SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON RICE PRODUCTION AMONG FARMERS IN HONG LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ADAMAWA STATE

Abstract

The study assessed the sources of information related to rice production to farmers in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics rain fed rice production and identify the sources of rice production related information available to rain fed rice production farmers. A multi stage random sampling technique to sample 188 respondents and the data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Garrate Ranking Technique. The results of the socio-economic characteristic revealed that majority (68%) of them were male, 65% were within 31-50 years, the mean household size was 8 persons, 76% of the farmers have attained one form of education or another, majorities (85%) do not belong to any association, and majority (86%) do not have access to credit with the mean farming experience is 8 years. The result on the sources of information showed that friends and relatives (81.92%), neighbor (69.68%), marketers (47.34%), and radio (42.55%) were the major sources of information to rice farmers in the study area. Other sources of information to the farmers from Table 2 were ministry of agriculture (5.32%), ADPS (6.38%), research institutes (3.91%), extension agents (10.64%), while about 10.10% of the respondents’ access information from TV programmes, farm labourers and Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN). The study recommended that the major sources of information for the farmers are mostly from friends and relatives, neighbors and marketers., government and relevant agencies should expand the farmers’ awareness on information they needed to boost rice production through relevant agencies like ADPs, Ministry of Agriculture, Extension Services and mass media and there is need to encourage rice farmers to join cooperative societies for them to benefit from the dividend and be given proper orientation and/or basic trainings in major farm management techniques and this will help increase their productivity through trained extension agents.