Awareness and use of smart agriculture for improved productivity by smallholder farmers in Funtua Zone, Katsina State Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated awareness and use of smart agriculture for improved productivity by smallholder farmers in Funtua zone of Katsina state of Nigeria. The specific objectives are to determine the level of awareness of smart agriculture for improved productivity to smallholder farmers in Funtua Zone of Katsina State and to identify the types of smart agriculture that are being used by smallholder farmers for improved productivity in the study area. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised of all the registered smallholder farmers who belong to the farmers’ association at eleven (11) local government areas in Funtua Zone which is two-thousand and thirty-four (2034). A multi-stage cluster sampling technique was adopted for this study using a balloting method to select the local government areas. The questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection and the reliability result was .891. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of in the form of simple frequency tables, percentages means and standard deviation. The study revealed that smallholder farmers in the Funtua zone of Katsina State exhibit a low level of awareness of smart agriculture technologies. The findings indicated that family and friends, along with radio, were the primary sources of awareness of smart technologies and limited use of smart agriculture adoption among smallholder farmers in Funtua Zone, with low usage of most technologies like water-smart, energy-smart, and nutrient-smart systems. However, weather-smart technologies show somewhat higher adoption, though still below optimal levels indicating underutilization of crucial technologies that hinder agricultural improvement. The study concludes that smallholder farmers in the Funtua Zone have low awareness and use or adoption of smart agricultural technologies, relying mainly on informal sources like family, friends, and radio. While weather-smart technologies show higher adoption, other technologies face barriers such as access, and limited awareness. It was recommended that there is a need for the government to launch a comprehensive awareness campaign to highlight the benefits and practical applications of both water-smart and energy-smart technologies through local communication channels.