ABSTRACT
Cattle (beef and diary) is very important to the food system in Edo state, Nigeria. Hence the study examined the effectiveness of extension workers in the dissemination of information and technology on cattle production in Edo state, Nigeria. The study specifically described the personal characteristics of extension workers, identified the various components in cattle production and examined the respondent's perceived functionality of the actors involved and identified the various operations of cattle production. Furthermore it ascertained the extent of extension worker's knowledge, effectiveness in information dissemination in the various operations of cattle production and identified the constraints of extension worker's effectiveness in role performance of cattle production in the study area.
The primary data used in this study was generated through the use of sets of well structured questionnaires administered to all the 50 extension workers in the three zones of Edo State Agricultural Development Programme (ESADP). The data generated was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
The study indicated that more (63.3%) of the respondents were males with a mean age of 43 years and majority of the respondents (79.6%) were married. The findings of the study also showed a significant functionality of all actors involved. The respondents were effective in general role performance like persuading clients on the need for change and adoption of technologies (x̅=2.94), identification of problems (x̅=2.61). It also showed that the respondents were knowledgeable on most of the operations of cattle production like natural breeding (x̅=2.94), suya services (x̅=2.53). And the respondents were effective in all the operations involved in cattle production like health and disease (x̅=3.51), building a feedlot (x̅=3.47).The results expressed the information needs of the respondents like cheese services (x̅=3.31) and butter services (x̅=3.45). The result also showed major constraints of extension workers to performing their roles in cattle production like farmers are not involved in cattle production (x̅=3.89), Inadequate funds (x̅=3.86), Inadequate extension materials (x̅=3.43) and herdsmen attack (x̅=3.43). The result showed that the variables, Level of education (r=0.61) and working experience (r=0.84) were significantly related to the respondent's effectiveness at 5% level of significance. The variables, age (r=2.73), working experience (r=0.82) and grade level (r=0.69) were significantly related to respondent's knowledge at 5% level of significance. The results also showed that there was a positive correlation (r=0.558) between knowledge and effectiveness.
The research work concludes that extension workers are knowledgeable in cattle production in the study area. However expressed information needs.
From the findings, I recommended that awareness should be created for farmers to go into cattle production as this is the major constraint faced by extension workers, and other constraints like Inadequate funds, inadequate extension materials and so on should be given attention to and solutions should be proffered.
