AKSU Journal of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
ISSN(Online): 2736-0040 ISSN(Print): 2695-1975
ISSN(Online): 2736-0040 ISSN(Print): 2695-1975
Abstract
This study assessed the effectiveness of extension services among arable crop farmers in Itu Local
Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Data were obtained from 120 farmers through random
sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data analysis. Findings had
it that 16.7 percent of the respondents were less than 20 years, and the mean age was 42. Also, 34.2 percent
of the respondents were male while 65.8 percent were female. Again, 8.3 percent of the respondents had
no formal education, 32.5 percent attended primary school, and most (50%) of the respondents were
literates. The available information sources to the farmers in the study area were, radio and television with
mean score of 3.0 each, neighbours 2.80, co farmers (3.0), cooperative meetings and extension agents with
mean scores of 2.0 each. Above all, internet and town hall meetings were not available for the farmers.
The adopted practices by farmers in the study area were, regular weeding (3.5), proper harvesting (3.3),
mixed Cropping (3.2), mulching (3.1), bush fallowing (3.1), sole (2.9), mixed farming (2.7) and regular
pest and diseases control (2.7). The services rendered by the extension agents in the study area was
moderately effectiveness. The constraints faced by the farmers were marketing challenges, lack of
coordination among agents, poor infrastructure, inadequate and irregular funding, inadequate and poor
quality of staff, poor targeting of vulnerable groups and top-down approach. From the afore-going, it is
pertinent to recommend that, farmers should be encouraged through adequate training, with increased
incentives to extension agents, coupled with budgetary supervisions to ensure effective extension service
delivery to the arable crop farmers in the study area.