Adoption of Extension technologies is very important in agricultural production no doubt.
ADOPTION OF EXTENSION TECHNOLOGIES
One may ask what extension technologies are? Let us look at the nature of rural farming in Nigeria. Rural farming in Nigeria is characterized by use of crude innovations and local technologies.
Others characteristics include drudgery, non-participation of youths, dirtiness in look while working, small scale production as well as other negative aspects of agriculture.
To mitigate this, researchers have sort to develop new ideas that may encourage increase in yield, youth participation, and reduction in drudgery.
These methods are best developed and transferred by agricultural extension agents.
Thus, the use of all information transferred by extension agents is known as adoption of extension technologies. Thus, this study.
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This study analyzed the determinants of farmers’ adoption of extension technologies in Ivo L.G.A of Ebonyi State.
Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 80 farmers and 8 extension agents who formed the respondents for the study.
Data were collected through the aid of questionnaire and interview schedule whereas the analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics suiting each specific objective.
Result showed that most of the farmers (82.50%) and extension agents (75%) were males while their mean ages were 37 and 44 years respectively.
It was obvious that 67.50% and 75% of the farmers and extension agents were respectively married while their annual income was N98,070 and N504,200 respectively.
The result showed further that about 81.9% change in the dependent variable (adoption of extension technology packages) was caused by variations of socio-economic characteristics included in the regression model.
The following were the research recommendations; Educational facilities should be made available for rural farmers to enhance easy adoption of extension technologies in order to enhance production;
Government and NGOs should endeavor to subsidize the cost of extension technologies in order to enhance easy adoption by rural farmers;
Credit institutions are advised to give farmers loans in order to enhance their accessibility of ADP extension technology packages in the area.
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