Abstract

The study examined the Adoption of Agricultural Extension Agents innovative packages by cassava farmers in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Primary data were elicited through well structured interview schedule administered to 100 farmers. The secondary data were obtained from the official records of Agricultural Development Programme extension agents in the State, libraries and internet. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data. They include the use of mean, frequency, standard deviation and percentages. Findings revealed that the main information sources on improved cassava in the area were: radio, television, friends, relatives, extension agents, and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). phone in that order. Regression result show factors such as farming experience (2%), extension (2.5%), mass media exposure (8.1%) and group number (2.8%) were found significantly influence adoption a technology package. Result shows that the mean score for level of production increase from 2.8 tonnes/ha before adoption to 5.16 tonnes/ha after adoption of improved cultivar of cassava while the means level of farmers increase from N13.875.41 before adoption N16, 412, 92 tonnes/Ha after adoption. Based on the findings of the study it was recommended that those factors and innovative attributes that contributed to adoption should be capture in future planning of agriculture project in the state, particularly in the study area, in view of identified constraints in which 98% of the farmers expensed dissatisfaction with lack of access to inorganic fertilizers and 90% of the farmers complained lack of tractors for hiring, among others, Government should intervene by establishing agro-service centres at strategic location that are adequately stocked with inputs to be sold to the farmer at subsidized rates, so as fast-track commercial agriculture in the study area.