No abstract

Fish farming has great potentials for ameliorating the problems of youths unemployed, poverty and nutritional deficiencies because it has been found to be economically rewarding and capable of providing vast employment, augmenting farmers' income and improving standards of living of the citizenry. The study assessed farmers' awareness and adoption of fish farming technologies in Obi-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. A sample of 87 fish farmers was selected from the population of about 570 through multistage random sampling technique. Structured interview schedule was used to collect relevant research data. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics (percentage and ranking). It was found that cat fish was cultured by more than 81% of the respondents. More than 72% of the farmers were aware of the eight fish farming technologies under study. More than 71% adopted aerator, flow through system, float fish feed and ova-prim but adoption of pituitary gland and re-circulatory system were at very low ebbs. High cost of feed, erratic power supply, inadequate capital and untimely or unavailability of production information were the major constraints to adoption of fish farming technologies. It was recommended that farmers continue to culture catfish which is hardy, easier to rear and tolerant to stressful conditions. Intervention programmes should be implemented to ensure that farmers adopt technologies whose adoptions were at low ebbs. The Government should subsidize the prices of fish feeds and other inputs while improving the perennial poor power supply.

Agricultural transformation can be achieved in Nigeria in the presence of an effective, well-designed and well executed system of technology development and transfer. Multistage random sampling procedure was employed to select a sample of 36 EAs from the population of all Extension Agents (EAs) in Anambra State Agricultural Development Project (ADP). Research data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire while data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, ranks) and inferential statistics (multiple regression analysis). The results of data analyses revealed low percentage of young Extension Agents and low percentage of female EAs. A few academically unqualified EAs were on the roll of Anambra State ADP. The transfer of cocoyam technologies in the State has exceeded 73% of its target even as 17 out of 23 cocoyam technologies under study have been transferred to farmers. The major constraints to cocoyam technologies transfer relates to poor conditions of service for EAs, lack field vehicles, poor funding of extension activities, rejection of technologies by farmers on the basis of incompatibility of technologies to farmers' local practices, inadequate number EAs and poor linkage among Research/Extension/ Farmer/Input Agencies. It was recommended that vigorous efforts be put in place to transfer 6 other cocoyam technologies which were yet to be transferred to the farmers. Also, more young and female EAs should be recruited. The conditions of service of EAs should be improved and that the ideal Training and Visit system of agricultural extension be implemented while research adapt cocoyam technologies to farmers' local conditions and practices.