Adoption of Appropriate Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Technologies among Smallholder Farmers in Nigeria

Sennuga Samson Olayemi¹*, Angba Augustine Oko² and Fadiji Taiye Oduntan³

¹School of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, Gloucester, United Kingdom, GL76JS.

²Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.

³Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja, FCT, P.M.B. 117, Abuja, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author’s Contact Details: Email address ✉: dr.yemisennuga@yahoo.co.uk

Low and slow adoption of modern agricultural technologies among smallholder farmers many times discourage researchers and innovation promotion efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa communities. That is particularly true for improved technologies that require working capital and little time to materialize. This study investigates the level of awareness and the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) technologies among smallholder farmers in Kaduna State Nigeria. The study utilized a mixed methods approach to survey 200 smallholder households in Giwa and Sabon-gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Findings show that the level of awareness of GAPs technologies was low among smallholder. The study also found that after the GAPs training there was high level of adoption and acceptance of the GAPs technologies by smallholder farmers. Similarly, the chi-square test results show that thirteen (13) GAPs technologies were statistically significant at (P <0.05**). It was found that a greater proportion (84%) of the farmers indicated that the GAPs trainings were effective and provides them with new skills and information. The study also found that extension visits and SMS text reminders interventions encouraged farmers and had positive impact on GAPs adoption. In this study, smallholders unanimously ranked financial constraints, high cost of fertilizers and addiction to traditional method of farming as the major barrier to adoption in the study area. The study also recommends that agricultural policy maker should streamline improved technologies to the meet specific conditions of the rural communities for more rapid adoption and sustainability. Government should invest in improved technologies considered to be cost effective with a clear impact on the adoption decisions of smallholders.

Key words: Adoption, awareness, good agricultural practices, smallholder farmers, technology.

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