Farmer perception of their environment is a factor of climate change. Adaptation to climate change requires farmers to realize that the climate has changed and they must identify useful adaptations and implement them. This study analyzed the per-ception of climate change among rural farmers in central agri-cultural zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Climate change studies often assume certain adaptations and minimal examination of how, when, why, and conditions under which adaptations usually take place in any economic and social systems. The study was conducted by survey method on 131 respondents using struc-tured interview schedule and questionnaire. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and linear regression model to test that education, gender, and farming experience influenced farmers’ perception of climate change. The results showed that the farmers were aware of climate change. The identified causes of climate change were ranging from intensified agriculture, population explosion, increased use of fossil fuel, loss of in-digenous know practice to gas flaring. The effects of climate change on crops and livestocks were also identified by the rural farmers. Many of the farmers adapted to climate change by planting trees, carrying out soil conservation practice, changing planting dates, using different crop varieties, installing fans in livestock pens, and applying irrigation. Almost half of them did not adapt to climate change. The linear regression analysis revealed that education, gender, and farming experience influ-enced farmers’ perception of climate change. The major barriers to adaptation to climate change included lack of information, lack of money, and inadequate land.<br /><br /><br />

This study was conducted to isolate the determinants of improved fish production technologies in Delta State, Nigeria. Data were collected from a sample population of 250 fish farmers from ten randomly selected Local Government Areas of Delta State. The data were elicited from respondents with the use of structured interview schedule while descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The recommended fish farming technologies at different stages of adoption process were p H testing and regulation, testing of dissolved oxygen level, feed formulation, polyculture, practices integrated fish/poultry or rice farming, re-circulation method, cage system, spawning and stocking density. The level of adoption was low. The grand mean adoption score and adoption index are 1.02 and 0.10, respectively. The low level of adoption was attributed to cost of the technologies, their complexities and lack of extension contact. The level of education, age of farmers, farm size, farm income and extension contact were the major determinants of fish production technologies adoption at 0.05 level of significance.

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Many sustainable agricultural practices that emanate from local and traditional farming knowledge and are environment friendly in the face of climate change are steadily being abandoned. These practices include the use of manure, local weather forecast and planting of various local cassava varieties to manage risk. This study examines the characteristics of those who maintain these traditional practices to ascertain if the maintenance of these local agricultural practices can be explained by adoption diffusion literature. The reasons given for maintenance of the traditional farm practices included cost, environmental friendliness and easy access to needed weather information, quality of starch in cassava and risk management. The findings do not support the idea that young, educated and wealthier farmers are more likely to reject traditional farm practices. Instead, use of tractors, off-farm employment and farm size tend to have relationship with the use of traditional farm practices.

This study was conducted in Nigeria´s Delta Central Agricultural Zone to determine the effectiveness of the leadership of farmers' self-help groups. Seven of the 27 registered farmers groups were randomly selected. Ten percent of the members of each selected group were also randomly selected, resulting in 68 respondents. Primary data were collected with the use of questionnaires and direct interview, while secondary data were collected from the records of the selected farmers' groups. Data were subjected to statistical analysis by using mean derived from 4-point Likert-type scale, frequency counts and percentages. The hypotheses were addressed with the use of Spearman's rank order correlation. Leadership was rated low in qualities of leaders although the leaders have been found to be fairly effective for some aspects: creating access to credit, organizing groups for price determination and direct sale of produce to consumers. The members' participation in meetings was irregular. The implication for extension delivery service is that regular training should be organized for the leadership of farmers groups.

This study was conducted to analyze the perception of the rural woman about credit oriented self-help group in Delta State, Nigeria. A sample size of 110 respondents was used for the study and data were collected from them with the use of structured interview schedule and questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression equation model as the lead equation. It was revealed that the women farmers subscribed to self-help groups in order to be able to have access to credit (mean = 3.78), information (mean = 3.55), extension services (mean = 3.45). The respondents were satisfied with their respective self-help groups. However, they had some challenges such as inadequate access to extension services (mean = 3.55) and lack of commitment by the leaders (mean = 3.22) and members (mean = 3.19). Educational level and frequency of extension contact of the respondents were found to influence their perception on self-help groups at 5% level of significance. It is recommended that governmental and non-governmental organizations, and university agricultural extension departments should carry out a campaign on workshops for these groups on commitment and extension agencies should diversify their focus to include selfhelp groups and activities.