Attitude of farmers towards improved agricultural technologies in south-west Nigeria

Abstract

The study on farmers’ attitude towards improved agricultural technologies was carried out to investigate the farmers’ attitudes, demographic, economic, socio-cultural and environmental characteristics as well as the contribution to sustained use index of these and some other independent variables. Two hundred and eight (208) farmers/respondents consisting of 133 that adopted and sustained the use of agricultural technologies and 75 that abandoned the use of already adopted technologies were selected from 5 zones of agricultural development programmes in Oyo, Osun and Ondo States using a multi-stage random sampling procedure. Structured interview schedules as well as in-depth study devices were used to collect data, which were analyzed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics. Sustained users had a higher level of each of these variables. However, it was found that farmers that sustained the use of technologies were not significantly different in the adoption pattern of technology (F = 0.26), extension contact (F = 0.16), attitude towards improved technology (F = 0.21) and organizational membership (F = 1.16) across the states. Agricultural technologies developed and disseminated should meet farmers’ socio-cultural, economic and environmental changing situations and technologies should be cost effective and flexible for result oriented adoption and adaptation is therefore, recommended.

Key words: Attitude, farmers, agricultural technologies.