EFFECTIVENESS OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION TEACHING METHODS IN DISSEMINATING IMPROVED RICE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES IN EKITI AND OGUN STATES, NIGERIA

Abstract

The Nigerian rice sector has seen some remarkable developments over the last quarter-century as both production and consumption have vastly increased during the aforementioned period. The study therefore determines agricultural extension teaching methods effectiveness in disseminating improved rice production technologies in Southwest, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed for the selection 133 rice farmers in Ekiti state and 130 rice farmers in Ogun state for the study. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, means and Weighted Mean Score (WMS) were used to describe the study’s stated objectives while Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used to test the study hypothesis. The findings revealed that the mean age of rice farmers was 44 years in Ekiti State and 45years in Ogun State while mean household size was 4 people in Ekiti and   3 people in Ogun State. The mean year of experience in rice farming in Ekiti State was 5.2 years and 6.5 years in Ogun State. The mean size of rice farm cultivated was 2.9ha in Ekiti State and 2.2ha in Ogun State. The highly adopted improved rice production technologies in both States were 25x25 plant spacing and improved variety while small plot adoption techniques, method demonstration and audio-visual aids were the very effective extension teaching methods in both States. The most severe constraints encountered by the rice farmers were poor access road and other infrastructure, lack of transport facilities high cost of farm inputs, inadequate finance and credit facilities and absence of processing facilities. There was significant relationship were found between rice farmers age (r=0.310, p=0.000), household size (r=0.409, p=0.000), number of years of spent schooling (r=0.131, p=0.034), years of experience in rice farming (r=0.505, p=0.000), size of rice farm (r=0.470, p=0.000), (r=0.491, p=0.000) and effectiveness of agricultural extension teaching methods in disseminating improved rice production technologies. The study concluded that the effectiveness of agricultural extension teaching methods plays a crucial role in disseminating information on improved rice production technologies to the famers. The study therefore recommended that agricultural extension services should focus on promoting the most effective and feasible technologies that farmers are likely to adopt based on local conditions and the farmers preferences.