Pages: 1-9

Abstract

This study assessed agricultural extension service needs of women homestead farmers in ‎Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. In specific terms, the study ‎described the socio-demographic characteristics of women homestead farmers, identified ‎the activities of women in homestead farming, ascertained the farming systems adopted by ‎women homestead farmers, identified the extension service needs of women homestead ‎farmers and ascertained the challenges to access extension services by women homestead ‎farmers in the study area. A Simple random sampling technique was used to select 20 ‎respondents from 4 out of the 5 clans in the study area to give a sample size of 80. Data ‎were collected using a structured and validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using ‎mean, frequencies and percentages. The result showed that majority of the women ‎homestead farmers are young adults, married and with some form of formal education. Also, ‎farming activities carried out by women in the homestead farms includes harvesting (mean = ‎‎3.81), (mean = 3.79), planting (mean = 3.78), marketing of farm produce (mean = 3.71), ‎weeding (mean = 3.65), processing of farm produce (mean = 3.56) amongst other activities. ‎The result further showed that crop rotation (mean=3.09), mixed cropping (mean=2.81) and ‎mono cropping (mean=2.58) are commonly practiced in the homestead farms. It was found ‎that access to credits (mean = 3.45), improved seeds (mean = 3.43), farm inputs (mean = ‎‎3.40), loans (mean = 3.34), improved storage facilities (mean = 3.31), farming implements ‎‎(mean = 3.20), fertilizers (mean = 3.19), learning of new skills (mean = 3.18) are among the ‎agricultural extension service needs of women homestead farmers in the study area. While ‎challenges encountered by women homestead farmers in accessing extension services ‎includes poor extension service delivery (mean = 3.68), inadequate number of extension ‎agents (mean = 3.64) among others. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension ‎agencies should reach the women homestead farmers with improved agricultural innovations ‎for an increased productivity through an effective and need-based agricultural extension ‎services‎‎.