ABSTRACT
Despite the existence of relevant information to increase Agricultural Productivity, many farmers are yet to receive such information due to the limited number of extension workers, particularly in developing nations like Nigeria. Hence, this study was carried out to assess extension workers and practice of extension principles in Edo and Delta States.
A multistage sampling techniques was adopted in randomly selecting 80 and 120 respondents from Four Local Government Areas each with high concentration of extension workers in Edo and Delta States respectively. Data was analyzed using frequency count, percentage and mean for hypothesis testing.
Result showed that majority (46.3%) and 42.5%) were over 49-60 years and above, (52.5%) and (87.5%) were males, (83.8%) and (51.7%) were married, with (62.5%) and (35.0%) were literate, (57.5%) and (56.7%) have 10-15 years working experience. Extension workers get information on their job through farm visit (x=3.81) and (x=3.69), home visit (x=3.71) and (x=2.86) in Edo and Delta States. Some of the constraints the respondents faced (x=2.50) were financial problems, farmers culture, lack of motivation, transportation problem, leadership problem in mostly Edo and fairly in Delta States. But the total pooled analyzed result showed that respondents source of information and in the discharge of their job, respondent were not too faced with problems.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0INTRODUCTION
Information and Communication have always mattered in Agricultural. Communication may be defined as giving or exchanging information, option and idea by writing, speech or visual means (Ganguly, 2006). Even since people have grown crops, raised livestock, and caught fish, they have sought information from, one another. What is the most effective planting strategy on steep scope? Where can I acquire a land title? Who is paying the highest price at the market? How can I participate in the government credit program? Producers rarely find it easy to obtain answers to such questions (Ganguly 2006). Up dated information allow the farmer to cope with and even benefit from these changes of weather patterns and soil conditions and epidemics of pest and diseases, but providing such information can be challenging because of the highly localize nature of agriculture.
Agriculture is the most vital sector for information and communication technology intervention most especially that majority of the population around the world rely on agriculture to live sustainably (Alexander 2009). Information and communication technology for development, agriculture provides our most basic human needs that are food clothing and shelter. Even since people have this natural way of thing on how thing can survive and make a living by harvesting crops used for food and fibres make a living by harvesting crops used for food and poultry that produce animal product like wool, dairy and eggs, catfish or any edible marine life for food or for sale, forestry and logging to grow and harvest timber to build shelter with agriculture, people learned and acquire knowledge through sharing information with each but of course this is not enough as there are also changes and developments in agriculture. Farmers should be able to take hold of updated information like price, production techniques, services, storage, processing and the like. Evidently, update information with the change and developments in agriculture can be addressed by the effective use of information communication and technology. (Edward Elgar 2004).
