THE ROLES OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGENTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY

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THE ROLES OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGENTS ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Agricultural extension is an applied behavioural science, which is applied to bring about desirable changes in the behavioural complex of farming community, usually through various strategies and programmes of change, by applying latest scientific and technological innovation (Bokor, 2008). According to Iwena (2008), agricultural extension is a process whereby modern farming techniques and research findings are taking to the farmers through extension and problems of the farmers are taken to research institutions for solution. Iwena, (2008) added that, agricultural extension is an informal, out of school voluntary agricultural education involving the spread or dissemination of information, recent improved development in agriculture from researchers to the farmers through extension agents.

Agricultural extension workers teach farmers about marketing and help farm groups organize both buying and selling cooperative. Extension workers help farmers grow crops, home owners plan and maintain their homes, and children learn skills to become tomorrow‟s leaders. Extension teaching is the process through which the extension workers stimulate interest in the learning more by using various teaching methods, tools and techniques to improve the situation. The essential role of agricultural extension workers is to create an effective learning situation. Other roles played by extension workers according to Iwena, (2008) include the following:

Providing agricultural consultancy services, planning and executing programmes, organizing and supervising farmers groups, conducts and organizing training for farmers, liaising with other agencies, assisting in improving famers outlook, acting as intermediary between researchers and farmers, teaching farming practices, evaluating extension programmers and locating marketing channels.

Agricultural extension workers used the following methods in teaching farmers, according to Iwena (2008). The methods are:- (1) individual method, which can be sub-divided

into:

Home visit
Office visit
Telephone call
Correspondence
Result demonstrations (2) Group methods which include: Field trips, Symposia, Group,

Demonstration plots, Lecturing, Excursion, Agricultural show, Debate

3. Mass Media, this is divided into:

Electronic
Prints Media

Agricultural extension workers in Kaduna State live in localities where the secondary schools are cited (Iwena, 2008). Therefore, it is expected that they do make contributions on the agricultural activities of farmers in their communities. Idowu (2006) said that a community is a group of people living together and having many things in common. Both farmers and agricultural extension Workers live in the same communities and it is hoped that both interact and benefit from one another in terms of agricultural development. Idowu further stressed that agricultural Science as a community based educational programme should focus on the needs of the local community and when the needs of the farmers are being met, development takes place.

Sustainable development is one of the fundamental challenges confronting humanity (Seema, 2007). Seema defined sustainable development as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to develop. According to world commission on environment and development (2007) sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is generally thought to have three components, namely: environment, society and economy. Meeting the needs of the generation depends on the sustainability in agricultural products because human beings depend on agriculture for food and fibre. Sustainable development in agriculture is the ability of farmers to produce farm products continuously without causing irreversible damage to the ecosystem (Rodney 2008). All agricultural land needs to be sustained to be able to produce the needed food for the growing population.

Sustainable farming and natural resource management is relatively knowledge intensive’ requiring the application of general ecological principles to a specific situation. Joint problem solving with clients, leading to an enhanced ability to identify and solve problems, will be an appropriate way of influencing their future behaviour. Extension objectives can range from the effective transfer of technology to the building up of strong rural organisations which can exert influence over future research and policy agendas, and also take and enforce collective decisions over natural resource management. A shift towards the latter will promote more sustainable agricultural development. Most extension agencies have concentrated on influencing clients’ decisions in respect of land and other resources at the individual household scale. Many of the environmental problems which affect small-scale farmers, however, can only be solved through collective decisions and action. Extension personnel may need to spend more time supporting collective decision-making and facilitating follow-up action.

Seema (2009) stated that agricultural sustainability is a means of producing sufficient qualities of safe and healthy food, while improving the livelihood of farmers and preserving precious environmental resources for future generation of farmers and consumers. Majority of food produced in Nigeria is gotten from small scale farmers. This implies that the agricultural development in Nigeria depends on the production in the local communities. Ojipon (2009) opine that Nigerian agriculture comprises mainly of small scale farmers who still use traditional farming methods to till the soil for seed planting.

Therefore, it is important to point out that attaining the goal of sustainable agriculture is the responsibilities of all participants in the systems, including farmers, laborers, policy makers, researchers, retailers, agricultural extension workers, consumers and the community. Each group has its own part to play, and its own unique contribution to make in order to strengthen the sustainable agriculture community (David, 2010). It is against this background that this study was conducted to examine the contributions of agricultural extension workers in promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna State.

1.2 Statement of the Research Problem

Even though agriculture is the backbone of Kaduna State economy, its sustainability in the country‟s rural poor farming communities through agricultural development programmes is yet to be achieved. The major challenge in Kaduna State‟s economy is that the bulk of the agricultural produce (about 70 percent) is obtained from the smallholder farmers most of which are vulnerable to prevailing government policies and strategies. According to Iwena (2008) many farmers did not apply the knowledge which extension agents taught them. Iwena (2008) also points out that majority of farmers do not know how to market their produce for profit because, farmers lack knowledge of the time when produces are more demanding in the markets.

According to Adamu (2008) many farmers in Kaduna state still adhered to their old system of farming instead of the modern systems of farming, which can bring more yield in their crop production. Adamu (2008) also pointed out that many farmers in Kaduna were not able to process their farm produce very well, and this led to spoilage and destruction by pest and diseases. Adamu (2008) added that many farmers in Kaduna were faced with the problem of soil management and control of erosion in their farms and they need to be shown a way out of how to control these problems. Farmers in Kaduna State were having problems of keeping animals and at the same time having problem in, cultivating land for crop planting, they lack the principle (s) involved in the mixed farming as a system of farming.

The challenge, however, is to make these agricultural development programmes sustainable so that there is improvement in the lives of the poor. Empirical evidence tend to show that for any development to achieve high level of food production and become self-sustaining, it will have to include the rural areas in general and the agricultural sector in particular (Todaro and Smith, 2009). This requires employing strategies that should be sufficient enough to generate the level of economic activity among smallholder farmers. Such strategies include sustainable poverty reduction and lessening continued dependence on foreign aid for food security through empowering the socially and economically poor farming communities. Thus, sustainability in agriculture development programmes can be achieved if the government provides strategies that build the local capacity and that empowers the smallholder farmers to sustain high levels of agricultural productivity.

The researcher‟s personal observation and experience showed that farmers in Kaduna State are faced with problems ranging from soil water management, storage produce, systems of farming, rearing animals, processing and preservation of crops produce proper marketing channels. It was based on these observed problems that the researcher undertook this research work so as to find out the contributions of agricultural extension workers in promoting sustainable agricultural development among farmers in Kaduna State.

1.3 Research Questions

The study sought answers to the following research questions:-

i. What are the contributions of agricultural extension workers on soil and water management practices among farmers for promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna State?

In what ways have agricultural extension workers contributed to livestock production practices among farmers for promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna

State?

To what extent has extension workers contributed to crop production practices among farmers for promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna State?
What contributions have agricultural extension workers made on crop processing practices among farmers for promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna State?
In what ways have agricultural extension workers contributed to crop preservation and storage practices among farmers for promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna State?
What are the contributions of agricultural extension workers to agricultural marketing strategies among farmers for promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna State?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study was to determine the contributions of agricultural extension workers in promoting sustainable agricultural development among farmers in Kaduna

State, Nigeria.

The specific objectives were to:- i determine the contributions of agricultural extension workers on soil and water management practices among farmers.

ii establish the contribution of Agricultural extension workers to livestock production practices among farmers; iii. determine the contributions of Agricultural extension workers on crop production

practices; iv evaluate the contributions of agricultural extension workers in crop processing practices among farmers; v assess the contributions of agricultural extension workers to storage and preservation of agricultural products; and vi. assess the contributions of agricultural extension workers on agricultural marketing strategies among farmers.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will help the farmers to see the need to appreciate the contributions made by Agricultural extension workers in the area of soil and water management practices in promoting sustainable agricultural development in Kaduna state. This is because the study will bring out the activities of Agricultural extension workers in this direction.

The findings of this study will help for possible intervention strategies that will address the problem of wrong attitude of farmers towards Agricultural extension workers. It is expected that the finding of the study will encourage farmers to seek for the advice of Agricultural extension workers before carrying out their activities. The study will also give farmers and the local communities the incentives to appreciate the contributions of Agricultural extension workers in the society in the area of animal production practices, crop processing practices, agricultural marketing strategies and others.

The study contributes in analysing an agricultural policy that sustains high levels of agricultural productivity given the decline in commercial estate activities and the decreasing smallholder farm sizes due to rapid population increases hence fragmentation of customary land. In the past, the development of commercial estate agriculture was the backbone of agricultural development such that the Government subsidised commercial estate agriculture while smallscale farmers were neglected. By so doing, the Government contributed to urban sector development.

The study expects to contribute not only to the already existing body of knowledge but also on how the policy environment created by the government affects the sustainability of agricultural development programmes in the smallholder sector. Consequently, this study provides additional insights and understanding to the government, the private sector, Non Governmental Organizations, policy makers, farmer organizations and various other stakeholders in the agricultural sector in Kaduna about the agricultural transformation in the country. The government and policy makers will further benefit through various agricultural policy option suggested by the research. The findings of this study will enable the state government to take decisive and urgent actions to assist Agricultural extension workers so that they can put more efforts in promoting sustainable Agricultural Development in Kaduna State. It is also hoped that the findings of this study will motivate agricultural science students to consider agriculture as positive future career and this is bound to lead to a developed and self-reliant society.

1.6 Delimitation of the Study

This research study was delimited to the contributions of Agricultural extension workers in promoting sustainable agricultural development in area of soil and water management practices, animal production practices, crop production practices, Crop processing practices, preservation and storage of agricultural products, and marketing strategies of farm produce due to time and financial constraints. The study was also delimited to full time farmers in the three (3) senatorial zones of Kaduna State, in which nine (9) local government areas was selected. It was also delimited to the contributions of agricultural extension workers in Kaduna State. The choice of the local government was based on the fact that farmers in these local government areas keep records and also farmers in these areas involved in extension work (Adamu, 2008).

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