Assessing the role and performance of contact farmers in the training and visit system of agricultural extension in Bendel State, Nigeria

Performance of contact farmers who participated in the Training and Visit system of agricultural extension in Bendel State, Nigeria, in 1990 was assessed. The data were collected by personal interview from 210 respondents (made up of 42 extension agents, 84 contact farmers and 84 non-contact farmers). The contact and non-contact farmers were selected by simple random sampling. All the extension agents working in the zone studied were respondents. The results show that the contact farmers understand their roles, relate with extension agents as expected, perform the roles assigned to them both on their farms, and in passing on messages received from extension agents to non-contact farmers. Many factors were identified as affecting the performance of contact farmers. A weak positive correlation was found between the performance of contact farmers and their levels of education, the manner of selection, and the number of meetings attended by them. Sixty per cent of non-contact farmers, 96 per cent of contact farmers and 76 per cent of extension agents stated that contact farmers do perform their roles properly. The results thus suggest that the Training and Visit system of agricultural extension has been very effective in Bendel State, Nigeria. A majority of the respondents recommended that the performance of contact farmers can be improved in many ways, most especially by the timely and adequate supply of subsidised farm inputs