Paper Key : IRJ************537
Author: Dr. Nlebem, Bernard Soromadu
Date Published: 19 Jan 2023
Abstract
The study examined the influence of modern farming activities on agricultural productivity of rural farmers in Omuma Local Government Area, of Rivers State, Nigeria. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study, the area of the study was Omuma Local Government Area, of Rivers State. The population of the study consisted of 180 registered crop farmers in the study area male and female according to extension division of ministry of agriculture and natural resources Eberi. Census sampling technique was adapted to select all the 180 respondents as sample because of manageable size of the population. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled Influence of Modern Farming Activities on Agricultural Productivity of Rural Farmers Questionnaire (IMFAAPRFQ). The study adopted a 4-point modified Likert rating scale of agreement, Strongly agreed, (SA) Agreed (A), Disagreed (D), Strongly disagreed (SD), with numerical values of 4, 3, 2,and 1 respectively. The instrument before use was validated by two experts in the Department of Vocational and Technology Education, agricultural education option Rivers State University. The instrument also passed the test of reliability, through test-retest method and its result computed using Pearsons Product Moment Correlation Technique which yielded a coefficient of 0.88. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation measures, with a criterion mean value of 2.50 and above as benchmark for agreement and below 2.50 as disagreement. The study concluded that the rural farmers in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State agreed that improved crop varieties, use of agro-chemicals, proper waste management practices, and modern housing unit all positively influenced agricultural productivity. The paper recommended that government should encourage the use of improved crop varieties, for this influenced positively crop productivity of rural farmers in the area. Government through agricultural extension officers should intensify the use of agro-chemicals by rural farmers for this helped to influenced positively agricultural productivity in the area among other recommendations.