EFFECT OF FARMER BUSINESS SCHOOL(FBS) ON THE LIVELIHOOD STATUS OF RURAL FARMERS IN EDO AND ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study was designed to evaluate the effects of Farmer Business School (FBS) on the livelihood status of rural farmers in Edo and Ondo States, Nigeria. In connection to the production of cocoa, cassava and maize, one hundred and eighty (180) Participating Farmers (PF) in the FBS programme and one hundred and eighty (180) Non- Participating Farmers (NPF); making up to three hundred and sixty (360) respondents, v majority of the PF had favourable attitude towards the FBS programme while majority of the PF benefitted in almost all the benefits attached to the FBS programme. In addition, the result of the study revealed that high cost of agricultural inputs was the most pressing challenge pointed out by all the PF (100%). The result of the analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between age (𝜒2=28.394, p<0.05), secondary occupation (𝜒2=46.973, p<0.05) and social group membership (𝜒2=9.773, p<0.05) and their level of participation in FBS group activities. There was also a significant relationship between the level of adoption of FBS modules and the Livelihood Status of the PF (where 𝜒2 =56.309, p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the Livelihood Status of the PF and NPF (where t-value=9.452, p<0.05). There was also a significant difference between the Gross Margin of the PF based on the output generated from cocoa, cassava and maize production before (2016) and after (2017-2019) their participation in FBS programme. The above inference was in connection with 2016– 2017, 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 which reflected a p-value of 0.000 with F-ratio of 11.171; where p< 0.05. In addition, there was a significant relationship between the benefits derived by the PF and their level of adoption of FBS modules (where 𝜒2=0.313, p< 0.05). In conclusion, the result of the study showed that FBS programme has improved the livelihood status of rural farmers and part of the recommendations made were the provision of agricultural inputs at subsidized rates, low interest loan and mainstreaming of the FBS training model into the National Agricultural Extension Policy by the Nigerian government; which would help to sustain the FBS programme and as well promoting agricultural extension delivery system in Nigeria. were purposively selected for data collection based on multi-stage sampling procedure across four (4) Local Government Areas in each of the two states chosen for this study. Primary and secondary data were used. The data collected were analysed using both descriptive statistics such as mean, mode, charts, figures, tables, range and percentages and inferential statistics such as Chi-Square, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, t-test and ANOVA. Livelihood Status Index (LSI) and Gross Margin Index (GMI) were also used to determine the livelihood status and gross margin of respondents respectively. The result of the study shows that 79.2% of all the respondents were male while 20.8% were female, mean age was 51.4 years, 89.4% were married, 5.8% completed tertiary education while 44.7% completed secondary education, the mean for household size was 6.9 people (approximately 7 people), 63.9% acquired their land through inheritance, 79.7% depended on both family and hired labour, 67.2% had membership in social groups and the mean farmland size cultivated for cocoa was 2.2ha and for cassava/maize was also 2.2ha. Notably, 91.7% of all the respondents had poor livelihood status while 8.3% had average livelihood status. The Gross Margin Analysis revealed that the PF generated more profit year after year (2017-2019) after their participation in FBS programme; which might be attributed to the business skills and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) knowledge gained by the PF. The result of this study also revealed that majority of the PF had high level of adoption in the FBS modules while majority of the PF had favourable attitude towards the FBS programme while majority of the PF benefitted in almost all the benefits attached to the FBS programme. In addition, the result of the study revealed that high cost of agricultural inputs was the most pressing challenge pointed out by all the PF (100%). The result of the analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between age (𝜒2=28.394, p<0.05), secondary occupation (𝜒2=46.973, p<0.05) and social group membership (𝜒2=9.773, p<0.05) and their level of participation in FBS group activities. There was also a significant relationship between the level of adoption of FBS modules and the Livelihood Status of the PF (where 𝜒2 =56.309, p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the Livelihood Status of the PF and NPF (where t-value=9.452, p<0.05). There was also a significant difference between the Gross Margin of the PF based on the output generated from cocoa, cassava and maize production before (2016) and after (2017-2019) their participation in FBS programme. The above inference was in connection with 2016– 2017, 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 which reflected a p-value of 0.000 with F-ratio of 11.171; where p< 0.05. In addition, there was a significant relationship between the benefits derived by the PF and their level of adoption of FBS modules (where 𝜒2=0.313, p< 0.05). In conclusion, the result of the study showed that FBS programme has improved the livelihood status of rural farmers and part of the recommendations made were the provision of agricultural inputs at subsidized rates, low interest loan and mainstreaming of the FBS training model into the National Agricultural Extension Policy by the Nigerian government; which would help to sustain the FBS programme and as well promoting agricultural extension delivery system in Nigeria.