Impact of Extension Services and Input Consultants’ Activities on Crop Yields of Fadama III (AF) Farmers in Nigeria

Abstract

Engagement of Advisory Services and Input Consultants (ASICs) was one of the strategies deployed by Fadama III Additional Financing (AF) to combat low productivity among crop farmers in Nigeria. Hence, the impact of the consultants’ activities on crop yield of farmers under Fadama III AF was investigated. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 800 respondents, but 687 of the returned questionnaires were analysed using mean, frequencies, percentages and t-test. Findings revealed that adoption and continuous use of quality pest and disease management technology was high among all the categories of farmers with 94.0%, 93.5%, 98.0% and 94.7% of the rice, cassava, sorghum and tomatoes (tomato) farmers, respectively. Furthermore, the average crop yield per hectare for the enterprises were rice ( =11.2 tons), cassava ( =29.1 tons), sorghum ( =1.33 tons) and tomatoes ( =9.7 tons). Meanwhile, inadequate funding/credit facility to implement knowledge gained ( =188) was the most severe constraint affecting adequate participation in ASIC activities. In addition, cassava ( =40,888.01) and sorghum ( =1,658.37) yields of the funded farmers were significantly higher than those of the non-funded farmers. ASIC activities improved crop yield of the farmers. TPractical approaches of ASICs to technologies dissemination should be sustained.

Keywords

• Advisory Services and Input Consultants
• Innovative Extension
• Fadama