Adoption of cocoa input technologies under agricultural transformation agenda among women cocoa farmers in Ile-Ife, Osun State

Abstract

Majority of women cocoa farmers in Ile-Ife are poor and are often excluded from beneficial programs and trainings that can improve their welfare. The study analyzed the effect of public agricultural transformation programme on women farmers. Specifically, the critical issue of access to, and adoption of productivity enhancing input are analyzed. Data for the analyses were drawn from women farmers in cocoa (cash crop) production in rural Nigeria. A Multistage sampling technique was used to select 70% of the women cocoa farmers (80) who were farm owners and solely responsible for farm production decision. The data were analyzed using Tobit regression technique. The results showed that marital status of respondents and perception of increased income were significant and positive at 5% while number of visits by extension workers was also positively significant at 10%. The level of education, number of children and farming experience had negative and significant impacts on adoption of ATA policy. As farming experience and the number of children of each woman increase, the level of adoption of ATA program would decrease. The study concludes that most women farmers lack relevant information on the benefits and targets of public agricultural development programme. This greatly limits their ability to participate and benefit from such. There is a need to review the public agricultural information transmission channel.  Key words: Women, cocoa, adoption, agricultural transformation agenda.