ACCESS OF ARABLE CROP FARMERS TO INFORMATION ON CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN EKITI STATES, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT The study examined the information access of arable crop farmers to climate-smart agricultural practices in Ekiti State. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, to examine the access of the respondents to information on climate smart agriculture and, to assess constraints to climate smart agriculture in the study area. Multi stage sampling procedure was used to select 135 respondents from whom data were collected using structured questionnaire. Data collected were described using descriptive tools such as frequency counts, percentage and mean, while inferential statistical tools such as chi-square, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and analysis of variance were used for data analyses. The findings from the study revealed that majority (72.6%) of the respondents were male while the female was (27.4%). About 87.4% of the respondents were married while 44.4% had Secondary Education. The mean score of the respondents yearly income estimate was less than N1,000000. Financial constraints (mean =2.68), crop pest & diseases (2.50) and water scarcity (2.41) were the prominent constraints faced by the farmers. The result also revealed that the farmers got most of the information from fellow farmers (mean=2.16), radio (2.13) and friends and family (2.05). The access on Climate-smart Agricultural practice was high among higher proportion (53.3%) of the respondents. Significant relationship exist between the religion and access of the respondents to CSAP (x̄=6.708 P=0.035). The access of the respondents to CSAP (F=10.713 P=0.000) were significantly different across the Local Governments. In the study area.