FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ADOPTION OF E-EXTENSION TOOLS BY SMALLHOLDER SUGARCANE FARMERS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined factors influencing the adoption of e-extension tools among smallholder sugarcane farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 273 sugarcane farmers. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Tobit regression model. The findings revealed that the majority (79.5%) of sugarcane farmers were males, with a mean age of 37.2 years. Also  61.5% of sugarcane farmers had secondary education, with a mean of 12.1 years spent in school, and an average farming experience of 8.6 years. The average household size and farm size were 7 members and a 1.4 hectares, respectively. The findings further revealed that majority (61.5%, 71.8% and 54.6%) of sugarcane farmers had no contact with extension agents, were not members of cooperatives, and had no access to credit, respectively. The Tobit regression results showed that sex (P<0.05), farm size (P<0.01), farming experience (P<0.10), years spent in school (P<0.01), number of extension visits (P<0.01), and amount of credit received (P<0.01) were the significant factors influencing the adoption of e-extension tools in the study area. Key challenges included limited extension contact (61.5%), low cooperative participation (71.8%), and inadequate access to credit (54.6%). The study concludes that sex, farm size, farming experience, education, extension visits and access to credit were the significant factors influencing the adoption e-extension tools in the stidy area. The study recommends the need to enhance extension services, improving access to credit, promoting gender-inclusive strategies, and strengthening farmer cooperatives to facilitate collective access to digital resources.