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AS AN EXTENSION AGENT, HOW YOU CAN MOTIVATE THE RURAL PEOPLE TO ACCEPT THE NEW INNOVATION OR PACKAGE YOU BROUGHT TO THEM
ABSTRACT
The study is titled “as an extension agent, how you can motivate the rural people to accept the new innovation or package you brought to them”. The study was carried out in Kano State. Four specific objectives and four research questions were formulated. Four null hypotheses were also formulated based on the objectives. Twelve Local Government Areas (a village from each) were selected from the study area for the purpose of this study. 8,866 farmers (household heads) and 236 extension agents served as population for the study. 370 farmers and 152 extension agents were randomly selected from the population as samples. Survey research design was used for the study, where two sets of questionnaire were used as instrument for data collection, one for the farmers, and the other for extension agents. The data collected were analyzed using percentages and Spearman’s Rho Correlation Procedure at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study showed that 87.6% of the farmers were males, 62.2% acquired formal education at different levels, 54.6% belonged to farmers association. 87.6% used improved farm practices introduced to them frequently, 85% had increase in yield after the adoption of the improved practices. 59.4% indicated that cost and unavailability of fertilizers were the major problems that caused them not to adopt the improved farm practices. The results of the tested null hypothesis I indicated that the personal characteristics of the farmers were highly correlated with adoption of agricultural innovation, and that of null hypothesis II discovered that the types of teaching methods used by extension agents in disseminating the improved farm practices to farmers were significantly correlated with the rate of adoption by the farmers, also, the results of the null hypothesis III showed that the adoption of improved farm practices by the farmers was significantly correlated with change in agricultural production, and that of null hypothesis IV ascertained that the factors militating against the adoption of improved farm practices were significantly correlated with effectiveness of extension activities in the study area. Therefore the null hypothesis I, II, III and IV earlier stated were rejected. Conclusively, from the findings, Agricultural Extension Programmes were found effective in the study area, and led to increase in sorghum, millet and cowpea production. However, there were some factors such as high cost of agricultural production inputs and lack of technical knowledge on some improved farm practices that made some farmers not to adopt the improved farm practices introduced to them. Based on the findings of the study, some recommendations were given, that Kano State Government should encourage more adult literacy classes in rural areas, employ more trained male and female extension agents, and provide agricultural inputs to rural farmers on time and at subsidized prices for more effective agricultural extension programme in the state.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Agricultural extension has often been conceptualized as an education process, which promotes learning it uses the combined findings of biological sciences and the principles of social science to bring about changes in knowledge, skill attitude and practices in and out of school setting (Ileubaoje 2004).
Extension agent is critical element in all extension activities. If the extension agent is not able to respond to a given situation and function effectively, it does not matter how imaginative the extension approach is or how impressive the supply of inputs and resources for extension work. Indeed, the effectiveness of the extension agent can often determine the success or failure of an extension programme.
The extension agent has to work with people in a variety of different ways. It is often an intimate relationship and one which demands much tact and resourcefulness. The agent inevitably works with people whose circumstances are different from his own. The extension agent is a change agent: he intervenes to bring about change in order to help improve the lives of the farmers and their families. This is not an easy task and a series of issues arise in relation to this intervention.
The rural areas in Nigeria is characterized by lack of public infrastructure, sub-standard education, poor health services and low agricultural productivity leading to poor standard of living for the majority. The agricultural extension agent in recent years has however played a significant role in improving agricultural production in Nigeria through advisory agent and adequate access to information on improved techniques of production agricultural extension plays a pivotal role in ensuring the awareness and subsequent adoption of the contemporary methods of agricultural management various extension teaching methods have been employed to make sure that the technologies get to the end users prominent among there is the training and visit system of the agricultural development programme. The central principle or idea of the extension strategy is to produce competent and well- informed extension agents who will frequently and regularly visit farmers with relevant technical messages and bring farmers problems to research. The system of extension entails that each extension agent is required to regularly visit the farmers/farmer’s group with relevant messages that are specific to the farm practices taking place in the field at that point in time.
Feed back is also taken by the extension agents from farmers to the research station. The extension agent operates from the back drop belief that increased agricultural productivity depends primarily upon acceptance of improved cultural and technological change at the rural farm level and that peasant farmers can achieve improved production only if they adopt recommended to agricultural practices in place of traditional over. Successful adoption of improved agricultural practices is predicated upon rural farmer’s acquiring the required knowledge and understanding of these technologies. This will improve productivity and rais4e the living standards of the farmers who are the beneficences of the agent (Lawal, Bodo Toriminobia Makanjuola (2006) the efficiency of technologies generated and disseminated however, depends on effective adoption of the technologies by the end-users.
Knowing fully the roles and challenges that face an extension agent, this will serve as a reference point in adopting proven strategies to convince rural farmers to adopt new innovation. The following are the strategies I will adopt to motivate the rural people to accept the new innovation or package I have for them.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
The failure of the various extension workers in ensuring sustainable agricultural growth has become a major concern to all stakeholders, including the donor community. The concerns have been fueled lately by the wave of pluralism, market liberalization and globalization sweeping across the world and giving rise to initiatives that will enhance efficiency and effectiveness of not only the sub-components of extension delivery but the entire system of technology generation, dissemination and use. With a rapidly expending population, environmental degradation, political instability, economies failure and the declining budget, re-thinking the way agricultural information is delivered to farmers has become necessary.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of this study is to determine the various methods to be adopted by extension agents on how to motivate the rural people to accept the new innovations. The specific objectives are to;
examine the farmers’ personal characteristics and their effect on the level of adoption of agricultural innovation in the study area.
identify the extension teaching methods used by extension agents in the area in disseminating the improved practices to farmers, and their effectiveness.
determine the extent of adoption of the recommended practices by the farmers in relation to change in their agricultural production.
ascertain the factors militating against the adoption of extension recommendations in the area.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The study provided answers to the following research questions:
What are the personal characteristics of farmers that are affecting the level of adoption of agricultural innovation?
What are the extension teaching methods used by extension agents in disseminating the improved practices to farmers and their effectiveness?
To what extent have farmers adopted the recommended practices in
relation to change in their agricultural production?
What are the factors militating against the adoption of extension recommendations in the area?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The researcher tested the following null hypotheses:
There is no significant relationship between the farmers’ personal characteristics, and their level of adoption of agricultural innovation.
There is no significant relationship between the extension teaching methods used by extension agents in disseminating the improved practices, and the rate of adoption by the farmers.
There is no significant relationship between the rate of adoption of the recommended practices by the farmers, and the change in their agricultural production.
There is no significant relationship between factors militating against the adoption of extension recommendations in the study area, and the effectiveness of the programme being carried out in the area.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will be of importance to the agricultural extension decision makers by identifying the problems confronting extension activities for consideration in future development planning.
The study will be of importance to the extension agents by providing them with information relevant to their extension activities.
The study will provide useful information that will increase the standard of living of the farmers. iv. The study will be significant to the researchers as it will serve as literature for future references.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study intends to evaluate the various methods to be adopted by extension agents on how to motivate the rural people to accept the new innovations .The state is divided into three (3) agricultural zones-zones I, zone II and zone III, according to Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) agricultural zoning. Four (4) Local Government Areas were selected from each zone for the purpose of this study.
As an extension agent, how you can motivate the rural people to accept the new innovation or package you brought to them
The study therefore was delimited to twelve local government areas, namely; kibiya, kura, madobi, rogo, danbatta, bichi, tofa, gabasawa, gaya, warawa, wudil and garko. Twelve (12) villages were involved in the study, one village from each local government area. The study was also delimited to the study of sorghum, millet and cowpea producing farmers, these are major crops grown in the study area. The extension agents in the local government areas, were involved in the study.
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