ABSTRACT

The study focused on the factors influencing adoption of agricultural labour-saving technologies among women farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. The myriad of socio- economic activities engaged in by women increase their work load and reduce their economic potentials, resulting to low agricultural productivity. The objectives of the study included to describe the socio-economic characteristics of rural women involved in the study; ascertain percentage characteristics of agricultural labour saving technologies; ascertain the agricultural labour-saving technologies adopted by rural women in Abia State; determine factor influencing adoption of agricultural labour-saving technologies; determine reasons for the adoption of agricultural labour-saving technologies; ascertain constraints in the adoption of agricultural labour-saving technologies and cultural practices. Multistage random, sampling technique was used in selecting 372 farmers from the 3 agricultural zone in the state. However, only 371 correctly field interview schedule was used Data were analysed using descriptive statistics frequencies, percentages, mean; Least Square (OLS), regression, the results revealed that the mean income of the respondents was N36,237.47. Majority (56.6%) of the respondents received 1-3 extension contacts in a month. About 54.4% stated that labour was not easily available. The major agricultural labour saving technologies adopted by respondents included strip cropping (100%), retention ditches (97.3%), contour planting (96.8%), diversion ditches (96%), composting (94.3%), banana/plantain lines (93%), zero tillage (91.6%), live barriers/hedges (e.g with bitter leaf(Vernonia arnygdolina) Uziza, (Piper guineense) Utazi, (Gongrornema latifolium) (90.8%), stone lines/stone bunds (88.1%), green manure (86%), organic manuring alone (85.4%), combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer application (84.6%), trash lines/trash bunds (81.7%), vegetable strips (79.2%), mechanization with machines (79.2%), Terracing (78.7%), Minimum tillage (In-row tillage (IRT) (73%), Use of herbicides (69.5%), crop rotation (67.4%), and mulching (65.2%).The following variables significantly influenced adoption of labour-saving technologies: marital status, farming experience, monthly income, farm size, extension contact education, primaly occupation, access to credit and farm labour. Based on the findings of the study the following recommendations were made: extension agents should intensify efforts to educate farmers on the benefits of labour-saving agricultural technologies and practices so that adoption can be enhanced.