Extension workers’ linkage mechanisms of smallholder rice farmers to market in Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the mechanisms for linking smallholder rice farmers to markets by extension workers in Edo State, Nigeria. A two-stage sampling procedure was adopted for the simple random sampling of 80 respondents through the use of questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that more than half (57.5%) of the extension workers were males with a mean age of 40 years. The results also indicated that access to credit ( = 2.98) was the most significant strategy for linking smallholder rice farmers to the market input. With respect to the output market, the direct linkage of small-holder farmers to consumers ( = 2.69) was the prominent strategy used by extension workers. Linkage to subsidized fertilizer suppliers ( = 2.93) had the strongest linkage strength between extension workers and smallholder rice farmers while elimination of middlemen influence ( = 2.79) was highest in the output market. Education level ( = 4.93), transportation cost ( = 4.30), farming system adopted ( = 4.55) and topography ( = 4.80) were the personal, economic, social/cultural and environment respective factors influencing extension workers market linkage mechanisms with smallholder rice farmers. The study concludes that access to credit and direct links to consumers were the major linkage mechanisms used by extension workers for linking smallholder rice farmers to the input and output markets respectively. The need to further strengthen the major market linkage mechanisms used by extension workers was strongly recommended by this study without neglecting others that were not regularly used by them.