Constraints to Cocoa Farmers Participation in Farmer Field School (FFS) in Abia state, Nigeria

Abstract

The study analyzed constraints to cocoa farmers’ participation in Farmer Field School approach in the three cocoa producing Local Government Areas of Abia State namely; Bende, Ikwuano and Umuahia North. Purposive and multistage random sampling techniques were used to select 120 cocoa farmers that participated in the programme. Instrument for data collection was through a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics like frequencies, percentages, mean and standard
deviation. Results indicate that farmers were actively involved in the training of cocoa technologies in agrochemical application ( x=3.77), pruning techniques ( x=3.75), fertilizer application ( x=3.60), cocoa marketing ( x=3.58), plantation establishment ( x=3.50), cocoa bean storage ( x=3.40), nursery establishment, and nursery establishment and cocoa bean processing ( x=3.20) respectively. Bad road network ( x=3.59), price fluctuation of dried cocoa beans ( x=3.47), inadequate land ( x=3.31), inadequate incentives ( x=3.22) and location of school ( x=3.13), were identified constraints to farmers participation in the programme. Policies aimed at providing rural infrastructures, subsidy on farm inputs, easy access to schools and group formation were advocated for effective farmers’ participation and increased cocoa production.