety measures. There was a significant difference in constraints to adoption among pesticide users in oil palm farms in the surveyed States (H= 9.524, P<0.05). It is recommended that safety measures should be included in agricultural messages disseminated to farmers especially those that use pesticides. Key Words: Constraints, Pesticide, Safety Measures, Oil Palm, Adoptio

Determinants of Access and Farmers\u2019 use of Information and Communication Technologies (1CTs) in Edo State, Nigeria

This study assessed determinants of farmers access and use of new ICTS in the study area. Data obtained from 270 respondents through multi-stage sampling technique were subjected to descriptive and logit regression analysis. The results show that GSM is the only new ICT farmers have access to (mean= 2.66) and use regularly (mean =3.44) while they have little or no access to and use either computer, E- mail or internet. This poor farmers access to and use of new ICTs can limit the extent of agricultural information they can receive. The probability of respondents having high access to new ICTS was significantly related to education (b = 0.784) and farming income, (b = 0.754). The study recommends organizing farmers into associations for training in the use of and collective acquisition of new ICTs

Determinants of Access and Farmers’ use of Information and Communication Technologies (1CTs) in Edo State, Nigeria

This study assessed determinants of farmers access and use of new ICTS in the study area. Data obtained from 270 respondents through multi-stage sampling technique were subjected to descriptive and logit regression analysis. The results show that GSM is the only new ICT farmers have access to (mean= 2.66) and use regularly (mean =3.44) while they have little or no access to and use either computer, E- mail or internet. This poor farmers access to and use of new ICTs can limit the extent of agricultural information they can receive. The probability of respondents having high access to new ICTS was significantly related to education (b = 0.784) and farming income, (b = 0.754). The study recommends organizing farmers into associations for training in the use of and collective acquisition of new ICTs

Gender analysis of improved farm practices adopted by pineapple farming households in Edo State, Nigeria

The study examined a gender analysis of adoption of improved technologies among pineapple farmers in Esan west Local Government Area of Edo State. Specifically, the study examined socio-economic characteristics of pineapple farmers, ascertains their level of adoption of improved technologies in pineapp le production, determined the level of males and females involved in adoption of improved technologies and the factors influencing the adoption of improved practices in pineapple production, and identified the constraints limiting the adoption of productio n technologies by pineapple farmers in the study area. Data were collected from eighty (80) respondents randomly selected from the study area. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The result showed that the mean age of the respondents was 34 years, majorly were male (62.5%) with (45.0%) being married and 66.2% educated. The average farming experience of the respondents was 17.4 years, with a mean household size of four persons and an average farm size of 3 hectares per farmer with mean income of ₦68,218.75. About (73.8%) belong to farmers association. Gender analysis indicated that males accounted for 52.5%. 44.53%.28.75% 50% 51.56% 33.75% and 48.75% of pineapple farmers that adopted the seven technologies introduced to them while females accounted for 31.25%, 26.71%, 17.50%, 28.75%, 30 %and 20% of the respondents that adopted the seven technologies respectively. The respondents’ major methods of harvesting were the use of hand (31.3%), cutlass. The major constraints faced by respondents in the adoption of improved pineapple practices were cost of innovation, relevance of innovation, availability farm inputs associated with the technology, timeliness, Source of the technology, cultural acceptability and compatibility with the exiting practices. Chi-square result shows that socio-economic factors such as sex (x2=5.00), marital status (x2=38.125), level of formal education, farming experience (x2=31.475), household size (x2=8.450), farm size (x2=27.100), income (x2=25.300) and membership of association (x2=18.050) had significant relationship with the adoption of improved farm practices in pineapple production. It was concluded that male pineapple farmers had higher level of adoption of improved practices in pineapple production than their female counterparts. It is recommended that extension agents should encourage more female farmers on the need to adopt improved farm practices in pineapple production.Keywords: Gender, Adoption. Improved technology, Pineappl