Comparative assessment of public and private extension programmes in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State of Nigeria

Abstract

The Rivers State ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources is responsible for extension services to farmers in Etche Local Government Area since 1970, as well as Rivers State Agricultural Development Project which began in 1987, with shell community Development Project, a private sector extension agency.  But these extension programmes in Etche, the extent to which they have assisted the farmers in improving food production through their extension services have not been studied.

      The study therefore was specifically carried out to determine the effectiveness of agricultural extension programmes in Etche with a view to ensuring constant and further improvement in extension services in Etche Local Government Area of River State.

       In carrying out the research, the questionnaira developed by young Cunningham (1977) and a general survey type were administered to 244 respondents, including (i) Extension administrators, (ii) Extension agents and (iii) Farmers and the agricultural science teachers.

      The findings revealed that the private sector extension agency (shell) was more effective than the public sector extension agency (ADP) in the following ways: (1) The shell Community Development Project was more effective than the State ADP in dissemination of Agricultural information and had better extension human relations with the farmers; as well as had more regular contacts with the extension end user and more effective in the supply of farm inputs. (2) More farmers adopted improved farm technologies owing to the influence of shell Community development project.

     The study therefore recommends the following ways for effectiveness of extension programmes in Etche Local Government Area of River State: (i) The ADP staff should be provided with adequate mobility to visit their farmers from time to time. (ii) ADP should make available to the farmers planting materials at the appropriate time, and (iii) More extension staff should be encouraged to stay on their jobs through adequate remunerations