Agricultural extension communication and livelihood strategies of farming households in Saki West Local Government Area, Oyo State

Abstract

Information and knowledge are integral to improvement in agricultural performance. The persistent low productivity in agriculture illustrates the non-effectiveness of the machinery for communicating agricultural information or the inadequacy of the information bundle transmitted to farmers. The huge volume of knowledge amassed in research institutions and universities remain largely inaccessible to farmers raising concerns about the efficacy of the systems and methods in place for conveying information to the farmers, or their relevancy or appropriateness to the actual needs of the farmers. The study used a mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative) and involved both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected from farming households through the use of household questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The in-depth interviews were held with agricultural extension workers. In all about 10 extension workers were interviewed. The most widely used communication channels for getting agricultural information includes results demonstration, group discussions, farm visit, workshops, and radio. The results show that the determinants of livelihood diversification strategies were age of the household head, land holding size, sex, education status, size of livestock holding, distance to the market, access to credit service, agricultural training, total annual income and household sizes.