Farmers' involvement in agricultural problems identification and prioritization in Ogun State, Nigeria

The main objectives of the study were to determine the level of farmers involvement in their (farmers) agricultural problems identification and prioritization for research and extension intervention, the willingness of farmers to participate in their own agricultural problems identification and prioritization and to identify those constraints which prevent involvement of farmers in problems and need identification and prioritization. Using multistage random sampling, 240 farmers were selected. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire and a structured interview schedule and analyzed through descriptive and regression analyses. The study concluded that the level of farmers' involvement in agricultural problems identification and prioritization was low, farmers were very willing to be involved in their agricultural problem identification and prioritization. Majority of the technologies disseminated were not based on farmers' identified problems and felt needs. Some of the constraints that might have militated against farmers' involvement were poor motivation and encouragement of farmers by researchers and extension officers, lack of adequate knowledge of research and extension processes, ineffective and inefficient linkages between researchers, extension agents and farmers and lack of formal education by farmers. The study recommended that the management of the Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (Extension sub-programme), agricultural research stations and universities conducting agricultural researches in Ogun State, especially Yewa North, should initiate policies and processes that will mandate their personnel to involve farmers in participatory agricultural problem identification and prioritization and other stages of agricultural research and extension processes. Developmental policies should be implemented in a bottom-up approach rather than a purely top-down approach so that farmers' opinion would be known. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol.32 2003: 45-5