SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF FARMERS’ RESPONSE TO AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE DELIVERY ON GINGER REPRODUCTION IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

The study assessed the response of ginger farmers to extension service delivery in Kaduna State. One hundred and fifty five respondents were randomly selected from Kachia and Jaba Local Governments (LGAs) for the study. Descriptive statistics, t-test and multiple regression were used to analyse the data. Majority (97%) of the respondents were literate. The study revealed that the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents have positive effects on their response to extension service delivery with the exception of age which showed a negative (t-value=-2.35**) effect on their response at 5% level of probability, The variables; gender, age, marital status, educational qualification, membership of cooperative, household size, years of experience in ginger production, and number of extension contacts collectively accounted for 47% (R2-value) variability in the degree of response to extension service delivery. It was also discovered that extension service delivery had significant effect on ginger outputs (t-value=2.79**) at 5% level of probability. Farmers with extension contacts had an average output of (2010.53kg) while the farmers without extension services had (1113.68kg). Trainings on spacing (4.07*), fertilizer application (4.05*), Mulching (3.34*) and weed control (3.14*) were satisfactory. However, training on harvesting (2.73) was not satisfactory. Linkage to credit institutions was satisfactory only to Bank of agriculture (3.4*). Distribution of planting material (3.238*) and Fertilizers (3.90*) were timely and satisfactory. Access to information (3.62*) was satisfactory for all media involved. The major constraints were price fluctuation (2.012*), inadequate extension agents (1.985) and poor transportation (1.830). Hence, ginger value chain should be improved to leverage and better the farmers’ income. Government should recruit more extension agents to bridge the gap of inadequate extension agents in the study area. Rural roads that farmers use to convey their produce should be maintained by the farmers and be assisted by the government to encourage timely supply of inputs and reduce the cost of production, thereby stabilise the price and increase the farmers’ income.