Responses of Plantain Farmers to Agricultural Extension Services Delivered in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the response of plantain farmers to Agricultural Extension Services Delivered in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Multi-stage and proportionate sampling techniques were used to sample 208 plantain farmers. Interview schedule was used to collect data on respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, response to agricultural extension services delivered and constraints faced by plantain farmers on responding to extension services delivered. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire and were analyzed using linear regression at p=0.05. The result shows that majority of the plantain farmers were young adult female (58.67%) and were married (61.06%). Agricultural extension services delivered by the extension agents on services like cooperative farming in plantain production (GM = 2.20), sucker multiplication in plantain production (GM = 1.87), use of improved plantain varieties (GM = 1.47) and accessing agro-credits from credit institutions had not been embraced by the farmers. Plantain farmers were constrained by lodging of plantains at the beginning and ending of every rainy season (GM = 3.94), intruders or poachers at the point of harvest (GM = 3.87), poor/no monitoring of extension projects in the State (GM = 3.78) and inadequate access to credit facilities (GM = 3.12). Respondents’ annual income, level of education, age, marital status, and contact with extension agents, with t-ratios of 2.778*, 2.293*, 1.519*, 1.362* and 1.129* respectively had positive relationships with extension services delivered in the area. Agricultural credits should be made accessible to plantain famers’ in the State and extension agents should be encouraged and strengthened to provide services to plantain farmers.

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