FACTORS AFFECTING ADOPTION OF HAND POLLINATION TECHNIQUE BY COCOA FARMERS IN ONDO STATE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate factors affecting adoption of hand pollination technique by cocoa farmers in Ondo State. Specifically, the socio-economic characteristics of respondents were examined, the information sources by which they become aware of improved technologies and hand pollination technique were ascertained, the study also identified the production strategies used by the cocoa farmers in the study area; the constraints of adoption of hand pollination technique by the farmers were determined. It also identified the factors that enhanced the adoption of hand pollination technique. The study used a well-structured questionnaire which was administered to 100 respondents randomly selected from two local government areas in Ondo State, that are prominent in using hand pollination technique. The stastitical tools used for data analysis include frequency, means and percentage, multiple regression, logistic regression and chi-square. The result showed that 30.0 percent of the respondents were at the age of 51 – 60; about 90.0 percent of the respondents were male. The result further revealed that twenty five percent of the respondents (25.0 percent) completed secondary school; 56.0 percent of the respondents had over 25 years’ experience in cocoa production and 47.0 percent of the respondents made an average income of between N1m – N1.99m and above annually; the respondent that realized four tonnes harvest yearly were 34.0 percent. The result showed that 55.0 percent of the respondents were aware of hand pollination technique although, all of them agreed to decline in cocoa production. All the respondents were positive to the statement that old age of cocoa farms affects cocoa production output, 53.0 percent strongly agreed with this while 47.0 percent agreed but none had a contrary opinion. Seventy three percent of the respondents strongly agreed with the fact that hand pollination is easy to use. Multiple regression analysis revealed that annual income of the farmers, level of education, years of experience; cocoa farmer size and household size are socio-economic factors that influence adoption of hand pollination. Stepwise logistic regression showed that annual income, source of capital, age of the farmers, farmers output and types of crop were significant which are likely to influence the adoption of hand pollination technique. therefore, recommended that effort should be made by government, non-governmental organization (NGO’s) private organization and agro-industries in providing credit facilities, effective extension services, inputs supply and delivery system so as to make farmers adopt new technique being introduced to them.