Abstract
Children represent a critical social-economic group in the farm family set up and can play a myriad of roles in achieving sustainable development, especially in agriculture. This study examined children’s participation in agriculture with a view of identifying their training needs in agriculture and their career aspirations. A two-stage random sampling technique was used to select 100 children (50 each) from two adopted villages of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training that represent two agro-ecological zones in southwest Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, mean and percentages, while participation in agricultural activities was ranked on a Likert point scale of 0 to 3. The total score of participation in all agricultural activities was determined and compared with the total attainable score. Findings from the study show children participated in nearly all kinds of farm operations ranging from planting (96%), harvesting (92%), processing (80%), weeding (76 %), marketing (76%) and packing of trash (60%). Although participation in all the activities was higher for male children (10.36) than female children (8.74), only (18%) of the children interviewed were prepared to take up farming as a career in the future. The children, however, indicated their need for training on snail rearing (70%), grass cutter rearing (60%), and compost preparation (60%), among other activities.
Recommended Citation
Ajoke, Oyegbami, Saka Olaide, and Lawal Oluwakemi. 2011. "Children's Participation in Agricultural Activities in the Adopted Villages of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Nigeria." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 26(2): Article 6. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol26/iss2/6
Publication Date
8-31-2011
