Contact Farmers and Extension Personnel Perceptions of Constraints to Effectiveness of Agricultural Extension Services Delivery in Ondo State, Nigeria

This research was conducted to investigate contact farmers’ and extension personnel perceptions of constraints to effectiveness of agricultural extension service delivery in Ondo State, Nigeria. One hundred (100) contact farmers and twenty (20) extension agents were selected using simple random sampling technique. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential analyses. The study found that majority (76%) of the farmers and all the extension agents (100%) indicated that agricultural extension services assisted in training farmers on improved farming techniques. The majority (97%) of the farmers and extension agents (95%) agreed that lack of motivation of extension personnel constrains the effectiveness of extension services. The major constraints to effectiveness of extension service by contact farmers include inadequate training of extension personnel (x̅ = 1.86), lack of trust in extension agent (x̅ = 1.65), low literacy rate (x̅ =1.56) and limited access to information and technology (x̅ =1.53) while the major constraints identified by the extension officers include high input cost, lack of trust in extension agents and inadequate training of extension personnel all with a x̅ of 2.0 and within the mean response x̅ (2.0). The results of the hypothesis tests shows that there is a significant relationship between contact farmers’ and extension personnel’s constraints to effectiveness of agricultural extension services as the variables are positively correlated (r= 0.678, P<0.05). Majority of the contact farmers suggested the following as solutions to constraints to effectiveness of agricultural extension services; Agricultural extension centers should be equipped with instructional materials for disseminating agricultural information or new innovations (x̅ =1.26), Employment of more extension personnel to improve the effectiveness of extension service delivery (x̅ =1.20), Farmers should be ready to work with the extension personnel and accept the services provided to them (x̅ =1.18). The study recommends that more extension personnel should be employed and fortified with necessary equipment and facilities to enhance effective dissemination of information for the transformation of agriculture in the state. Proper planning of extension programmes should be made before being implemented to identify and tailor it to the needs of the farmers.