Knowledge and attitude of agriculture students towards commercialization of date palm in university of Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

In spite of the comparative advantages that Nigeria has in the production of date palm, its cultivation is  largely limited to the homestead. This study assessed the knowledge and attitude of agriculture students  of the University of Ilorin towards the commercialization of the plant. The study also investigated the  relationship between attitude towards the commercialization of the date palm and some selected  characteristics of the students. A total of 86 students were selected using a multi-stage sampling  technique. Descriptive statistics and the correlation analysis were the tools used to analyze the data for  the study. The study revealed that only 20.9% of the students had a high knowledge of date palm  production. At p<0.05 students’ knowledge of date palm had a significant relationship with positive  attitude towards the commercialization of the plant. In addition, students’ interest in agriculture as a course of study (p<0.05) and their interest in agriculture as a career (p<0.01) were positively related to their attitude towards the commercialization of date palm. The study concluded that the level of  knowledge and the attitude of agriculture students were generally poor. Increased awareness and knowledge of the agronomy and economics of the plant are therefore suggested among the students. Students who are studying agriculture because they could not secure admission in their courses of choice should be counseled on the potentials in agriculture as a career to enable them settle in and embrace  agriculture. Lastly, the study recommends that entrepreneurship and enterprise development should be impressed upon agricultural students.

Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Commercialization and Date Palm
Running Title: Knowledge and Attitude towards Date Palm Commercialization