Categorization of Rural Youth on Utilization of Agricultural Information on Arable Crop in Southwest Nigeria

Aims: This study was designed to categorize rural youth on utilization of agricultural information on arable crop in southwest Nigeria.

Study Design: Multi-stage Sampling technique with quantitative approach was adopted.

Place and Duration of Study: Rural youth planting arable crops in Oyo and Osun States, Nigeria, observed between February 2009 and July 2010.

Methodology: Respondents sampled included 455 rural youth (389 males, 66 females; age range 18-35 years).

Results: The sampled rural youth were categorized into three: low, average and high users’ of agricultural information based on their utilization scores. Test of Mean of difference using ANOVA shows significant increase in mean age (28.22 to 30.79, (F= 10.593; P=.05), perception of utilization of agricultural information (35.54 to 40.27 (F= 20.32, P=.05) from low to high users’ categories. On the other hand the mean household size significantly increase (3.69 to 4.35) but declined from average users’ category to high (4.35 to 4.31) with F= 6.371; P= .05. Rural youth in the low users’ category were found to have higher mean farm size and decrease significantly (2.50 to 1.14 (F= 11.484, P=.05).

Conclusion: The rural youths’ age, household size, farm size and perception of utilization of agricultural information significantly influenced the categories of users’ of agricultural information on arable crops