DETERMINANTS OF AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE FOR OIL PALM RESEARCH'S INNOVATION: CASE STUDY OF OIL PALM PRODUCERS IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

Despite the significant potential of agricultural research innovations to improve oil palm productivity, a good number of oil palm producers in South-South Nigeria may be lacking the awareness of existing agricultural research innovations developed by NIFOR which could hinder their ability to optimize yields, reduce costs and enhance their livelihoods. Against this backdrop, this study becomes expedient. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 360 respondents. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire while descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The result on socioeconomic profile indicates that the oil palm producers had a mean age of 59 years with a predominant male composition of 97.50% while the females represented 2.50%. Majority of the respondents (97.50%) were married, while 2.50% were widowed, and an average household size of six persons. Educational attainment was moderately distributed with 35% having primary education, 35.80% secondary education and 29.20% tertiary education which correspond to an average of approximately 11 years of schooling. Awareness of NIFOR's technological innovations was observed in 57.20% of the respondents and was significantly influenced by some of the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics. Key constraints to the utilization of NIFOR technologies as indicated by likert scale ratings, include; inadequate finance, high transportation cost, limited information on NIFOR innovation, lack of government intervention/subsidy, high cost of NIFOR innovations and limited contacts with extension agents. It was suggested that NIFOR, ADP and other agencies should strengthen extension services through targeted awareness campaigns on improved planting and processing materials available at NIFOR. Additionally, government should subsidize agricultural innovations such as planting and processing equipment while policy makers and financial institutions should promote inclusive agricultural financing by expanding access to low-interest loans with flexible repayment plans to enable the oil palm producers conveniently pay for improved planting and processing equipment.