Assessing the Continuing Education Needs of InACC Rice Farmers in Agroforestry Systems in Benue and Nasarawa States of Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the continuing education needs of farmers in Benue and Nasarawa states under the Integrated Approach to Climate Change Adaptation in Rice Production System in Nigeria (InACC). The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. This is to enable the researcher to obtain detailed facts of the phenomenon under study. The population of the study comprises farmers under the InACC in Benue and Nasarawa states of Nigeria. Eighty of these farmers who underwent agroforestry training in Be the Help Foundation Agroforestry were sampled for the study. A total enumeration sampling technique was adopted for the study. A questionnaire on the need for continuing education in agroforestry systems (r=0.84) is the major instrument for data collection. The findings of the study are that;  farmers do not have adequate knowledge of agroforestry systems, the most preferred agroforestry practice by farmers is alley cropping and this is closely followed by windbreaks, forest farming, other practices and silvopasture, farmers are constrained mainly by limited access to resources followed by lack of knowledge, space constraint and economic constraint,  farmers need formal training on agroforestry systems to improve their knowledge of agroforestry concepts and they need up to date information about existing agroforestry training opportunities. In addition, they need an agroforestry training programme that will improve their knowledge of agroforestry systems and thus enhance their skills.  Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that resources needed for the successful implementation of agroforestry systems should be readily available, information about existing agroforestry programmes should be disseminated frequently to the farmers, new practices in agroforestry that will further enhance farmers' yield should be incorporated into their training.