Technological Changes in Farming among the Tiv Farming Households in Nigeria

• Published in: Journal of agricultural extension 2019-01, Vol.23 (1)
• Main Authors: Pauline D. Ivande, Michael Olatunji Olaolu, Edwin M. Igbokwe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1119-944X; 2408-6851
• DOI: 10.4314/jae.v23i1.01

Contacts with colonialism and other social interrelations are assumed to have been the sources of agricultural skills and technologies emerging and smallholder farm communities were persuaded to abandon their traditional agricultural practices for modern practices and technologies. Therefore, this study determined the changes in farming technologies of Tiv farmers. The study used the survey design, with the aid of questionnaire. The study was conducted among the Tiv in Benue, Nassarawa and Taraba States Nigeria which also constituted the population of the study. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select farming households. A total of 315 farming household were sampled for the study. Data were analysed using frequency, percentages, mean statistics, percentage change and independent sample t-test statistics. Most of the farmers were male (51.7%), with mean age of about 60 years (59.8%) and majority (84.8%) were married. Most of the farmers (59%) were educated and had lived in the area for mean years of 55.6 years with a mean household size of 8 persons. There was significant change in frequency of use of innovation/technologies at P ≤ 0.05 in the colonial and post-colonial periods. Farming tools had a percentage changed of -99.4 on the use of planting stick and 4331.8 for the use of tractor and accessories, while processing machine had a percentage change of 1256.9. The Agricultural Development Projects, (ADPs) and input markets had greater increase as sources of planting material in the post-colonial as compared with the colonial period across various crops. The study recommends that state governments should support as many intervention programmes much as required and needed by farmers. Keywords: Colonial era, Post-Colonial, Tiv farming households Innovations