FARMERS EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN ABI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study examined farmers agricultural education and sustainable agricultural practices in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between agricultural education and sustainable agricultural practices. Based on the purpose of the study, three research questions were raised, and one was transformed to one hypothesis. They were answered with data drawn from 200 registered farmers in Abi. The survey research design was adopted for the study. Agricultural Education and sustainable agricultural practices questionnaire (AESAPQ) was the instrument used for data collection. The instrument was validated by two lecturers, one from Environmental Education Department and the other from Department of Educational Foundations, University of Calabar. Simple percentages and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis were adopted in testing and analyzing the data obtained. The hypothesis was tested at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between agricultural education and sustainable agricultural practices with a p-value of 0.000 and r-value of 0.754, and that only an average of 37.7% of Abi farmers were exposed to agricultural education and only an Average of 48.75% of the farmers practice sustainable agriculture. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that, the higher the agricultural education, the higher sustainable agricultural practices, all things being equal. It was therefore recommended by the researchers that; government and non-governmental organizations should assist farmers in the practice of sustainable agriculture through the provision of incentives and training.