Data were collected from 120 smallholder famers from two communities. Findings revealed that 82% were aware of specific Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) but the majority of the respondents were not practicing GAPs due to several challenges.

1. Practice and level of Awareness of Good Agricultural
Practices among Smallholder Farmers in the adopted villages
in Northern, Nigeria
Presented at CCRI Winter School 2016
University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham,
United Kingdom
Presenter
Samson Olayemi Sennuga
M.Sc (Reading), B.Sc (UI), NCE (TASCE)
PhD Student

2. What I will talk about …….
• Introduction
• Define Good Agricultural Practices with examples
• Link that to the study area and methodology
• Results of the survey
 Characteristics of the Respondents
 Awareness of GAP
 Access to Extension Service
• What next in PhD study
• Conclusions to date

3.  Good Agricultural Practices are a collection of principles for
on-farm production and post-production process, resulting in
safe and healthy food and non-food agricultural products,
while taking into account economical, social and
environmental sustainability (FAO, 2013). These can include:
 Maintaining soil fertility,
 Water resources and irrigation,
 Animal production and welfare,
 Integrated pest management,
 Integrated fertilizer management, and
 Conservation agriculture.
 To name a few…
Introduction and Background Information

4. The Study Area
The study was conducted in two communities (Shika and Basawa) in the
Northern Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Kaduna State, North
Western, Nigeria.
Adapted livelihood survey tool were used to create a baseline and data
collected on different parameters such as:
 socio-economic profiling,
 awareness of GAPs, cropping system, use of ICTs and sources of
agricultural information.
Shika
Basawa
Giwa
Sabon-Gari

5. Methodology
During the fieldwork, community meeting was conducted to introduce
researcher, research objectives and the benefits to the communities.
Stratified sampling procedure was used to select 60 farming households
from each community to represent age, gender and farming experience.
Primary Data
Specific questions on awareness of GAPs, use of ICTs and how it could be used
to improve adoption of improved technologies and it constraints,, farmers coping
strategies and available guidance. On average respondents were interviewed for
50 minutes.

6. Analysis and the result of the survey
Data editing
The data editing involved the sorting out of the questionnaire papers visually and discard
those with obvious anomalies e.g. error, missing data
Data coding and entry
The data from the numbered questionnaires was coded and entered into the computer for
analysis.
Data analysis
Both quantitative and qualitative data (Mixed Methods Approach) were summarized and
analyzed. Mostly, the data were analyzed descriptively. With descriptive analysis, averages
and percentages were calculated using SPSS and Microsoft Excel.

7. Figure 1: Age Distribution
Shika: The Results reveal that majority 65% of
the respondents were middle age and married,
between 31-50yrs.
Basawa: My findings indicates that 53% were
middle age 31-50yrs.
This suggests that the majority of the respondents
were within their economic active age and this
will enhance their productivity in order to be
food secure.
Results of the Households Survey
Characteristics of the Respondents

8. Results of the Households Survey
Characteristics of the Respondents
31%
43.%
23%
3%
22%
48%
20%
10%
0 10 20 30 40 50
No
Education
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Shikaand BasawaCommunities
Basawa Shika
Figure 2: Education Level
This implies that majority of the
respondents had one form of
education or the other. The level
of education can enhance food
security status and productivity of
respondents.

9. Awareness of Good Agricultural Practices
• The findings show that 82% of participants were aware of the
specific GAPs covered by the National Agricultural Extension and
Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) programme.
• Despite this, the results show that the majority of the respondents
were not practicing the GAPs.
Figure 3: Level of Awareness of GAP

10. Challenges to GAPs implementation
• Participants identified numerous challenges to GAPs
implementation, which include; unreliable and inadequate
rainfall; lack of farm inputs; high cost of farm inputs; lack of
technical know-how; lack of irrigation facilities and high
illiteracy.
• The study shows that the level of awareness of GAPs among
farmers in the study areas has a statistically significant impact
on the productivity and livelihood of smallholder farmers in the
area.

11. Access to Agricultural Extension
Do you receive ext. visit from a trained extension worker
Figure 4: Extension visit to farmers
65% Yes; 35% No
Shika & Basawa Communities
Fig. 5: Location of Ext. officers
Shika & Basawa Communities
21% of the respondents received extension
advice from Academia, 4% from Private sector,
1% from NGOs, while 39% came from KADP and
35% never receive extension visit in the area.

12.  Training packages on scientific evidence on GAPs, 25 farmers will be selected as “Lead
farmers” from the two communities. This is called farmer-to-farmer extension model.
 Criteria: completion of secondary school, able to read and write, must be a group member
and have a role.
Second Visit to the study area (February, 2016) - During this visit the following will be addressed:
What next in PhD
 Focus group discussions with extension workers from Government, NGO’s, Academia
and the Private Sector.
 Extension workers will be interviewed face to face in a group of three to five.
 Shika and Bassawa communities will be divided into those that use ICTs and those who
do not or rarely use it (adopter and non-adopter of ICTs) based on the first livelihood
survey.
Adopter of
ICT
Adopter of
ICT
Adopter of
ICT
Adopter of
ICT
Non-adopterNon-adopter Non-adopterNon-adopter
Shika Community Bassawa Community
T&V
Extension
T&V + ICT
Interview with the Extension
workers
Adopter of
ICT

13. • Third Visit (September, 2016) - Final visit to the study area
at the end of the second growing season to see what has
been adopted based on initial training on GAPs and what has
not. For non-adopted practices the study will explore the
barriers to adoption?
• The final survey tool with participating farmers will include
some key questions about types of communication; ranging
from the value of traditional extension, ICT, farmer led
extension and the popular “I saw my neighbour doing it the
activity”.
What’s next

14. Conclusions to date
 This study will complement current extension with the use of
ICTs in order to boost production and improve rural livelihood
which is seriously lacking according to the literature.
 Furthermore, linking the use of Good Agricultural Practices
and ICTs has never been conducted in West Africa before.
 It is anticipated that this study will help create rural prosperity
in the Northwestern Nigeria and may provide the stimulus for
Agricultural Information Centers to be established in the two
communities via the Ministry of Agriculture in order to reach
the unreached.

15. Thank you!