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ABSTRACT

The focus of this research is on the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) among tomato growers in the Oriire community of Oyo, Nigeria. Data were collected from 80 registered tomato growers in the study area through interview guides. The collected data undergoes descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation. The results showed that the average age of the respondents was 40.2 years old, and 63.7% of the respondents were men. The average annual income is ₦242,620. The awareness of GAPs is high (88.8%), but the usage is very low. About 87.5% of respondents received GAP information from relatives and friends. Tomato growers believe that high technical costs and access to credit are the main obstacles to GAP technology. The results show that there is a significant relationship between the selected information sources and the degree of use of GAP technology in tomato production. The study concludes that information channels, high technology costs, and credit availability are impacting GAPs adoption. Agricultural advisors should be ready to distribute GAPs to tomato growers and continuously train tomato growers to adopt and use GAPs.

Keywords: Awareness, Credit, Constraints, Tomato farmers, Good agricultural practices, Utilization, Information, Technologies.

DOI: 10.55284/cjac.v7i1.616

Citation | Anifowose, A. J.; Oyetoro, J. O.; Oyediran, W. O.; Alaka, F. A.; Ojo, O. M.; Adebayo, B. O. (2022). Utilization of Good Agricultural Practices and Technologies among Tomato Farmers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Canadian Journal of Agriculture and Crops, 7(1): 20-29.

Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Funding : This study received no specific financial support.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

History : Received: 17 January 2022 / Revised: 24 February 2022 / Accepted: 8 March 2022 / Published: 22 March 2022 .

Publisher: Online Science Publishing

1. INTRODUCTION

Tomato is one of the major vegetable crops cultivated throughout Nigeria. It is the largest vegetable in the world and is at the top of the list of canned vegetables. In Nigeria, tomatoes are considered the most important vegetable after onions and peppers [1]. This is due to its nutritional value, which can be eaten fresh and used as a raw material in the food industry [2-4] . Smallholders in developing countries grow vegetables (tomatoes) to generate income and improve their livelihoods [4-6] . However, due to poor management and lack of technology, they often face poor harvests and low incomes [4, 7, 8] . The average yield of tomatoes is well below the crop's potential [2]. As of 2015, tomato production in Uganda and Tanzania exceeds that in Nigeria [9]. Established Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) help increase net income and improve product quality through modest prevention and management of some pests and diseases [8, 10-12] . The GAPs, defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are a collection of principles that apply to agricultural and post-production processes that result in safe and healthy produce and non-food products. It is economic, social and ecological sustainability.

The GAPs are based on four principles: Produce sufficient (food security), safe (food safety) nutritious (food quality) produce food economically and efficiently, protect and improve natural resources, and contribute to a sustainable life [10, 11, 13] . 

The GAP guidelines cover all aspects of agricultural production, agricultural production, including fields, greenhouses, and barns. This includes seed selection, irrigation, pest and disease management, fertilizer application, harvest and post-harvest, food processing, and retail handling. Based on rapid assessment studies, farmers using GAP technology in different locations can improve the yield and quality of their products, increasing their bargaining power when selling their products [14]. The GAPs improve the efficiency of agricultural practices and improves the livelihoods of vegetable farmers, especially small vegetable farmers.

Unfortunately, in Nigeria, tomato yields continue to decline due to inadequate cultivation practices such as over-fertilization (fertilizer can accumulate in the soil and cause problems) and improper watering. This can cause some problems with tomatoes, such as rotting flower edges. Bringing the tomatoes too close will hinder the growth of the tomatoes and reduce fruit production. It also makes it difficult for the sun to penetrate the plant, but inadequate pruning causes the plant to become crowded and promotes the spread of the disease [1, 15]. As the country's health consciousness grows and the demand for safe and healthy tomatoes increases dramatically, Nigerian farmers have used as much resources as they can to increase their production. However, there are still limits in states such as Oyo, tomato production and sale. According to Oladele and Adekoya [16] many of these local farmers are unaware of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). Against this background, this survey aims to provide answers to the following survey questions:

i. How well-known are tomato producers about tomato GAPs? ii. What sources of information are available to farmers about GAPs?  iii. Which GAPs do tomato growers know? iv. What restrictions do farmers face when producing tomatoes?

1.1. Purpose of Research

The main objective of the study was to assess the utilization level of GAPs among tomato farmers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria.

1.2. Specifically, This Research

1. Determined the level of awareness of tomato growers through the GAPs of tomato production.
2. Investigated the level of use of GAP technology by tomato growers.
3. Identified sources of information available to farmers regarding good agricultural practices in tomato farming.
4. Identified the limitations that farmers face when using GAP Technology in tomato production.

1.3. The Hypothesis of the Study

H01: There is no significant relationship between sources of information available to respondents and the level of use of GAP technologies.

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1. The Study Area

The study area is Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria. The area covers Longitude 8044’50 and Latitude 4022130N. Oriire LGA has its administrative headquarters at Ikoyi-Ile and it extends from Ipeba River, along Oyo-Ogbomoso road at Dogo junction near Igbeti. Oriire is within the tropical rainforest where agriculture is the main livelihood of the people in this area. Oriire LGA was founded on May 10, 1989. The total population of the 2006 census was 150,628, but today it is estimated to be about 250,000 [17]. Oriire LGA shares boundaries with Olorunsogo East, Atiba South, Ogo-Oluwa South East, Ogbomoso South, Ogbomoso North, Surulere South-West, and Kwara South-North. The local government has 10 political districts, the main ethnic groups are Ikoyi, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ilorin, with more than 80 towns and villages [18]. It also benefits from light mining activities at the Alaguntan Igbori Maribel site. The local government has 112 elementary schools and 12 junior high schools, and the main market (Ilju market) is visited regularly.

2.2. Sampling Procedure and Sample Size

The study population included all tomato growers from Oriire LGA in Oyo. This study used three-stage sampling method. Ojo, et al. [18] selected cassava processors for their study in same survey area. Oriire LGA block under the Ogbomoso zone was purposively selected because of the predominant cultivation of tomatoes in the area. Ten villages were randomly selected from the LGA which include Boosa, Ikoyi, Bosunla, Ateere, Aponran, Awerankale, Iluju, Temidire, Ahoro bata, and Ayetoto. Eight tomato farmers from each of the ten villages were randomly selected for research. The total sample size was 80. The interview guide served as a means of collecting data.

2.3. Measurement of Variables

The utilization of good agricultural practices was scored on a 4-point rating scale as follows: Always utilized – 3, Occasionally utilized – 2, Utilized before but discontinued -1, Not utilized – 0. The independent variables were the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents such as age, gender, marital status, religion, education level, household size, main occupation, annual income, social group, available sources of information, and restrictions on the use of technology in good agricultural practices.

Age, household size, and annual income were measured at ratio level and converted to interval levels; Tomato growers were asked to indicate their actual age in years. The gender, primary occupation, social group, and sources of information were measured at the nominal level. Marital status was nominally measured as single – 1, divorced – 2, widow – 3, separated – 4, married – 5. A three-point scale of Severe -2, Mild -1, Not a limit-0 was used to measure the limits of good agricultural practices.

2.4. Data Analysis

The data collected were analyzed and presented in frequency distributions, percentages, and averages. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to determine the relationship between the use of good agricultural practices and the information sources available to the respondents. Ojo, et al. [18] employed similar statistics to determine the relationship between several selected variables between the Oriire LGA cassava processors.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Socio-Economic Characteristics of Respondents

The results in Table 1 show that the mean age was 40.2 years. The age distributions of 20.2% of respondents were under 30 years, 37.8% were 31 to 40 years, and 31.6% were 41 to 50 years. In a study by Oyediran, et al. [6] in Ogun State, it was found that tomato growers belong to this age group and are economically active.

Table 1. Distribution of respondents according to their socio-economic characteristic (n = 80).

Source: Field survey, 2021.

It was shown that 63.7% of the respondents were male and remaining (36.3%) were female. Oyediran, et al. [6] reported on the superiority of males to females of tomatoes grown in Nigeria whereas Ojimi, et al. [19]  found that tomato marketing is dominated by women. The proportion of widowed was 6.3%, single was 15.0% while 78.7% were married. This means that the majority of the people surveyed were married. This is consistent with previous studies by Omoare, et al. [20]; Oyediran, et al. [6] and Ojimi, et al. [19]. The results also show that 41.3% received formal education for less than 6 years, 33.7% received formal education for 7-12 years, and 25% received formal education for 13 years or more. The average length of training was 9.6 years. This means that the majority of respondents have received some form of formal education to help them understand the need to examine and apply GAPs in agricultural activities. This supports the results of Ibitoye, et al. [21]; Adeoye [2] and Oyediran, et al. [6] that trained farmers use improved practices to increase raw material production. High levels of education are very positive for high tomato yields [21]. It was found that 81.3% of the respondents were households with less than 5 people and 18.7% were households with 6 or more people. Ojimi, et al. [19] reported a similar family size range for tomato marketers in Ibadan Metropolis. Large family households can serve as a source of readily available workforce [2]. More so, 66.3% of the respondents were farmers, 6.3% civil servants, 18.8% merchants and 8.6% craftsmen. Also, 62.5% of the respondents earned less than ₦200,000 per annum, 33.6% realized ₦201,000 – 600,000 while 3.9% generated ₦601,000 – 1,000,000. Ninety-five percent of respondents belonged to social organizations and 5% did not belong to any expert group. This means that the majority of respondents belong to social and business groups. Ojimi, et al. [19] found that tomato marketers are active in co-operative groups.

3.2. Awareness of GAP Technology among Respondents

Table 2 shows that 88.8% of respondents are familiar with indigenous soil surveys and 85.0% reported awareness of modern soil testing. Seventy percent of the respondents were aware of avoiding the use of the refuse dumping site for cropping, 96.3% were aware of purchasing seed from a trusted seller, and 92.5% were aware of looking for varieties that are pests and disease resistant. Also, 98.8% were aware of the selection of healthy seedlings for transplanting, 76.3% knew the benefits of organic fertilizers over inorganic fertilizers, and 78.8% knew that there were no toxic elements in their place. Sennuga., et al. [8] reported a high level of awareness of GAPs in northern Nigeria. Furthermore, 92.5% were aware of avoiding contaminated water sources for farming, 90.0% were aware of the appropriate use of agro-chemicals, 96.3% were aware of using a very cleaning container for harvested tomato, and 98.8% were aware of storing tomato in a clean environment.

Table 2. Distribution according to awareness level on GAP technologies by the respondents (n = 80).

Source: Field survey, 2021.

Additionally, all (100%) respondents were aware that storage facilities should be protected from insects and rodents, 93.8% were that workers should be equipped with suitable protective clothing, and 91.2% were aware of the accident and emergency exits in the warehouses. This means that respondents in the survey area are familiar with GAPs. This is in contrast to the findings of Oladele and Adekoya [16] who found that GAPs awareness was very low in rural Nigeria.

3.3. Use of GAP Technology

Ninety-five percent of the respondents always ensured the storage area is protected from an insect with a weight mean score (WMS) of 2.95 was ranked first Table 3. Also, 95% also always guaranteed that their storage space was kept clean, with a WMS of 2.95 was ranked first. Healthy seedlings are selected for transplanting by 93.8% of the respondents with a WMS 2.94 was ranked second. Falodun and Ogedegbe [1] opined that the use of improved varieties of seeds and pruning would increase tomato yield.

With a WMS of 2.84, 88.8% kept their tomato harvesting containers clean and ranked third. Moreover, 78.8% always ensured water source is not contaminated with a WMS of 2.67 and it was ranked fourth. With a WMS of 2.58, 77.5% confirmed that pesticides were always used properly and ranked 5th; as the application of pesticides and organic fertilizers increases, so does the production of tomatoes [9, 22]. Proper use of pesticides also increases tomato production [23].

Table 3. Distribution according to utilization of GAP technologies (n = 80).

Source: Field survey, 2021.

It was also shown that 57.5% of the respondents occasionally avoided the use of agricultural landfills and were ranked 6th with a WMS of 1.78. Similarly, 57.5% of the respondents occasionally utilized varieties which are pest and disease resistance with a WMS of 1.75 and ranked seventh. In addition, 61.3% always purchased seed from trusted sellers with a WMS of 1.68 and ranked eightieth.

On the other hand, 32.5% do not guarantee that the site is free of toxic elements, 28.7% do not prefer organic fertilizers to inorganic fertilizers, 48.8% do not perform the latest soil tests, and 68.8% do not follow accident / emergency procedures. This means that the subjects of soil testing, fertilization and safe work are not prioritized by the respondents and therefore ranked tenth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth respectively. Hence, the lowest level of acceptance of GAP technology has been recorded.  Findings of Oyewole and Sennuga [24] and Sennuga and Fadiji [25] indicated low adoption of improved technologies. Improper application of improved cultural practices is one of the main factors affecting tomato production, with low yields compared to world yields [1].

3.4. Sources of Information on Good Agricultural Practices Available to Tomato Growers

Table 4 shows that 87.5% of respondents get information from friends and relatives, followed by extension agents (80%), co-farmers (78.8%), television programs (73.8%), and radio programs (72.5%). This means that respondents have received information about GAPs from both formal and informal sources. Sources of information are critical to the adoption of technology [26].

Table 4. Distribution according to sources of information available to tomato farmers about GAP technologies (n = 80).

Source: Field survey, 2021.

3.5. Constraints Faced by the Tomato Farmers in the use of GAP

Results in Table 5 reveal that the high cost of technology with WMS of 1.61 as first constraint, and then lack of banks’ credits has WMS of 1.55 and ranked second, and inadequate knowledge about technology with WMS 1.31 was ranked third. Katanga, et al. [27]  reported that most rural farmers do not have access to bank loans and therefore rely solely on savings. The fourth problem with WMS 1.30 was the non-availability of farm input followed by the lack of awareness about technology with WMS 1.29 while lack of training needed with WMS 1.25 was the least. This means that high technology costs and cumbersome access to bank loans were the main obstacles for respondents.

Table 5. Distribution according to the constraints faced by the tomato farmers in the use of GAP technologies (n = 80).

Source: Field survey, 2021.

3.6. Hypothesis Test

The results of PPMC analysis in Table 6 reveal that there are significant relationships between selected sources of information such as television programs (r = 0.221, p=0.049), extension agent contact (r = 0.404, p = 0.000), contact with co-farmers (r = 0.421, p = 0.000), family and friends (r = 0.409, p = 0.000), and use of GAP technologies on tomato production but the relationships are weak. On this ground, the null hypothesis is hereby rejected.

Table 6. Correlation results.

Note: *Significant at 5%; **Significant at 1%
Source: Calculation from the data collected.

4. CONCLUSION

Based on the results, we found that farmers gathered their information mostly from relatives and extension agents. Challenges for farmers in using GAP technology in the study area were high technology costs, no access to bank credits, and lack of knowledge about GAPs. The study further found that modern soil survey methods, the use of appropriate fertilizers, site toxicity and safety measures were the least of the GAP techniques used by tomato growers in the area studied. A significant relationship was found between some sources of information available to the respondents and good agricultural practices technologies.

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

The study, therefore, recommends that government, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders in agriculture and rural development;

1.  Should take advantage of television programs and extension agents as an existing structure in diffusing innovation to tomato farmers.
2.  Should organize training for tomato farmers to have adequate knowledge of GAP technologies.
3. Should encourage financial institutions to provide soft loans and credit facilities to the tomato farmers in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State.

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