Effect of Agricultural Extension Services in Minimizing Post-Harvest Losses of Yam Produce in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the effect of agricultural extension services in minimizing post-harvest losses of yam in Benue State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 240 yam producers. Data were collected using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean and standard deviation, post-harvest management coefficient (PMC) and binary logistic regression (BLR) were used to analyse the data. Results on producers’ capabilities to manage PHLs revealed that 58.5% of the total yam produce (PMC = 0.585) was preserved while a sizeable proportion (41.5%) of losses were incurred after harvest. The availability of agricultural extension services showed that, the provision of agricultural information ( ̅ = 1.54), access to agricultural markets ( ̅ = 1.50) and facilitation of the formation of producers’ self-help groups ( ̅ = 1.50) were the prime extension services rendered in the study area. Empirical result on the effect of agricultural extension services on PHLs management revealed that the number of agricultural extension services (P ≤ 0.01) and access to agricultural credit (P ≤ 0.01) exerted positive and significant influence on PHLs management. Also, the level of producers’ education (P ≤ 0.1) enhanced significantly and consistently, their capabilities to minimize PHLs. Conversely, the number of agricultural information sources (P ≤ 0.1) exerted negative and significant influence on yam producers’ capabilities to manage post-harvest losses. The study concludes that agricultural extension services are potent in the management of post-harvest losses. The study thus recommends the provision of agricultural extension service by service agencies, given that the capacities of yam producers’ in minimizing post-harvest losses could be enhanced significantly and consistently with increase in the numbers of agricultural extension services at their disposal, and the enhancement of access to agricultural extension services by yam producers, individually and cooperatively, to curtail the incidences incidence of post-harvest losses on yam.