Factors Militating against Pesticides use Among Farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria (Published)
The study assessed the factors militating against pesticides use in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire and responses recorded during focus group discussion sessions. A sample size of 240 farmers were randomly selected for the study. About 55.8% of the farmers were male, majority (50.8%) were aged range between 21 – 40 years and 65.4% were married. Majority (56.7%) had tertiary education, most of them (49.6%) take farming as their primary occupation while 65.4% earned monthly income around N50,000. Most of the respondents (92.1%) were Christian, (56.3%) had farming experience between 1 to 10 years. The empirical findings revealed that age, educational status, farming experience, farm size of the respondents as well as their access to extension services, access to modern farm inputs and access to credit facilities statistically are significant factors that influence pesticide use by farmers in Akwa Ibom State. Therefore, the study recommended that extension agent should have contact with farmers at all times to enable them acquire knowledge of various methods of controlling pest and diseases through the use of pesticides.
Keywords: Akwa Ibom State, Farmers, Pesticide, Production, crops
Impact of Agricultural Extension on Food Security among Small Scale Farmers in Wareng District, Kenya (Published)
Agricultural extension is one of the effective tools in attaining the millennium development goals related to the reduction and eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in developing countries like Kenya. Despite that extension services were practiced for many years in Kenya, it is evident that these services have declined rapidly. This paper aims to find out the impact of extension on food security among small scale farmers in Wareng District. A survey of 120 smallholder farmers was used in the study. Though there was difference between farmers in different wealth categories, the mean difference is larger at the present compared to the past. Generally extension have played role in improving the living status of farmers in the study area. However, agricultural extension services seems to have an impact on improving food security in the country and increase the wealth gap between farming households and also replace local landraces with improved varieties. The study recommends that the Kenyan government should develop a new and expanded policy agenda for agricultural extension and communication for rural development focusing national attention on food security and income generation of the rural poor
Keywords: Agriculture, Food Security, crops, extension, livestock’s