Impact of Agricultural Extension on Adoption of Soyabean Innovations in Bauchi, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the impact of agricultural extension services on the adoption of improved soyabean processing and utilization technologies in Bauchi , Nigeria. Twenty improved soyabean processing and utilization technologies were used for the study. Four Local Government Areas (LGAs) were purposively selected and three villages were randomly selected from each LGA were many farmers were planting soyabean for consumption and sales. Random cluster sampling technique was used to select fifteen soyabean farmers from each village totaling (180) farmers. The result revealed that low level of education seemed to affect the level of adoption of the new technologies. Out of the twenty innovations involved in the study, only three were widely adopted. These were soya cheese (‘wara’), soya daddawa (condiment) and soya milk, 14 were below 20% adoption, while 3 were at 0% adoption (soya yoghurt, soya puffpuff, soya pancake). Four information sources were involved in the study. These were extension contact, friends/neighbours, social participation and radio/television. The result revealed the level of significance of extension contact was highest in Bauchi LGA (chi-square (X2=112.37) and lowest in Dass LGA (X2=58.95). Extension contact had a considerable impact on adoption of processing and use of soyabean in the area. It was concluded that although some improved soyabean technologies have been adopted, it is gradually becoming a popular food in the area with extension activities exerting a considerable impact. Nevertheless, more awareness of processing knowledge and more government inducement are needed to lead to further adoption of improved soyabean technologies.

Keywords: soyabean, technologies, adoption, extension contact