Farm Operations Cooperative in Central Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria
Abstract
This study was carried out to examine farm operations cooperatives in Central Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria. All the members of the six (6) selected groups were used for the study. The data which were collected with the use of questionnaire and interview schedule were analyzed with the use of frequency counts, percentages and tobit regression model. Most of the members were females and were also mostly married. Most of them were educated formally and had average household size of 5 persons and average farm size of 2.5 ha. They had an average farming experience of 13 years and most of them had no contact with extension agents. Most (76.50%) household had members that emigrated from households. They subscribed to these groups because of reduction of labour cost, timely execution and conclusion of farm operations, exchange of ideas and information, expansion of farm size and reduction of drudgery involved in farming. They were mostly satisfied with their various groups. They however had challenges ranging from irregular meeting attendance, inadequate access to extension service, bloated membership strength to lateness to work. Inadequate membership strength was also a constraint to few of the groups. The farmers’ decision to subscribe to their various groups was informed or influenced by their marital status, level of education, household size, farm size, farming experience, extension visit and contact with other farmers, and emigration of household members. It was recommended that extension agents should establish frequent contacts with the various groups and educate them on the importance of time and regular meeting attendance. The groups with bloated membership strength should be split into two groups while farmers need to be encouraged to subscribe to those groups with inadequate membership strength.
Keywords
References
- Agbamu, J.U. (2011). Problems and prospects of agricultural extension in developing countries. In: Madukwe, M. C. (Ed). Agricultural extension in Nigeria. Ilorin, Nigeria: Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria. pp 216-229.
- Ahmad, A. and Ismail, N. (1998). Gender roles Malaysian agriculture: Implications for extension planning. Journal of International Agriculture and Extension Education.2(1),17-25.
- Chang, H. and Boisvert, R. (2005). Are farmers’ decision to work off the farm and participate in the Conservation Reserve Program independent, joint or sequential? Paper presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association, Providence.
- FAO (2006). Improving extension work with rural women. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization.
- Iwala, O. S., Okwulola, J.O. and Imoudu, P.B. (2006). Productivity and technical efficiency of oil palm production in Nigeria. Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment, 2 (3 and 4), 181 – 185.
- Ofuoku, A. U.(2013). Willingness of farmers to participate in farmers’ groups. Journal of Extension Systems, 29(1), 51-61.
- Ofuoku, A. U., Uzokwe, U. N. and Ideh, V. (2006). Comparative analysis of cooperative and non-cooperative fish farmers in Central Agro-ecological Zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Extension Farming Systems Journal, 2(2), 97- 101.
- Ofuoku, A.U. (2009). Rural farmers’ perception of climate change in Central Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Indonesian Journal of Agricultural Science, 12(2), 63-69.
- Ofuoku, A.U. and Agbamu, J. U. (2013).Leadership and self-help groups in Nigeria- Implications for agricultural extension. Journal of Extension Systems, 29(1), 65-75.
- Ofuoku, A.U. and Chukwuji, C.O. (2012). Impact of rural – urban migration on plantation agriculture in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 27 (1), 137 – 151.