INFORMATION NEEDS AND RESOURCE UTILIZATION BY AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORKERS FOR EFFECTIVE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN BENUE STATE

Abstract

The study investigated information needs and resource utilization by agricultural extension workers in Benue state Nigeria. Six research questions guided the study which includes: the information  needs  of  agricultural  extension  workers  in  Benue  State;  determine  the information resources accessible to agricultural extension workers in the study; to determine the channels of utilizing agricultural information resources by agricultural extension workers in the  study. Examine the extent  of utilization of information resources by agricultural extension workers in the study. Establish the challenges encountered in utilizing agricultural information resources by agricultural extension workers in the study and Proffer strategies for enhancing information and resource utilization by agricultural extension workers in the study. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population comprised

200extension workers from Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources (MOANR) and Benue Agricultural  and  Rural  Development  Authority  (BNARDA).  There  was  no  need  for sampling, the entire population was used for the study. A questionnaire, titled “Information Needs and Resource Utilization by Extension Workers Questionnaire” (INRUEWQ) was used for the study. The questionnaire was validated by three validators, two from library and information science department and one from the department of science education, all in the faculty of education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Data was collected with the help of research assistants who were briefed on how to administer the questionnaires. Data obtained were analyzed using mean rating and standard deviations and the benchmark for decision was a mean score of 2.50 and above for positive decisions. The major findings were that Agricultural extension workers need information for them to be able to discharge their duty of bringing the gap between farmers, policy makers and researchers. Their information needs range from information on recent development, information on training and education of the respondents and  information on latest  development. The types of information resources available to extension workers in the study were found to include the following, handbills and fliers, audiovisuals, bill boards and the internet The channels of utilizing information resources by agricultural extension workers in the study were found to include workshops, interaction with  people and  the  ministry of agriculture.  Others are  television/radio  and seminars, libraries, information centres and research institutes .The study also discovered that, the most utilized information resources in the study are bill boards, closely followed by handbills, fliers and newspapers. The challenges encountered by agric extension workers in utilizing information resources were found to include geographical distance to access, lack of time to seek for relevant information and lack of access. Strategies to be adopted to overcome the challenges were found to include establishment of information centres in rural areas as a major strategy for overcoming the challenges, the need for proper time management and improved access to information, provision of current resources and orientation/training on information literacy. There is need for the provision of relevant information infrastructure that will address the information needs of agricultural extension workers, it also recommends that the state government should establish information centres in rural areas as a major strategy for overcoming the challenges faced by agricultural extension workers as this will improve their access to information.

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CHAPTER ONE

Background of the Study

INTRODUCTION

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Agriculture and agricultural activities are centered around and involve the process of raising crops and animals. It had been identified severally as man’s most essential preoccupation. Today agriculture has expanded with the scientific methods of applying new ideas in various categories. Agriculture is a subject with multidisciplinary dimensions; some of these include forestry, animal husbandry, crop cultivation, veterinary medicine, fisheries, biotechnology, etc.(Umeokeke and  Yusufu  2013).Agriculture  has  occupied  an  important  position  in  every economy of the world particularly in the developing economics (Nigeria Millennium Development Report, 2004). Agriculture is the sector that has the largest employer of labor and account for at least 75% of the Labour force in terms of employment.  Many people are engaged in agricultural activities such as crop farming, fishing, livestock farming (Okwu and Ejembi,

2001).

Some crops are for exports such as:  cocoa, soya-beans, palm-oil etc.  They are exported to nations like United States of America (U.S.A), United Kingdom (U.K), Canada etc.  (C.B.N. Bulletin 2000).  These exports in turn fetch the nation a reasonable amount of foreign exchange. It provides the Nigerian nation with a lot of food crops such as yams, millets, cassava, corn and rice etc.  These sustain the nation’s rising population. It provides variety of raw materials such as cotton for textile industries, soya-beans and groundnuts for vegetable oil.  Agriculture also serves as a  market  for  manufactured goods.   Manufactured goods such as  insecticides,  fertilizers, pesticides and tractors are used by the agricultural sector which is manufactured by industrial

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sector. Finally, agriculture provides income for farmers. Agriculture accounts for more than 95%

of income of the people who are purely farmers.

The importance of agriculture in the economy of Nigeria is profound. Despite the growth of industries, oil and commerce, it continues to be the principal economic activity of the people of Nigeria.  Thus 70% of the people are engaged in agriculture but more than 70% of these farms at subsistence level (Okubanjo, 2001; Nigeria millennium Development Report, 2004).   The Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO (2000) suggested that in order to enhance agricultural development, new commodities and new methods of production must be developed.

Progress in agriculture is closely linked to several key and often interrelated factors. These factors usually comprise of infrastructure, research, extension, farm inputs, rural credit facility, price policy and marketing (Ameur, 2000). The provision of such services should lead to self sufficiency in food and economic development. The primary function of the dissemination component (agricultural extension, agricultural change agencies, private extension organizations, etc) is the transformation of the agricultural sector of the national economy through promotion of rapid adoption and utilization of improved farming technologies by the utilization component the clientle (Ilevbaoje, 2002). The work of extension services revolves round information diffusion. This  is  because  information  communication  is  the  process  through  which  innovations, knowledge meant for agriculture are passed on from researchers, policy makers, to farmers and vice versa. Agricultural extension plays an important role in technology transfer process, agricultural extension is the process of transferring agricultural information and technology to farmers for use in promoting productivity, and also serves as a means of encouraging adoption of new techniques.

In Nigeria,  the  body responsible  for  co-ordinating agricultural activities  is  National Agricultural Extension and Research Liason Services (N.A.E.R.L.S) located at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (A.B.U.).  The various states Ministries of Agriculture Liase with the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liason Services (NAERLS) to collect these information.

According to the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liason Services (NAERLS) (1993), The Specific functions of NAERLS in broad terms include the following:

–        Production of Extension media packages,

–        Education research in Extension technology and adaptation process.

–        Publication of extension Literature Liason with research institute and other agricultural agencies to promote extension activities.

The term extension is derived from latin words “Tensio” meaning stretching and “EX” meaning  out.    Extension  education  means  that  education  which  stretches  out  beyond  the boundary of classroom to the nooks and crannies of the country, that is, education that stretches into the villages and communities.   Therefore agricultural extension is an informal practical programme of education designed to help rural people improve their agricultural production.  It is a voluntary and an out-of-school programme directed to adults (farmers) to utilize more fully their own resources and other resources available to them in solving current problems and in meeting changing economic and social needs (Omoruyi, et al, 2001).

Agricultural extension is an educational process which has as its goal the communication of useful information to people and helping them to learn how to use it to build a better life for themselves, their families and communities. It has two dimensions that are communication and education. Educating people on  how to tackle  problems and  where to  get  information.   It

operates on the philosophy of helping people to help themselves. Agricultural extension can be viewed as an applied social science which deals with the design and strategies for transferring agricultural technology to farmers so as to raise their production which is directly related to increasing their income and standard of living. The concept of Extension work is therefore, understood to mean helping people to solve their own problems through the application of scientific knowledge.  It involves changes in behaviour of rural people presumably resulting in improved agricultural production.  Nigeria agricultural extension services have commonly been regarded as that part of government activities which provides clientele with technical advice as a guide to improve welfare/standard of living.   And less frequently, with economic information about  production  and  management  problems,  to  assist  them  in  analyzing  the  alternatives available and making decisions about business operations.

Agricultural extension has three important functions in agricultural development programmes; the first function serves to get the farmers into a frame of mind and attitude conducive to acceptance of technological change.   This is because most of the clientele in Nigeria are still tradition bound and are therefore afraid to take costly risks unless they are convinced beyond all doubts that the risks which extension agent asking them to take are safe, economically viable and will not violate their value.  The primary role of extension in this task is to mount an educational programme that will convince the clientele to the need to take the risk, involved.

The second function is the dissemination of the result of research to the farmers and to carry the clientele problems back to the research system for solution. In order to perform this function properly, effective lines of communication must exist between the research system, the

extension system and the farmers.  In order to carry the results of research to the farmers, the extension agents must understand the nature of the technology and be in a position to give the farmers sufficient knowledge and understanding of it to enable them adopt the improved technology.  This therefore implies that the extension agents must be knowledgeable in technical matters, related to agriculture and be skillful in the art of the communication process.

The third function is to help farmers make wise decisions in farm management. For the subsistence farmers, this a major assignment, because he has to operate in modern commercial economy where prices and the factors of production will have to be taken into consideration, he may not know how to combine the factors of production to enable him make a wise decision. Extension is an important tool in assisting him to develop proficiency in the management of his farm having regard to the resources available to him. Agricultural extension workers therefore are the people that provide agricultural extension services.

The use of information by the agricultural extension workers has to do with what, when and how information is gathered and used by extension agents and the clientele they serve. Identification and understanding of their search and use of information sources will go a long way in  improving delivery methods for extension.   As extension workers consider various methods, inquiries must be made concerning the usefulness and appropriateness of delivery methods, type of audience, educational level of learners, skills of extension workers and their educational goals.   These inquiries become even more critical in the context of budget cuts, reduced staff, professional development goal, and efficient use of resources.

Several studies have been conducted regarding information used by extension workers

(Nigeria Millennium Development Goals (2004) & (2005) report.   These studies suggest that

extension publications and farm magazines are major information sources consulted by extension agents.   (Conroy 2003) found that state extension directors perceived that program delivery approaches will change in the next five years.  These changes include increased use of electronic communications and instructional devices.  The electronic changes most often mentioned were increased use of telecommunication as a mode of delivery, access to electronic data sources, interactive instructional video, and increased use of computer technology.

Consequently, through the  increased research activities  in the  area of agriculture in Nigerian universities and agricultural research centres located around the country within the past two decades, far reaching innovations that are capable of boosting the agricultural production and Nigeria’s economy have been discovered (Starasts, 2004). The yam minisett technique, protein rich soyabean production and utilization techniques, production and use of animals vaccines and  drugs and  labor  saving devices are  some of the  many  improved agricultural innovations not properly diffused.  Prominent among the agricultural centres are the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (I.I.T.A). The National Root Crop Research Institute, The National Veterinary Research Institute and the three universities of Agriculture.

The Extension worker shelp to communicate the improved practices through a variety of methods to the farmers who are the recipients of the recommended practices. The administrators, subject matter specialists, researchers and extension agents constitute a formidable team for the successful implementation of any extension programme.  They must be adequate in quantity and quality; they must be skillful in art of communication to be successful.

A variety of extension methods has to be used in order to make maximum impact because most of the clientele that extension agents are dealing with in their zones, are predominantly

illiterates.  Such materials like posters, film strips, exhibits, extension leaflets can be used by the extension agents to facilitate effective teaching and learning process.   There is need for the establishment of an information unit or the Agricultural Extension Research Liason (AERL) unit/services similar to the ones available at Ahmadu Bello University and some Agricultural Research Institute to handle extension activities in order that the production and distribution of these instructional materials can be continuous.

Over the years, deliberate though ineffective efforts have been made by various regimes in the Nigerian government to bring about agricultural development without much to show for it. Much of the failure can be attributed to the treatment of information delivery by the Nigerian government.   Information is an essential ingredient in agricultural development programs but Nigerian extension agents seldom feel the impact of agricultural innovations either because they may not have access to such vital information or because it is poorly disseminated.

The development of agricultural technologies requires among other inputs, a timely and systematic  transmission of useful  and  relevant  agricultural  information (messages)  through relatively   well   educated   technology  dissemination  (extension)   from   formal   technology generation system (research) via various communication media (channels) to the intended audience clientele (Oladele, 2000).  It is expected that the message from the client (effect) be passed back to the source or research (feedback) for the communication process to be complete.

According to CTA (2001), Ozowa (2002) and Conroy (2003), the quantum of agricultural technology information available in the Nigerian systems developed by research institutes, and faculties of agriculture in universities is quite enormous.   The problem therefore, lies with effective dissemination of information about these innovations by the dissemination agencies.

Research  institutes  must  disseminate their  findings  to  the  target  group the  clientele,  while receiving feed back to indicate that communication was successful.  The feedback is expected to expose areas requiring modification or further enquiry.

Despite the attempt at technological innovation transfer, the wide gap between the level of production which research contends is attainable and that which clientele achieve suggests a missing  link  (Oladele,  2000).    Also,  weak  linkages  between  the  clientele,  extension  and researcher mean that the clientele are not included in the planning of the innovation and hence do not know where to get their technologies despite the fact that they are the end users.  Agricultural information disseminated by different information sources needs to be determined.   It is imperative therefore to identify the sources of agricultural information utilized by clientele.

Information therefore, is a very vital resource in human activities and also in agriculture. The need and consequent use of information has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the world in all spheres, agriculture inclusive.  Research results are frequently communicated to the end-users in channels that are applicable.   In agriculture the extension activities serve as the link between policy makers and scientist/researchers on the one hand, and end-users on the other hand.  Ekoja, 2000 was of the view that, information dissemination forms a core activity in extension service.

Information source is an institution or individual that creates or brings about a message (Statrasts, 2004).  The characteristics of a good information source are relevance, timelessness, accuracy,   cost   effectiveness,   reliability,   usability,   exhaustiveness  and   aggregation  level (Statrasts, 2004).   According to Oladele (2000), the efficiency of technologies generated and disseminated depends on effective communication which is the key process of information

dissemination. In Nigeria, there are various agencies, research institutes, agricultural universities/colleges   and   non-governmental  organizations   that   generate   innovations   and improved farm practices or technologies (Ilevbaoje, 2000).

There  is  a  general  consensus  among  experts  in  Agriculture  (Ekoja,  2000)  that; information is a factor to be reckoned with in improving the agricultural services in any state. Therefore, it is the provision of timely information that will occupy a prominent position in the hierarchy  of  priorities  in  Nigeria.     Ekoja  (2000)  highlighted  that,  much  as  agricultural information  is  important  making  it  available  for  the  intended  end-users  is  equally  more important.  Hence one of the agencies or services put in place to diffuse agricultural information in Nigeria is agricultural extension services.

Today agricultural extension service is an important component that disseminates of agricultural information in Nigeria. Each state ministry of agriculture and natural resources in Nigeria  has  an  extension services  division,  which  is  responsible  for  providing  agricultural information to farmers within each state. Apart from the state ministries of agriculture and natural farmers in their immediate environments through the setting up of agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (AERLS) in the institutes. According to Akinsorotan (2015), an AERLS is expected to liaise between research scientists and the users of research results, i.e the farmers. The various faculties of Agriculture in Nigerian universities also carry out extension services through the Departments of Agricultural extension by providing information to farmers in selected areas of their immediate environments.

Agriculture forms the backbone of the Benue State economy, engaging more than 70 per cent of the working population. This has made Benue the major source of food production in the

Nation. It can still be developed because most of the modern techniques are not yet popular to

98% of Nigeria. Mechanization and plantation agriculture/agro-forestry are still at its infancy. Farm inputs such as fertilizers, improved seed, insecticides and other foreign methods are being increasingly used. However, cost  and availability is  still a challenge. Important cash crops include Soy-beans, Rice, Peanuts, mango varieties, Citrus etc. Other cash crops include Palm oil, Melon, African pear, Chili pepper, Tomatoes etc. Food crops includes Yam, Cassava, Sweet potato, Beans, Maize, Millet, Guinea corn, Vegetables etc. There is very little irrigation agriculture and techniques.

The major duty of agricultural extension workers is the providing of agricultural information  to  farmers,  thereby  assisting  farmers  in  increasing  their  production.  They  are expected to make research findings available to farmers, who in turn, would bring their problems to the notice of agricultural extension workers for onward transmission to agricultural scientists and administrators. In order to  perform this duty,  it  is expected that  agricultural extension workers could require information to meet their task. This study therefore, investigates information  needs  and  resource  utilization  by  Agricultural Extension workers  for  effective agricultural production in Benue state.

Statement of the Problem

Information needs are frequently thought of in terms of a person’s cognitive needs-gaps or anomaly in the state of knowledge or understanding that may be represented by questions or topic. It has long argued that an information need is a condition in which certain information contributes to the achievement of a genuine or legitimate information purpose, and that such is the  relationship  which  obtains  between  information  and  information  purposes.  Thus  an

information need is a relative concept that depends on numerous factors and does not remain constant but changes over a period of time. This research alludes to the fact that the key to increasing agricultural production ultimately lies in the nation’s ability to disseminate relevant information to the farming community, to facilitate the effective adoption of new technology in production and application of agricultural inputs and decision making. There is also concern about information access and how lack of technical information on farming affecting extension workers can increase the rate of failure for attaining envisaged success in agricultural sector.

The  non-provision of agricultural  information,  lack  of available  teaching  aids,  non- provision of essential inputs, capital and credit facilities as well as personnel motivation and evaluation of extension programmes are  some  of the  key factors that  have greatly limited agricultural development in Nigeria.   This research therefore is to investigate the information needs  and  resource  utilization  by  Agricultural  Extension workers  for  effective  agricultural production in Tiv speaking area of Benue State of Nigeria.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate information needs and resource utilization by agricultural extension workers for  effective  agricultural production in  Benue State  Nigeria. Specifically the study sought;

1.  Identify the information needs of agricultural extension workers in Benue State.

2.  Determine the information resources accessible to agricultural extension workers in the study.

3.  Determine the channels of utilizing agricultural information resources by agricultural extension workers in the state.

4.  Examine the  extent  of utilization of information resources by agricultural extension workers in the state.

5.  Establish the challenges encountered in utilizing agricultural information resources by agricultural extension workers in the study.

6.  Proffer strategies for enhancing information needs satisfaction and resource utilization among agricultural extension workers in the state.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study.

1.  What are the information needs of agricultural extension workers in Benue State?

2.  What are the information resources accessible to agricultural extension workers in the state?

3.  What are the channels of utilizing agricultural information resources for information needs satisfaction by agricultural extension workers in the state?

4.  What is the extent of utilization of information resources for information satisfaction by agricultural extension workers in the state?

5.  What are the challenges associated with utilization of agricultural information resources for information needs satisfaction among agricultural extension workers in the state?

6.  What  are  the  strategies  for  enhancing  information  needs  satisfaction  and  resource utilization by agricultural extension workers in the state?

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study will be two fold – theoretical and practical. Practically, findings from this study will be useful to the librarian, the researcher, the staff, the relevant agricultural management agencies, research institutes, the farmer as well as the extension workers in the designated area.

To  the  farmers,  this  study  will  help  in  accessing  their  information  needs  through  the concerted efforts of the extension workers in acquiring those information resources for their utilization. This will obviously amount to  high  level of both produce/output and economic productivity, if the information needs are properly addressed and packaged in the language they can comprehend to make an impact for them.

For the extension workers who are intermediaries between the farmers, research institutes and agricultural organizations, the findings of this study will be very useful to them through the various ways of packaging the information needs of the farmers in a manner that will attract the use of their services to meet the desired goals of its establishment. On the other hand, it will encourage them on the need for utilization of information resources to ameliorate agricultural development problems in Benue State. This study is also invariably significant to agricultural extension workers through the advancement of knowledge in extension services as well as Agricultural information transfer and management for Benue State

To government and policy makers, it is hoped that the findings of this study will expose the need for proper monitoring and implementations of their policies. In the same vein, the government will also see the need to involve the farmers in policy making and not just making the policy without knowing the farmers information needs. The involvement of the extension

workers in the policy decision making will help the government through their statistical records to know the existing gap between extension workers and their clients in terms of their access to the policies that are on ground for the enhancement and implementation of their productivity.

To agricultural organizations and research institutes, the findings of the study are expected to reveal the right channels of communicating with the rural farmers with the use of adult literacy programmes, focus group discussions and through word of mouth. This will enable them, as agricultural information providers, to put more efforts in reaching the rural farmers with timely information to meet their information needs.

To the researchers in related fields, it will serve as a reference tool for further research in these areas. This means the findings will expose them to more areas and literature that will help them know what has been done and provide reference materials for further studies.

To the field of Librarianship and Information managers, this study is hoped to add to the existing literature on the information needs of agricultural extension workers in Benue State when the findings are being displayed at conferences, workshops and seminars, also through its publication in institutional repositories, e-resources and other visible platforms online.

Scope of the Study

This study is delimited to the information needs and resource utilization by agricultural extension workers for effective agricultural production in Benue State Nigeria. The study covers information needs and resource utilization by agricultural extension workers in Tiv speaking area of Benue State Nigeria.

The research deals with the information needs of agricultural extension workers information resources accessible to agricultural extension workers; the extent of utilization of information resources by agricultural extension workers; the channels of utilizing agricultural information resources by agricultural extension workers; the challenges encountered in utilizing agricultural information resources by agricultural extension workers and the strategies for enhancing information and resource utilization by agricultural extension. The research covers the Tiv speaking area of Benue State consisting of 14 local government areas of Gwer, Gwer West, Gboko, Buruku, Tarka, Makurdi, Guma, Katsina Ala, Logo, Ukum, Kwande, Ushongu, Vandekya and Konshisha local governments.

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