Factors Influencing the Adoption of Improved Technologies Among Cocoa Farmer in Ile-oluji/oke-igbo Local and Idanre Local Government Areas of Ondo State

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Improved Technologies Among Cocoa Farmer in Ile-oluji/oke-igbo Local and Idanre Local Government Areas of Ondo State

CHAPTER ONE

Objectives of the study

The main objective of the study is to examine factors influencing the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas, Nigeria.

The following research objectives guided the study:

1. To examine how capital and credit facilities influence the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas.
2. To establish how training influences the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas.
3. To determine how availability of agricultural extension services influence the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas.
4. To determine how market availability influences the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas.
5. To establish how demographic characteristics of farmers influences the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This chapter comprises literature review that is relevant to the research topic, and includes the empirical literature on the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers; capital and credit facilities and adoption of improved technologies; training and the adoption of improved technologies; availability of agricultural extension services and the adoption of improved technologies, marketing availability and the adoption of improved technologies and demographic information and the adoption of improved technologies. The aim of the literature review was to reveal the knowledge gaps which the study sought to fill in.

Adoption of Improved technologies among Cocoa farmers

There is a widely held belief that traditional technologies and institutions are to blame for low agricultural productivity and food insecurity in West Africa (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). There is the notion that “backward” peasants can only be made more productive and food secure through technological and institutional transfer from the North to the South, and from the modern sub-sector into the peasant subsector(Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). Many governments in the region still believe in the importation of western technologies and institutions, such as tractors, high analysis fertilizers, and modern seeds as well as in changing the prevailing customary land tenure arrangements (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). Traditional technologies and tenure arrangements and other institutions are perceived as pseudo-scientific, backward, primitive, valueless, crude, mistaken, fallacious and a stumbling block to increased agricultural productivity (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). Literature which favours large-scale modern agriculture tends to claim that if land were returned to traditional farmers, millions would starve to death (Innis, 1997). Traditional farmers, when they are presented in textbooks and analytical research papers, are portrayed as very “rigid” in their ways, unable and unwilling to respond to new ideas or opportunities (Innis, 1997).

Many observers are questioning why the Green Revolution which transformed agriculture in

Europe and SouthEast Asia has not been able to achieve the same results in West Africa (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). The majority of the victims of the agrarian crisis in the region are peasants living in rural areas. Peasants in this region may be worse off than they were in the 1960s (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). The vast majority of the peasants and their families have become part of the cycle of poverty in Africa, and many of them are now unable to feed themselves (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). There is a looming shadow of a food and agriculture crisis threatening millions of people in West Africa. For a continent in which more than 70% of the labor force ekes out a living from agriculture, the region is doubtless experiencing a deep-seated crisis of food production Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). Self-sufficient in production at independence, West Africa is now a net food importer (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013).

There is a large gap between what the Cocoa farmer gets and what is feasible with the available technology in West Africa (Muhoho, 2019). In looking at what has gone wrong, a fundamental issue of concern relates to the technologies and institutional arrangements that are being promoted by governments in the region to increase agricultural productivity (Mkandawire &Matlosa, 2013). The use of improved technologies affects the rate of increase in agricultural output. It also determines how the increase in agricultural output impacts on poverty levels and environmental degradation (Meinzen-Dick et al., 2012). Therefore, the focus of recent research has been to find better agricultural practices. New strains of crops have been discovered. The focus of research has also been on improvements of land, soil and water management practices (Meinzen-Dick et al.,2012). However, the only way for Cocoa farmers to benefit from these research station technologies is if they perceive them to be appropriate and proceed to implement them on their farms (MeinzenDick et al., 2012).

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CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter on research design and methodology has the following sub-topics: research design, study location, target population, sample and sampling procedure, research instruments, validity and reliability, procedure for data collection, data analysis and ethical consideration.

Research Design

A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting the marketing research project. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or solve marketing research problems (Rofianto, 2019).

This study adopted an descriptive research design, which involves qualitative and quantitative data. This design was suitable for this study since it sought to provide insights and understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSIONS

Introduction

This chapter presents analysis of results based on the five research questions presented int chapter one of the study.

Questionnaire Return Rate

This study distributed 151 questionnaires of which 144 were returned, representing 96%. Based on Kothari (2003) a return rate of this percentage is deemed adequate. Therefore, 96% questionnaire return rate was representative enough. In survey research response rate (also known as completion rate or return rate) refers to the number of people who answered the survey divided by the number of people in the sample. It is usually expressed in the form of a percentage.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

Introduction

This chapter presents summary of study findings, conclusions drawn, recommendations based on the conclusions and suggestions for further research.

Summary of the Findings

Results show that the majority of respondents were in the age brackets of 20-29 years 78(54.2%), 30-39 years 13(9%) and 40-49 years had 53(36.8%). There was a significant difference among respondents in the age distribution since expected uniform distribution across age groups was not achieved in each age bracket. Majority of the respondents were males 104(72.2%) while the rest were females 40(27.8%). The results illustrated that there was a significant (p<0.05) variation in the gender distribution among the respondents since the expected 50% was not attained because the number of males was more than that of females who participated in the study. Therefore results show that gender equity among the respondents who participated in this study was not achieved. Further results on the working experience of respondents illustrate that 91(63.2%) of the respondents have been working for less than 5 years, 13(9%) working for 5-10 years, 29(20.1%) for 10-15 years and those above 15 years were represented by 11(7.6%). This indicated that most respondents had acquired some experience, knowledge and skills to varying degrees to understand how the various factors affect the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers. Results show that 28.5% of respondents had diploma educational level, 56.3% had bachelor’s degree education level and 15.2% of respondents had masters’ degrees. There was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the levels of respondents’ education, an indication of respondents’ different understanding of how the various factors affect the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers.

On how capital and credit facilities influences the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas, Regression analysis revealed that capital and credit facilities had positive and significant association on the adoption of improved technologies but at varying degrees, an indication that there was a moderate association between the capital and credit facilities and adoption of improved technologies.

On how training influences the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas, the correlation results show that training has a positive and significant influence on the adoption of technologies among Cocoa farmers, though the degree of adoption of technologies is low signified by low r-values (r<0.5).

The results on correlation analysis in Table 4.9 revealed that Cocoa farmers are aware of yield-raising technologies, such as improved seeds (r = 0.298^**, p<0.01) and that Cocoa farmers are aware of fertility-restoring and conservation technologies (r = 0.235*, p<0.05) positive and significant on the adoption of improved technologies. It should be noted that these correlation values were below r = 0.5, an indication of a marginal weak positive association between availability of agricultural extension services and adoption of improved technologies.

On how market availability influences the adoption of improved technologies among Cocoa farmers Results revealed that market availability has a positive and significant (p<0.05) on the adoption of improved technologies in the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas. It should be noted that these correlation values were below r = 0.5, an indication of a marginal weak association between the variables of market availability on adoption of improved technologies.

The results between demographic characteristics of farmers and the adoption of technology indicate that there was a positive and significant between these variables but at varying degrees in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas. Notably, the farmers’ educational levels, gender and age had positive and significant influence on the adoption of technology while the variable on males and females adopting technology equally had positive but insignificant influence.

Conclusions

The study had the following conclusions:

Capital and credit facilities had positive and significant association on the adoption of improved technologies but at varying degrees. This implies that an increase in capital and credit facilities could result to higher rate of improved technologies adoption.

Results indicated that training has a marginally positive and significant influence on the adoption of technologies among Cocoa farmers. This means that the level of training of Cocoa farmers is low as far as technologies were concerned.

There was a marginal weak positive association between availability of agricultural extension services and adoption of improved technologies. This was attributed to inefficient and poorly trained extension officers on technology adoption.  

Results revealed that market availability has a positive and significant (p<0.05) on the adoption of improved technologies. The association between these two variables was marginally weak an indication of marketability of farmers’ products not being effective as a result of poor infrastructure.

The farmers’ educational levels, gender and age had positive and significant influence on the adoption of technology while the variable on males and females adopting technology equally had positive but insignificant influence.

Recommendations

The following recommendations were made based on the findings and the conclusions of the study:

1. There is a need to increase farmers’ capital and credit facilities and make these services accessible to the farmers. The Government and other stakeholders can provide tax free tools and equipment to the farmers.
2. There is need for farmers and extension officers to be trained on yield-raising technologies and fertility-restoring and conservation technologies and other technologies that can positively contribute to high productivity among farmers. This will increase awareness on the availability and usefulness of the technologies.

 Suggestion for Further Research

Significant research gaps remain in this area of study which will need to be filled in order to increase the effectiveness of technology adoption in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Idanre Local Government Areas. These areas are:

1. Research on other factors that affect adoption of technology in other sub-counties.
2. Influence of the moderating variables like resource adequacy, Government policies and community cooperation on the adoption of technology

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