CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Niger State in the North-Central zone is one of the leading rice-producing states in Nigeria, and Katcha Local Government Area, which lies in the Bida area near the River Niger, is among the main rice-growing areas of the state. Rice is a major source of food and income for the smallholder farmers in the area. Even so, productivity is often low because many farmers still use unimproved seed and traditional practices, and because they face problems of finance, inputs and information.

Agricultural extension is one of the main ways of improving farmers’ productivity. Extension agents teach farmers improved practices, link them to inputs and credit, and give advice on farm management. In Oyo State, Adegebo et al. (2017) studied the effect of the privatisation of extension services on the productivity of Fadama III beneficiaries, and Emmanuel et al. (2024) examined the impact of extension service on the yield of rice farmers in Ebonyi State. Bello et al. (2020) studied the productivity impact of the adoption of improved rice varieties among smallholder rice farmers in Nigeria.

Studies in Niger State show that extension delivery to rice farmers is a concern. Abubakar et al. (2019) studied the factors influencing adoption of improved rice production practices in villages adopted by the National Cereals Research Institute in Niger State, and asked how effective the extension delivery methods used to disseminate rice technologies were. Abubakar et al. (2016) examined adoption of production technologies by lowland rice farmers in Lavun Local Government Area, and Abdulshakur et al. (2020) studied farmers’ perception of effective extension teaching methods in Katcha and Bida Local Government Areas. At the regional level, Ojo et al. (2024) found that insufficient extension workers, lack of incentives and inadequate transport were the main constraints facing agents who disseminate climate-smart practices to rice farmers in North-Central Nigeria.

There is nonetheless little recent evidence on how extension services influence the productivity of rice farmers in Katcha Local Government Area. This study therefore examines the role of agricultural extension services in improving the productivity of smallholder rice farmers in the area.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Rice farmers in Katcha Local Government Area operate mostly on a small scale and record yields below the potential of improved varieties and good management. Extension services are meant to help, yet the number of agents is small relative to the number of farmers, and agents are constrained by transport and incentives (Ojo et al., 2024).

It is not clear how many rice farmers in Katcha receive extension services, which services they receive, how they rate them, and whether the farmers who receive them are more productive than those who do not. Without such evidence, extension resources cannot be targeted well. This study therefore examines the role of agricultural extension services in improving the productivity of smallholder rice farmers in Katcha Local Government Area, Niger State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to examine the role of agricultural extension services in improving the productivity of smallholder rice farmers in Katcha Local Government Area, Niger State. The specific objectives are to:

(1) describe the socio-economic characteristics of rice farmers in the study area;

(2) identify the sources of extension services available to the farmers;

(3) determine the extension services received by the farmers and the frequency of contact;

(4) determine the level of productivity of the rice farmers;

(5) determine the relationship between access to extension services and rice productivity; and

(6) identify the constraints to effective extension delivery in the study area.

1.4 Research Questions

(1) What are the socio-economic characteristics of rice farmers in the study area?

(2) What are the sources of extension services available to the farmers?

(3) What extension services do the farmers receive, and how often?

(4) What is the level of productivity of the rice farmers?

(5) What is the relationship between access to extension services and rice productivity?

(6) What constraints affect extension delivery in the study area?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will be tested at the 5% level of significance:

H01: There is no significant relationship between access to agricultural extension services and the productivity of rice farmers in the study area.

H02: There is no significant difference in the productivity of rice farmers who have regular extension contact and those who do not.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings will help the Niger State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, the National Cereals Research Institute at Badeggi and other providers to see how far their services affect productivity and where improvements are needed. Rice farmers will benefit from recommendations to make extension more accessible and relevant. Policy makers can use the findings in planning rice development programmes. The study also adds to the literature on extension and productivity in North-Central Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study covers smallholder rice farmers in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State. It focuses on agricultural extension services as the independent variable and rice productivity, measured mainly as yield per hectare, as the dependent variable. Socio-economic characteristics and constraints are included as supporting variables.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The study covers a single local government area, so its findings may not apply to all rice farmers in Niger State. Many farmers keep no records, so yield and farm size will be estimated from recall, and there may be errors. Flooding and the farming season may also affect access to farmers. These limitations will be handled through careful questionnaire design, use of local units with conversion to standard measures, and cross-checking of responses.

1.9 Definition of Terms

(1) Agricultural extension services: Educational and advisory activities that provide farmers with knowledge, skills and technologies.

(2) Productivity: The quantity of output obtained per unit of land or other input, here rice yield per hectare.

(3) Smallholder farmer: A farmer who cultivates a small area mainly with family labour.

(4) Extension contact: Any visit, training or other interaction between a farmer and an extension agent.

References

Abdulshakur, M., Yusuf, A. A., Nnaji, J. O., & Haruna, A. (2020). Farmer perception for effective extension teaching methods in Katcha and Bida LGAs of Niger State, Nigeria. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria, 161–172.

Abubakar, H. N., Garba, Y., Gana, A. K., & Jacob, I. A. (2019). Factors influencing adoption of rice improved production practices by farmers in adopted villages, Niger State, Nigeria. Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research, 9(1), 183–189.

Abubakar, H. N., Isa, N. K., Abdullahi, A. Y., & Garba, Y. (2016). Adoption of production technologies by lowland rice farmers in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Extension, 4(1).

Adegebo, S. A., Olutegbe, N. S., & Akinbile, L. A. (2017). Effect of privatisation of agricultural extension services on productivity of Fadama III beneficiaries in Oyo State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 21(3).

Bello, L. O., Baiyegunhi, L. J. S., & Danso-Abbeam, G. (2020). Productivity impact of improved rice varieties’ adoption: Case of smallholder rice farmers in Nigeria. Economics of Innovation and New Technology.

Emmanuel, O. E., Nkiruka, B.-C. G., Nnenna, O. M., Ojoko, N. I. U., Chinenyenwa, T.-A. A., Ada, A. B., Oluwakemi, O. I., Thankgod, E. K., Oscar, O. I., & Nnabugwu, U. B. (2024). Impact of climate change and extension service on rice farmers’ yield in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Agriculture, 8(2), 116–123. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjagric/g080205

Ojo, I. E., Akangbe, J. A., Kolawole, E. A., Owolabi, A. O., Obaniyi, K. S., Ayeni, M. D., Adeniyi, V. A., & Awe, T. E. (2024). Constraints limiting the effectiveness of extension agents in disseminating climate-smart agricultural practices among rice farmers in north-Central Nigeria. Frontiers in Climate, 6, Article 1297225. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1297225