Project Abstract

Project Overview

<p> </p><p><b>1.0 INTRODUCTION</b></p><p><b>1.1 DEFINITION OF INFORMATION</b></p><p>Information<br>is referred to anything that you are capable of perceiving, this can include<br>written communication. Speaking communication, photographs, art, music nearly<br>anything that is perceivable. This<br>includes enormous assortment of stimuli, but realizable, everything we come in<br>contact, which is capable of providing and does provides us with some sort of<br>information.</p><p><b>INFORMATION ACCORDING TO WEBSITES<br>THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY DEFINED:</b></p><p>Information<br>as a process by which the form of an object of knowledge is impressed upon the<br>apprehending mind so as to bring about the state of knowing it. This also<br>includes some thing received or perceived or obtained- through information eg.<br>Knowledge communicated by others or obtained from investigation, study or<br>instruction.</p><p><b>FUNK AND WAGNALLS ENCYCLOPEDIA</b></p><p>Sees<br>information as timely or specific knowledge acquired or derived signal element<br>forming parts of massage or communication especially one assembled and made<br>available for use by automatic machines, as in a digital computer usually<br>machined in bits.</p><p>The<br>Encyclopedia Biotical; Also defined agriculture as the science of cultivating<br>the soil, growing and harvesting crop and raising livestock.</p><p>O.<br>A. Iwena (2002) Defied agriculture as the production of crops and animals for<br>man’s use in other words, agriculture is defied as the deliberate effort made<br>by man to till the soil, cultivate crops and rear animals for food and other<br>purposes.</p><p><b>TYPES OF AGRICULTURE</b></p><p>There<br>are two major types of agriculture namely:</p><p>a. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>Subsistence agriculture and</p><p>b. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>Commercial agriculture.</p><p><b>A. &nbsp; SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE:</b></p><p>It<br>is the type of agriculture which is concerned with the production of finding a<br>farmer to feed himself and his family. In order word subsistence agriculture is<br>a system of farming where by a farmer cultivates crops and rear animals in<br>order to provide food for use by himself and his family only.</p><p><b>B. &nbsp; &nbsp;</b><b>COMMERCIAL<br>AGRICULTURE</b></p><p>This<br>is the type of agriculture which is concerned with production of food. Animals<br>and cash crops in large quantities for sale. It makes use of modern and complex<br>tools and implement like tractors, plough, harrows, ridges, planters, which are<br>required for successfulness of it’s practice.</p><p><b>AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION</b></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; It is a process or methods used in<br>disseminating new ideas, techniques to farmers. This methods is grouped into<br>(3) three classes:</p><p><b>a) &nbsp; INDIVIDUAL METHOD:</b></p><p>The<br>individual method includes farmer home visits aimed at direct contact between<br>farmers and the extension agents. The purpose is to give advice or assist on<br>wide range of farm and its problem. In order to succeed, it may require the<br>assistance of volunteer leader to arrange meetings as to develop public<br>relations with organization and important individuals.</p><p><b>b)</b>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b>GROUP<br>METHOD:</b></p><p>The<br>group method involves the works together with groups of farmer supervision of<br>the extension worker. (Eg)</p><p>i. &nbsp; &nbsp; Symposia</p><p>ii. &nbsp; &nbsp; Lectures</p><p>iii. &nbsp; Debates</p><p>iv. &nbsp; Group demonstration</p><p>v. &nbsp; &nbsp; Extrusion</p><p>vi. &nbsp; Field trips</p><p>vii. &nbsp; Agricultural show.</p><p>Agriculture<br>show is usually organized by state or even federal government and it includes<br>demonstration/ Exhibition of farmer product from improved agricultural<br>practices.</p><p><b>c) &nbsp; MASS MEDIA:</b></p><p>This<br>method is used to awareness and interest in new ideas and technique among the<br>majority of farmers. In order words, this method enables many people to know<br>about the new innovation. Mass media includes CD ROM, radio, Television,<br>Newspaper, Film show, Computer show case, Pamphlets, Banners, Hand bills and<br>Handouts. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p><b>APPLICATION OF AGRICULTURAL<br>INFORMATION</b></p><p>Over<br>the years faculty members at university<br>of Nebraska have designed<br>computer network system for direct use by farmer’s along with wished<br>agricultural specialists. There are now more than a thousand users of the<br>system. The system disseminates/delivers information to Canada.</p><p>There<br>are two board classes of the users:</p><p>a. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>Agricultural specialist:- who advices<br>other farmers</p><p>b. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br>Individual farmers, business and<br>agencies making use of system directly.</p><p>In<br>African, a deliberate effort/attempt have been by African governments to bring<br>about agricultural development without much to show for these efforts. This can<br>be attributed to the treatment of information delivery as matter of course by<br>most African government. As often happens agricultural information is not<br>integrated with other development programs to address the numerous related<br>problem that face farmers.</p><p>Information<br>is an essential ingredient in <br>agricultural development programmes but Nigeria farmers seldomly feel the<br>impact of agricultural innovation either because they have no access to such<br>vital information or because it is poorly disseminated. The information<br>provided is exclusively focused on policy maker’s researchers and those who<br>manage policy decisions with scant attention paid to the information need of<br>the largest beneficiaries of the policy decision. The non-provision of<br>agricultural information is a key factor that has greatly limited agricultural<br>development in development countries.</p><p>If<br>the approaches to agricultural development programmes are to work, African<br>governments needs to take new approaches to information dissemination and<br>management that grow out from a clear understanding of what farmers information<br>need are. For instance a researcher might use beef grower to estimate when a<br>particular cattle will be ready for sale and what cost and gain of selling will<br>be.</p><p>The<br>cost of production for various crops can be calculated using crop budget and<br>the economic value of land estimate with bay land. This programme also provided<br>new items and message services.</p><p><b>ROLES OF INFORMATION IN<br>AGRICULTURE</b></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is found that most of the role of<br>information in agricultural development are perceived by many, but performed by<br>few. Also moist of the role perceived are not performed by many of those who do<br>perceived them. Industrial revolution taking new turn away from machines and<br>instrument for taking over contain mental tasks example the handle of all forms<br>of data thus we have seen the growth of computer from simple to the larger high<br>speed flexible digital computer of today.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; No one categorically claim to know all<br>the information need of farmer especially in and an information depended sector<br>like agriculture, where there are new and rather complex problems facing farmer<br>every day. It is safe to assert that information need of Nigerian farmers<br>revolves around the resolution of problems such as pest hazards, weed control<br>moisture insufficiency, soil fertility, farm credit, labour shortage,<br>soil/erosion and so forth.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Information needs by the local farmer<br>may be in form of extension education, agriculture inputs, agriculture credit<br>and marketing modern farm inputs are needed to raise small farm productivity.<br>These inputs may include fertilizers, improved variety of seeds and seedings<br>feeds, plant, protection chemicals, agricultural machinery and equipment and<br>water. An examination of the factors influencing the adoption and continued use<br>of these inputs will show that information dissemination is a very important<br>factor. It is a factor that requires more attention than it now gets.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The farmer’s need of information is at<br>moment being diffused by extension worker, other farmers, government<br>parastatals and agricultural equipment dealers. The impact is yet to be felt.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Farmers are among the potential<br>beneficiaries of agricultural credit in Nigeria but because of their low<br>levels of literacy they are mostly unaware of credit, farmers need information<br>relating to source of loan such as names of sources. They need information on<br>the term of loan such as the interest rates, loan able amount and mode of<br>repayment regarding agricultural credit debts to small farmers usually through<br>channels such as relations, friends, neighbours, government officials,<br>commercial and credit banks. Grass root organs such as village leads and local<br>government officials are used to diffuse such information because of their<br>personal touch with small-scale farmer. Extension agent needs to intensify<br>their effort in educating farmers to increase their level of awareness.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In Nigeria, ministry of agriculture<br>through the field level extension worker and <br>broadcasting media provides agricultural marketing information farmers.<br>A lot still have to be done in this area. Some of those in charge of marketing<br>information are not trained for this job.</p><p><b>AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION<br>DISSEMINATION</b></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; With the past decades there has been<br>burst of research activities and agriculture in Nigeria Universities and<br>agricultural research centre located around all country far researching<br>innovation that are capable of booting. The farmers agricultural production and<br>Nigeria’s<br>economic development have been discovered. The yam minisett-techniques, protein<br>rich soyabean production and use of animal vaccine and drugs and labour saving<br>devices are some of the many improved agricultural innovations not properly<br>diffused. Prominent among the agricultural centres are:-</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; International institute for tropical<br>agriculture (IITA)</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The National Root Crops Research<br>Institute. But unfortunately, most of these innovations do not reach the<br>farmers field. This is because the medium for information disseminate in use is<br>quite ineffective.</p><p><b>PRESENT SITUATION</b></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Institutional and governmental organ<br>have been put in place to ensure that farmer get to know and adopt agricultural<br>innovations relevant to their situation e.g. Agricultural extension and<br>research license services (AERLS) The extension service of the agricultural development project (ADP),<br>ministries of agricultural both state and federal levels, media forum for<br>agriculture, co-operation extension centers (CEC) of universities and public<br>enlightenment units of the 18 agricultural research centres. These bodies serve<br>as facilitators of agricultural message by acting as communications departments.<br>They use computer, leaflet, newsletters, posters, exhibits, visual aids and<br>radio, programmes to communicate agricultural information. Radio and television<br>programmes are popular although controlled by government with its attendant<br>problems regarding the choice of programmes of all the existing channels of<br>extension highest in terms of providing credible information and advice,<br>especially on agricultural technology.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A major function of extension is to get<br>the farmers into frame, is fairly widespread in the middle belt region of Nigeria where<br>information about fertilizer is well diffused. Even through the demand for<br>fertilizer is buyout, the supply is mostly inadequate to meet the demands.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Apart from use of extension for<br>diffusion of agricultural innovation, other channels like rural development<br>field staff, contact farmer, schoolteacher’s private sector, agric-business<br>people staff of the ministry of agriculture and the electronic and print media<br>are used. These channels have their strengths and weakness farmer to strengthen<br>the effort of the print and broading media in ensuring proper agricultural<br>information dissemination to farmers the media forum for agricultures was<br>formed by media practitioners from all over Nigeria, with the aim of providing<br>better support for agriculture by improving the quality of agricultural<br>coverage in the media.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Again the targeted audience is not<br>properly reached as the main beneficiaries of information carried by printed<br>media and broad casting are urban elites not people at the grass root.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The purpose of agricultural development<br>programmes (ADP) was to evolve a new concept of reaching the farmer with<br>research findings and new discoveries in<br>farming operations, this was not so, owing to the fact that most times farmers<br>are left on their own while extension workers were quite busy trying to<br>urbanize their work/accommodations. The problem of agricultural development<br>cannot be discussed only in term of policies of the federal government the<br>technique of production, which emanated from ignorance of the improved<br>techniques of farming accounted for problems. Nigeria<br>were more familiar with traditional technique which was in novelty and so not<br>many Nigeria<br>farmer’s got used to.</p><p><b>1.2 &nbsp; &nbsp; <br></b><b>HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ANAMBRA STATE<br>AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME</b></p><p>Historical<br>background:- Background study of agricultural development programme: Anambra<br>state agricultural development programme (ASADEP), was inaugurated 5th,<br>1985 as one of the multi-state agricultural development project (MSADP-1) made<br>up to the South East States.</p><p>A<br>tripartite arrangement between the World Bank, FGNANSG ensures proper finding<br>for ASADEP. No wonder in 1986, the federal government signed a loan agreement<br>of USD 162 million for all MSADP-I which at present includes the following<br>states: Anambra, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River, Ebonyi, Enugu,<br>Imo, Kogi, Plateau and Benue.</p><p>Old<br>Anambra state (Anambra and Enugu<br>States) got USD 22.4<br>million. That loan was terminated at June 30th 1995. There was an<br>IFAA (International food and agricultural development). Loan of about USD 1.5<br>million expired in June 1997. Following the creation of state in Auguest 27,<br>1991 old Anambra state bifurcated into Anambra and Enugu states. It thus became necessary to<br>restructure the former Anambra ADP and to establish two ADPS from the new<br>territories. The World Bank provided fund for the creation of new headquarter<br>builder in Anambra<br>State. In January 1992,<br>the present ASADP moved from Enugu to temporary<br>office at Enugu<br>–Ukwu. It was later moved to its own multi-naira magnificent headquaters office<br>complex. In October 1995, the edifice is located on kilometer 41, Enugu-Onitsha<br>express Awka.</p><p>The<br>broad objective is to improve the standard of living and welfare of the rural<br>smell-scales/holder farmer, throughout the state of raising by their<br>productivity and farm income, via integrated rural development.</p><p><b>1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM</b></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Despite government effort to promote<br>food production in Nigeria-through<br>the use of various policy and programme, it appears that the efforts are yet to<br>yield enough result. Village farmers are still lacking information about the<br>latest research findings even where available, many still have no access to it.<br>Government is bombarding public eardrum with slogans and platitudes: operation<br>feed the nation, green revolution, self reliance-lots of publication in<br>different forms like journals, books and bulletin were produced and circulated<br>among organization agricultural productivity at the village level is still at<br>the low ebb. The impact of new research finding is yet to be filed at the<br>village level. Farmers are yearning for new technology that will enhance their<br>productivity. Information for development is not to be advantages of the rural<br>farmers the problems militating against effective dissemination of information<br>to farmers are:</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lack of adequate and prompt fund for<br>public awareness activities, lack of adequate and undated materials for<br>research purposes, communication barrier, topography, wrong perception of<br>researchers towards farmer illiteracy and superiority complex of research over<br>farmers. In order to find out place of information in agricultural development,<br>an analytical research of this nature is necessary and data gathered will provide empirical evidence that will<br>guide policy makers, students, researchers, extension workers and development<br>bank officers for formulation new and better policy.</p><p><b>1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY</b></p><p>i. &nbsp; &nbsp; To<br>determine the role of information in Agricultural Development in Nigeria.</p><p>ii. &nbsp; &nbsp; To<br>test the justification for investing Agricultural Information.</p><p>iii. &nbsp; To<br>determine various sources of information flows</p><p>iv. &nbsp; To<br>determine whether the research finding disseminated accomplish the target goal<br>among farmers.</p><p>v. &nbsp; &nbsp; To<br>identify the effect of information in agriculture productivity.</p><p><b>1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY</b></p><p>Any<br>society with inhibiting human’s must be adequately informed in view of the<br>relevance of information to every individual in all shares of life. Specially for<br>agricultural extension staff, researchers and to entire people concerned in the<br>society.</p><p>The<br>finding of the study will be used to the farmers, extension workers,<br>researchers, scientists, contract farmers, factories and plantation officers<br>university staffs and development consultants.</p><p><b>1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY</b></p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This research work is limited to<br>information dissemination on agriculture in Nigeria in development of Anambra<br>Sate agricultural development programme (ADP) Awka.</p><p><b>1.7 RESEARCH QUESTIONS</b></p><p>i. &nbsp; &nbsp; What<br>are the role of information in Agricultural development in Nigeria ?</p><p>ii &nbsp; &nbsp; To what<br>extent is justification for investigating Agricultural information?</p><p>iii. &nbsp; What<br>are the various source of information flow?</p><p>iv. &nbsp; Do the<br>research findings disseminated accomplish the target goal among farmers?</p><p>v. &nbsp; &nbsp; What are<br>the effect of information in Agriculture productivity?</p><p><b>1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS</b></p><p>For<br>the purpose of understanding this project work under study, the following terms<br>are relevant to point out.</p><p><b>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br></b><b>INFORMATION</b></p><p>Information<br>as a process by which the form of an object of knowledge is impressed upon the<br>apprehending mind so as to bring about the state of knowing it. This also<br>includes some thing received or perceived or obtained through informing eg.<br>knowledge communicated by other or obtained from investigation, study or<br>instruction.</p><br> <br><p></p>