FACTORS INFLUENCING UTILIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES TRANSFER AMONG PARTICIPANTS OF ADOPTED VILLAGE EXTENSION PROJECT IN KADUNA AND NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the factors influencing utilization of agricultural technologies transfer among participants of Adopted Village Extension Project (AVEP) in Kaduna and Niger State, Nigeria. A Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 246 participants of AVEP for the study comprising of 131 and 115 participants from Kaduna and Niger States, respectively. Primary data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire complemented with an interview schedule. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Technology Adoption Index (TAI) and Tobit regression analysis. The results reveal that the mean age of the participants in Kaduna and Niger States were 38 and 31 years, with a mean household size of 7 and 5 people, and mean farming experience of 14 and 10 years, respectively. The various agricultural technologies transferred to participants in Kaduna State among crop production were storage techniques (83.5%), improved seeds (80.0%) and weed management techniques (78.3%) ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively, while participants in Niger State indicated improved seed (90.1%), weed management techniques (83.2%) and planting techniques (78.6%) ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. More so, among the livestock production technologies transferred to participants in Kaduna State were improved animal breeds (8706%), hybrid broilers (80.0%) and improved feed formulation (80.0%) ranked 1^st and 2^nd, respectively, while participants in Niger State indicated improved animal breeds (92.4%), hybrid broilers (82.4%) and hybrid layers (74.1%) ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively. Respondents’ age (-2.05; p<0.05), education (1.76; p<0.10), awareness of technology (2.16; p<0.05), compatibility (4.35; p<0.01), relative advantage (1.98; p<0.10) and cost (-3.22; p<0.01) influences participants’ utilization of agricultural technologies transferred through AVEP in Kaduna State, while age (-2.41; p<0.05), education (2.02; p<0.05), farm size (2.54; P<0.01), awareness of technology (2.09; p<0.05), compatibility (3.12; p<0.01), relative advantage (1.74; p<0.10) and cost (-2.97; p<0.01) influences participants’ utilization of agricultural technologies transferred through AVEP in Niger State. The study concluded that socio-economic and institutional factors highlighted above significantly influences utilization of agricultural technologies by the respondents in the study area. It was therefore recommended that, for efficient transfer of agricultural technologies, there is need for increased sensitization by the research institutes on relative advantages of technologies adoption and utilization for greater output and income.