Information and Training Sources Used by Rice Farmers in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the information and training sources used by rice farmers in North central, Nigeria. A total of 320 respondents were selected and interviewed using structured interview schedule. The respondents were of two categories, the participants and non-participants of the intervention programme. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean, ranking and chi square. Majority (80.6%) of the non-participants had been cultivating rice for more than 20 years and it was only few (10%) of the participants that had been cultivating rice for more than 20 years, majority (91.3%) of the participants had above 2.5 ha and only about 33.1% of the non-participants had rice farm size above 2.5 ha. Many of the non-participants (57.5%) had up to 3 different plots of rice farm, while the majority of the participants (51.3%) had up to 2 different plots for rice farming. Non-participants and participants claimed that other farmers (93.1%) and USAID/Market field officers (100%) respectively were their main sources of information. Training perception indicates that selection of high yielding varieties with the mean score of 3.95 ranked 1st, selection of healthy seeds with a mean score of 3.92 ranked 2nd and fertilizer use ranked 3rd as the most relevant improved technologies on which training was received. The study also reveals that training was positively associated with adoption, the result of the paired mean difference between the output (35.863 ) and income (149113.8) of participants and non-participants showed clearly significant mean deference. Implying that training and adoption of improved rice package had a positive and significant effect on output and income. It was recommended that frequent training of the rice farmers in the study area should be given top-most priority so that the farmers can obtain adequate information and, consequently, obtain optimum yield from the adoption of improved rice packages.