Knowledge, attitude and constraints as correlates of post-harvest losses among plantain farmers and wholesalers in southwestern Nigeria
M.A. Ladapo, O.I. Oladele and T.O. Ogunfiditiml
Program and Abstracts, Banana 2008, Banana and plantain in Africa: Harnessing international partnerships to increase research impact, Leisure Lodge Resort, Mombasa, Kenya, 5-9 October 2008. 198 pages.
2008
บทคัดย่อ
Knowledge, attitude and constraints as correlates of post-harvest losses among plantain farmers and wholesalers in southwestern Nigeria
Post-harvest losses are a constraining factor in plantain production; as such increases in yield due to advances in technology brought about by research do not make any significant impact on the economy of small-scale farmers. This study examined the influence of knowledge, attitude and constraints on post-harvest losses among farmers and wholesalers in southwestern Nigeria. A combination of multi-stage random and snowball sampling techniques were used to select farmers and wholesalers, respectively in Edo, Ondo and Osun states. Primary data was collected through the use of structured questionnaires that were pre-tested and analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and t-test. The results show a significant difference in post-harvest losses between farmers and wholesalers, with the wholesalers having higher losses. Similarly, knowledge and constraints were significantly correlated to post-harvest losses among farmers and wholesalers, while correlation with attitude was non-significant. The findings presuppose that there is need for knowledge about post-harvest activities among farmers and wholesalers.