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An Assessment of the Performance of Agricultural
Extension Workers Among Small Holder Farmers
Abstract
This study evaluates the role of
Extension Agents in enhancing the
performance of Farmers’
Multipurpose Cooperatives Societies (FMCS). The small scale farmers are
grappling with numerous problems which have adversely affected their
performance. They joined FMCS in order
to solve those problems. Meanwhile, they
still face some of those problems. A total of 50 FMCS were selected
which 100 members were selected. The officers were purposively selected while
members were randomly selected. Simple statistical analyses were utilized in
the analysis. The results are follows. Most of the cooperators are males,
married and no educational background.
They aged 25 – 50 years, family size
of between 5 and
8, they are on fulltime basis and
produce mostly crops. They
had their income when they joined the
cooperatives because they obtained loan used in expanding the business. They obtained information from fellow
cooperatives. They were also taught new skills. The ordinary least square simple regression shows
that the number
of visits by the Extension Agent
determines the level
of revenue. Therefore Extension Agent play major role in
enhancing revenue through increased output. Among the problems that they faced
was lack of agricultural machineries and implement, late arrivals of outputs,
and high degree if illiteracy amongst them. This researcher recommends making
available machineries and implement, early arrivals inputs and intensification
of non-formal education for the cooperators to widen their scope of knowledge.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background
of the Study
A major problem facing Nigeria today is how to produce enough food for its geometrically increasing population. The level of food production in the country is barely keeping pace with the population growth. The general food situation in Nigeria has been precarious since the early 1970s. The rate of growth in demand for food in Nigeria in the 1970s was 3.7 percent per annum (Food and Agriculture Organization rate (FAO) 2007. In the past two decades the gap between demand and supply of food in Nigeria increased considerably. According to Enugu State blue print on Agricultural policy and program (2006) the population growth in Enugu State is 4332750 persons, which is out pacing food production. To increase production for the increasing population, farmers decide to join cooperative societies. According to Mgbada (2002) observed that the formation of farmers cooperative societies has helped members work together to solve their problems in respect of inputs, credits and marketing of their products. A look at the Nigerian agricultural sector shows that there is every need for something to be done in the area of production for meaningful development to be achieved. The technological revolution has brought about several changes in the structure of agriculture and that is why some agricultural development programmes were initiated by successive government to boost food production. They are:-
1. Agricultural
Development Project (ADP) 1972
2. Federal
Ministry of Agriculture which was created in 1973, it was charged with
developing agriculture.
3. National
Accelerated Food Production
Programme (NAFPP) of 1973.
4. River Basin Development Authority (RBDA) 1974. In 1976, Obasanjo administration launched operation feed the Nation with the hope that food production would increase. His successor Alhaji Shehu Shargari introduced the Green Revolution in 1980, as at the end of February 1983, a staggering sum of #1.2 million had been spent on the programme without any visible increase in food production. Time international (1983). Also launched were Directorate of Food Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) of 1987. The Nigerian Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) of 1992 and later was scrapped Umebali (2004). The facilities such as 18 agricultural commodity Research institutions, 44 agricultural input and services. Mention should be made of Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank Limited now Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank and that of rural banking known as Nigeria Micro-Finance Banks. All with the hope that food production would increase. In Nigeria, farming activities are dominantly performed by individual farmers or household farmers. There is no doubt that the small scale farmers constitutes an important and in invaluable sector on Nigeria economy. The small scale farmers are very efficient in the utilization of the basic production resources available to them. The Nigerian small scale farmers do make significant and important contribution in National economy.
Despite these obvious role played by the small farmers in the economy, the issue of food production is fast into perennial problem. Madu (2004) stated that the record in recent years in many African countries with respect to agricultural production has not been good. Ozowa (2004) observed that a country that is self–sufficient in food production enjoys reasonable measure of power status to certain degree in the work. This according to him is because a country that produces enough food for domestic consumption and excess for export enjoys economic advantages and can utilize food effectively, as power weapon or foreign policy. This self-sufficiency in food production can only be achieved if Nigerian’s greater population that is made up of rural dwellers is mobilized both men and women. The FAO report of 2000 agreed that a nation of rural people must spend most of its manpower and energy in the endless quest for food, and that is only when men and women could be released from its struggle for food its would be possible to produce the other amenities. That result in high standard of living. Unfortunately, the farming conduction of the producers the rural farmers has been made worse by the nature of their faming implement and tools. “He at most always works to the edge of poverty eking out a living as best he knows. Madu (2005).
Moreover, in spite of various scientific
methods and programmes involved in solving these individual farmers problem in
order to boost food production. It has been discovered that the rate at which
population growth was faster than that if food production. Malthus (1992)
argued that a stage would come when food supply would not match population
growth. Although modern economist has proven Malthus theory wrong especially in
Europe and other advanced countries due to development in technical knowledge
and mechanization of agriculture coupled with changes in social status attitude
as regards to the size of family, good
supply has never exceed the population size. However, Malthus theory cannot be
said to be anything less that true as
far as developing countries like Nigeria, Zambia and Niger Republic are
concerned. However, to solve the
individual farmers problems Agricultural Extension Agents has to come in. This
Agency is responsible for extending the scientific knowledge, improving the
skills, practices and changing the attitudes of rural farmer and also
increasing their incomes and standard of living by their own efforts, using
their own resources of manpower and material with the minimum of assistance
from government. By encouraging local leadership and a spirit of self help,
extension develops civil pride and the progressive growth of the community. But
the ministry responsible for the extension of this noble idea has not lived up
to expectation with innovation and practices. Hence, other agencies such as
Farmers’ Multi-purpose cooperative have be organized by the extension services
to serve as channels through which farmers could be helped to accept improved
farm technology on sustained basis. Farmers multi-purpose cooperative society
therefore not only serve the farmers interest in their specific objectives such
as marketing, process,
transport etc. But also the
interest of the community and the country by developing
quantities of leadership and organization in their members. Very often problems
that are common to a number of individuals farmers can be solved by a group
that is cooperatives. The over coming of obstacles to improves living
conditions of rural farmers frequently
depends on well organized joint actions (cooperatives) in
which the people (farmers) take part both in the proposed action. A well
organized cooperative society representing a considerable body of people is
able to bring its vies to the notice of government thereby reducing the gap
that often exist between government and the farmers.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Agricultural production in Enugu State
like in any other state in the country is carried out mostly by smallholder
farmers who always use crude implement in performing their farming activities.
Because of this the performance of the food subsector has rather been poor. According
to Agu (2007) this scale farming consist of a small piece of
land be cultivated, labour
is usually by manual and family. Only
the farming family is catered for the surpluses if any, sold, the total
yield/out put is very low. Obsolete technology or primitive tools are often
used. Cost of production is very low. The farming operations are usually
accomplished with minimum application of agro-chemical (pesticides herbicides
fertilizer etc.) Umebali (2002) pointed out that resource use in small forms
are very efficient with the frame work of static technology and within the
context of traditional tired and sometimes tool proof farming system. Madu
(2004) observed that the farming system in African communities is predominately
traditional, involving daily struggle with primitive tools and implements.
Anyanwu (2004) critically observed that two out of every three Nigerians work
on the farm and that the Nigerian farmer has only primitives tools, small land
holding (0.5-4.0) area infertile soil, poor crop varieties, low yield,
unproductive livestock, low incomes of improving and his family, poor nutrition
and less than desirable levels of family living.
However, it must be emphasized that
peasant cooperator with limited economic resources with which to work few area
of land, few inefficient hand tools and most importantly of all, little or nor
education and technical knowledge on how to improve his agricultural practices
cannot be solely held responsible for such short comings in food production. There
is no doubt that farmers would lead to increase food production and income if
he has contracts with extension agents. These extension agents who are suppose
to impact agricultural knowledge to be farmers are very few in numbers. Some of
them are not knowledgeable enough to carry out the duties assigned to them.
There is no mobility for them to go from one rural area to another etc.
The scientific agricultural information
vendor, thus this work tends to address the following questions:
i. Has
the extension service been able to provide adequate food production
recommendations to
cooperators?
ii. Does
the cooperator carry the right instructions given to them by the extension
agents?
iii. Did
the cooperators perform the instructions at the right time and place?
An Assessment of the Performance of Agricultural Extension Workers Among Small Holder Farmers
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