Effectiveness Of Information Sources On Improved Farming Practices To Women Farmers In Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

In order to improve women contributions to agricultural productivity, adequate and
effective information delivery systems must be put in place. This study identified women's important and effective sources of agricultural information which determine their decision behaviour on adoption of improved farming practices in Enugu State, Nigeria. The sample comprised a randomly selected 677 women respondents. Data were collected through the use of pre-tested structured questionnaires and analysed using statistical tools such as frequency distribution table, percentages, means, and ttest. The findings show that women farmers rated individual method contact and the use of radio as the most important and most effective sources of agricultural information to them while the extension agents rated individual, group and mass media contact method as being important and effective. The result also shows that there is a significant difference between mean scores of the women farmers and the extension agents on the important and effective sources of information on improved farming practices. The result equally shows that there is a gross under utilisation of extension information delivery system in Enugu State which seriously affect women
farmers adoption of improved farming practices. It is therefore recommended that adequate agricultural information through variety of sources as individual contact and radio should be given to the women farmers and also the farmers should be encouraged to join co-operative associations to enable them have access to agricultural information.

Keywords: Information source, women, improved farming practices

Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 2 (1) 2006: pp. 67-78