MUFUTAU, R. A, EWEBIYI, I.O, ADEBANJO, O.A
Abstract
This study focused on arable crop farmers perceived effectiveness of OGADEP’s Training and Visit extension services in Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun state, Nigeria. Multi- stage sampling procedure was used to select 118 respondents for the study. Structured interview scheduled and in-depth interview were used to elicit information from the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, and mean while chi-square and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were used as inferential tools at level of significance. The result revealed that majority (87.6%) of the respondents were within the age bracket of 27-48 years, 54.2 percent were males with 77.1 percent married. Results further revealed that respondents (54.2%) had secondary education, majority (94.1%) had household size of 1-10 members, farming experience of 1-10 years, cultivated 3-4 hectares of land (55.1%) while majority (54.2%) earned income range of N30.000 – N70,000. Creation of awareness (99.2%), social network with farmers (98.3%), market information and farm demonstration (97.5%) were OGADEP’s extension services readily available and accessible to the farmers in the study area. Furthermore, OGADEP’s Training and Visit Extension Services was found to be high among 84.9 percent of the respondents. There was significant relationship between farm size (x2= 13.842), education (x2 = 2.602), experience (x2 = 9.243), income (r= 0.102), access (r= 0.247), perception (r= – 0.1864), extension services delivered (r= – 0.349) and perceived effectiveness of OGADEP training and visit extension services. It is therefore recommended that there should be regular exposure of OGADE’P’s extension workers in communication skills, agricultural technical knowledge, creation of conducive working environment and adequate funding for effective linkage activities through joint priority setting, planning and programming towards enhancing effectiveness of OGADEP’s Training and Visit Extension programmes in the study area.