EXTENSION SERVICE DELIVERY AND USE OF IMPROVED CASSAVA TECHNOLOGIES AMONG FARMERS IN ENUGU STATE NIGERIA

The study provided empirical evidence on the effect of extension service delivery on use of improved cassavatechnologies among farmers in Enugu State Nigeria. The data for this study were collected from primary sourcesthrough the use of structured questionnaire and personal observation. Data collected were analysed with the useof simple descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that about 38% of the respondents had highawareness level, 48.1% medium while only 14% had low awareness level of agricultural technologiesdisseminated. The result revealed a grand mean of 2.53 indicating that the respondents utilized the agriculturaltechnologies disseminated to them by the extension agents in the study area. Regression result revealed that thecoefficient of extension service delivery was significant at 5% probability level and positive implying thatextension service delivery has significant effect on the use of improved cassava technologies among the cassavafarmers in the study area. Constraints militating against the use of the technologies disseminated showed that thefarmers encountered several constraints in the use of technologies disseminated by the extension agents. Thestudy shows that farmers in the study area were aware and used most improved cassava production technologiesdisseminated by the extension agents. The study therefore, calls for policies aimed at the need for efficientextension services to be rendered by competent extension agents who should be made to under-go continuoustraining and re-training programmes. Extension agents should improve on their efforts in organizing trainingprogrammes, workshops, and agricultural shows in order to sensitize the farmers on the need for enhanced use ofimproved cassava technologies