IJAER

International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research™

ISSN 2455-6939

Title:
ENHANCING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS OF FARM FAMILIES THROUGH EXTENSION EDUCATION IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Authors:
Odoemelam L. E, Anyim C. O

Abstract:
The study investigated how extension education can empower rural farm families to acquire relevant entrepreneurial skills for their farm business. Multistage stage sampling procedure was used in selecting 180 respondents. Data were collected through the use of structured questionaires and Focus Group Discussion and later analyzed with the use of simple descriptive and inferential statistics like Z-test. Findings show that the mean age of respondents was 40.2 years, majority of the respondents were female (54.0%) with about 40.0% with no formal education. Annual average farm income was (N120) per annum with 38.0% belonging to social organization and 43.0% having 15-20 years of farming experience. Results on managerial skills before and after training on capacity building using z-test show a significant difference at 1% level of probability. From the findings of the study, it is concluded that the rural farm families can strengthen their capabilities through extension education. The paper therefore recommends regular extension training for the farm families on their enterprise needs.

download full text