The productivity of small-holder farmers of rice and their perceptions of agriculturalextension agents are vital for food security and extension service effectiveness. Thisresearch examines respondents' socio-economic and institutional characteristics, theproductivity levels of rice small-holders, and their views on the role of agriculturalextension services in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Using a multistage sampling procedure, 298respondents were selected, and primary data was collected through a structuredquestionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyse the data.Findings indicated that the average age of rice farmers was 42 years, with a significantmajority (82.6%) being married. It was revealed that more than half (56.0%) of the ricefarmers achieved a productivity level exceeding 2.0, indicating that they earned twice theirtotal revenue. Regarding perceptions, a substantial majority (86.6%) viewed agriculturalextension services positively in terms of enhancing rice productivity. The study concludedthat the high productivity levels among farmers are a positive indicator for the rice sector inthe state. Additionally, the favourable perceptions of extension services are likely linked tofarmers' access to physical extension services, which positively affect their attitudes. It isrecommended that both private and public extension services focus on disseminating bestpractices in rice farming to sustain rice productivity and enhance the effectiveness ofextension services.
A.T. et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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