Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development- Journal Articles
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- ItemOpen AccessAn Analysis of Cohesiveness in Farming Groups(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ife, 1979) Agunbiade, J. B.; Ekpere, J. A.The concept of group farming has been introduced, developed and accepted in Oyo State as a workable strategy for accelerated technology transfer and food production in the recent past. Evidence of such a policy is shown by the high input delivery and technical advisory assistance that such groups have received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Agricultural Credit Corporation and other functionaries of Government in Oyo State. However, the expected advantages of group processes in agricultura1 production, input delivery and technology transfer has been difficult to implement in reality. A major constraint to the effective utilization of farming groups is the relative levels of cohesiveness consistent with sustained survival and operational efficiency essential to the attainment of group goals. In order to better understand this important phenomenon, a study was conducted to investigate cohesiveness within maize production groups in Oyo State. A total of two hundred and two members of ten group farms in two ecological areas of Oyo State were interviewed using a combination of interview schedule and pre-coded questionnaire. The results show that group cohesiveness was affected by access by individuals to group on-lending loan facilities, magnitude of shared profit (or perceived profit), quality of group leadership and individual member objective for group membership. Increasing attrition rates among members due perhaps, to unfulfilled personal expectation was the most single important reason for lack of cohesiveness within the farming groups.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Effectiveness of Project Performance Budgeting System in Agricultural Management(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ife, 1980) Ladipo, P. A.; Akinbode, I. A.The Project Performance Budgeting System was introduced into the Western State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in April 1974, superceding a general purpose programming strategy. This study evaluated the impact-of P.P.B.S. on problems previously found to dampen the effectiveness of agricultural services. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with headquarters' administrators, through questionnaires distributed to field officers, and through interviews with farmers. It was found that under P.P.B.S., inadequate and late supply of inputs was still a problem and that poor flow of inputs led to poor relationships with farmers and detracted from the job commitment of agents. On the other hand the new reporting system was found to be easier for field officers to work with providing useful information for evaluation, although administrators said that it increased their paper work. It was found that the impact of programmes on farmers is measured only indirectly under P.P.B.S. and that the system should be modified to accommodate feedback from farmers. Also, fewer farmers are dealt with more intensively. The possible usefulness of P.P.B.S. in staff evaluation was studied. A number of recommendations for improving the system were made.
- ItemOpen AccessSome Determinants of Voluntary Participation in Community Development Programmes among Nigerians: a Preliminary Report(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ife, 1980) Ekong, Ekong E.; Olojede, A. A.This is a joint report of two studies designed to investigate at different levels, some of those factors which affect voluntary participation in community development programmes among Nigerians. Data were obtained from a review of past works and from surveys carried out by the respective researchers among Nigerians abroad and at home. With the Nigerians living abroad, the main aim was to investigate their role perceptions in community development from a projective point of view while with those at home, the aim was to investigate the reasons for participation and non-participation in a concrete community development project. Results of the studies confirm some earlier findings on the psychology of social participation, particularly that participants in formal organizations for social action of general benefit, tend to be people with relatively higher socio-economic standing. Level of education does not however seem to be very crucial in the Nigerian case. Other revelations include the effects of the community characteristics and the individual's level of identification with or socialization in his community of origin. Where the community is small and the population of formally educated persons is also small, individuals within this small crop of elites tend to exert their leadership in community development more than in larger communities with many educated persons. Similarly stranger elements and those native who had spent most of their live outside their communities tend to be less interested in participating in community programmes. Other conclusions of the study are that people will participate more readily in visible projects having potentially general benefits than in those projects whose benefits they cannot readily claim. Also the integrity of project initiators is important in inviting popular participation.
- ItemOpen AccessAdoption of OS6 Variety of Rice in Ife Division, Oyo State of Nigeria(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ife, 1980) Jibowo, A. A.An investigation was conducted into the factors that influenced the adoption of the OS6 variety of rice in Ife Division. The extent and rate of adoption of the crop, the problems, personal and socio-economic characteristics of the rice farmers and farm characteristics associated with adoption of the crop were studied. Fifty-four adopters and 56 randomly selected non-adopters were interviewed in 8 villages where the crop had been adopted, between September and December, 1975. Data analysis showed a four-year time-lag between awareness and adoption of the crop. Statistically significant associations were found between age, years of schooling, innovation proneness, family labour, income, use of mass media, access to credit facilities, participation in organisations, cosmopoliteness, knowledge of extension workers, method of acquiring farmland, farm size, discontinuance of planting some crops, growing of permanent of annual crops, and adoption. No significant relationship was found between farming experience and adoption. Invasion by field pests was the major problem encountered.
- ItemOpen AccessFactors Related to Capital Formation in Pre-Cooperative Farmer's Groups(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ife, 1982) Ladipo, P.The monthly proportional rate of change in capital formation by six farmers' groups in the Ile-Ife area was taken as a measure of economic growth and studied over time and in relation to certain group features. There were seasonal fluctuations in the rate of contribution, with the more successful groups being those which varied their rates according to the availability of money. Economic growth was not related to group size, group farm size, or per capita contribution, but was related to meeting attendance. Thus, it is questionable whether existing registration requirements such as group size, size of operations, or amount of capital are appropriate at a time when government aims to develop cooperatives as instruments of agricultural growth. A methodology for examining the issue on a wider scale, and desirable alternative government approaches are suggested.
- ItemOpen AccessResponses of Community Leaders and Non-leaders to the Land Use Act (1978) in Oyo State of Nigeria(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ife, 1983) Jibowo, A. A.This study determined the knowledge of some specific provisions of the Land Use Act by the respondents, their reactions to the Act, the personal, social and economic characteristics and the relationships of these to their attitudes towards the Act. Interviews were carried out among 110 leaders and 170 non-leaders between December 1978 and February 1979. Leaders were generally older, earned higher incomes than non-leaders; majority of leaders were full-time farmers. The respondents did not claim much landed properties. Most respondents were ignorant of many specific provisions of the Act and did not apply for land allocation. The majority expressed an unfavourable attitude towards the Act. Formal education, borrowing of farmland, receiving compensations on land, age, length of community residence and years of schooling were associated with attitude among the respondents. Occupation, method of acquiring houseland, and some other characteristics were associated with attitude among leaders. Community identification, place of origin, and some other characteristics were associated with attitude among nonleaders. Understanding these relationships should facilitate the design and implementation of public measures to promote the implementation of the Act.
- ItemOpen AccessEvaluation of the Effectiveness of Agricultural Shows in Oyo and Ondo States of Nigeria(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ife, 1984) Jibowo, A. A.The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural shows in Oyo and Ondo States. Data were obtained from 75 farmers who had participated in agricultural shows before, and 98 who had not, between September and November 1981, through interviews. Findings revealed that agricultural shows were effective in terms of imparting knowledge to the participants in the major areas of agriculture namely, crop, animal, fishery, and forestry management, but application of such knowledge was most frequent in crop management. The University of Ife had not been effective in attracting many participants to its booths, although it had been effective in passing knowledge of its exhibits to those who visited its booths, and such knowledge had been largely applied, except of Ife Brown cowpeas, the cultivation of which needed to be encouraged among the participants. Effective use of teaching methods, and special drives to stimulate farmers to attend the shows needed to be encouraged to enhance effectiveness. The significant relationship between characteristics such as income and contact with extension agents, and participation should assist the extension agents in identifying and encouraging potential participants, while farmers with less of the characteristics are also not ignored.