Utilisation of Agroclimatological Information among Crop Farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Agroclimatological information is central to farm-level decision-making under climate variability, yet its practical use by Nigerian farmers remains poorly documented. This study examined the perception, sources, utilisation and constraints associated with agroclimatological information among crop, poultry and fish farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria. Two of the four Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP) zones (Ilaro and Ijebu-Ode) were purposively selected, and 30% of registered farmers across their ten extension blocks were proportionately sampled, making a total of 212 respondents. Data were collected with a validated, interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and the independent-samples t-test at the 0.05 level. Respondents were predominantly male (72.2%), married (72.6%), aged 40–49 years (49.5%), with secondary education (44.3%) and mixed-farming enterprises (36.9%). Respondents mostly perceived rainfall forecasts for planting decisions (3.18) as relevant and useful agroclimatological information. Radio (3.20), OGADEP (3.13) and extension agents (3.08) were the leading information sources. Most Farmers utilised and concentrated on water-shortage preparedness (3.36) and heat-stress reduction (3.30). Insufficient technical infrastructure (3.20) and socio-economic disadvantage (3.10) were the most severe constraints. The study concludes that education aids practical use, and recommends radio-based awareness campaigns, capacity-building, rural communication infrastructure and localised advisories.