Assessment of the use of cocoa production management practices among cocoa farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cocoa is an important cash crop that contributes significantly to earnings from agriculture in the Nigerian economy. Developing an enterprise in this cash crop requires the use of proper management practices. This study investigated the socioeconomic profile of the cocoa farmers; the types of management practices used among the farmers; and the constraints faced by farmers on cocoa management practices in the study area. Both purposive and simple random techniques, in a four-stage sampling procedure, were used to select one hundred and sixty cocoa farmers for the study. Descriptive statistical tools such as precision counts, frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the data; while Chi-Square analysis was used to test the hypothesis. The results showed that the respondents were predominantly male and married with majority of them having above primary school education, and mean age of 54.10 years. The mean household size was 7 persons, farm size ranged from 1.5 to 23 acres (mean = 7 acre). Planting of plantain (M=3.84), pruning (M=3.59) and regulated cutting of trees (M=3.37) were ranked high among the management practices used by the farmers. Non-availability of planting material (M=3.88) and problem of pest and diseases (M=3.74)were perceived as the major constraints facing the cocoa management practices. Chi-Square analysis showed that Level of education was significantly related to the management practices used by the cocoa farmers at r≤ 0.01. The study concluded that even though the farmers were in tune with the use of cocoa production management practices, nonetheless, there were some limiting factors such as non-availability of planting materials and pest and diseases affecting the cocoa production in the study area. It was therefore recommended that extension training for farmers should be geared towards pre-planting and post-planting management practices as well as access to adequate planting materials.

Assessment of farmers′ utilization of approved pesticides in cocoa farms in Ondo state, Nigeria

“…This indicates that marriage is an institution that is highly valued in most African countries, especially in rural areas. This result agrees with Awoyemi and Aderinoye-Abdulwahab (2019) that most cocoa farmers were married (97.2%). Since married people are seen as responsible and mature, marriage plays a significant role in influencing an individual's behaviour in the rural area to positively adhere to societal expectations ( Akinmusola et al.…”

“…The average household consists of 6 persons. This was in line with the results of Awoyemi and Aderinoye-Abdulwahab (2019) that cocoa farmers had a large household size of 7 persons. According to Omoare and Oyediran (2015) , large households are important in rural communities because they provide human resources for farm and other household activities.…”

“…This could influence their knowledge of the usage of approved pesticides as most farmers could read and understand chemicals instruction manuals and some literature on pesticide preventive measures. The result corroborates the findings of Awoyemi and Aderinoye-Abdulwahab's (2019) in the research carried out in Ekiti State that most cocoa farmers were educated. Farmers with a higher level of education can better interpret and synthesize complex agricultural information and are more responsive to innovations pushed to them than those with a lower level of education or none at all ( Mokgadi and Oladele 2013 ).…”

The Role of Agricultural Extension in Cocoa Production and Livelihood of Farmers in Meme Division, Cameroon

“…With liberalization of the economy, the men opened individual farms and in line with the patriarchal system, the male children inherit the farms for continuity. This is in line with the assertions of Awoyemi and Aderinoye [7], that men dominate cocoa production. The role of the women is often confined to post harvest activities such as gathering of ripe pods, breaking of pods to remove beans, fermentation and drying.…”

Economic Efficiency of Organic Farming Adoption by Cocoa Farmers in Southwest, Nigeria

“…The cocoa sub-sector remains critical to the economies of several West African countries, as it produces roughly 80% of the world's cocoa and provides employment for millions of smallholder farmers [14]. At present, Nigeria ranks as the fourth largest cocoa producing nation in the world, responsible for approximately 12% of total global production, trailing behind Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Indonesia [3].…”