ASSESSMENT ON USE OF PHYTOADDITIVES IN RUMINANT FARMERS IN OGBOMOSO SURULERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OYO STATE

Ruminant farming plays a crucial role in the crucial role in agricultural sector providing essential products such as milk, meat and leather however, farmers often face challenges related to animal health productivity and the high cost of synthetic additives. However, animal production is affected by a number of both external and internal factors that unequivocally include nutrition Therefore, this survey investigates the assessment use of phytoadditives in ruminant farmers in ruminant farmers in Ogbomoso Surulere local government Oyo State, the study aims to investigate the use of phytoadditives and problems associated with small ruminant farmers in Surulere local government, Oyo State. To achieve this, a stratified random sampling was used to stratify the agro-ecological 10wards were randomly sampled from the local government, 10 ruminants farmers were randomly selected from each of the selected wards to give a total of one hundred (100) farmers, the sample size of the study. The study uses to descriptive statistics to analyze the data. The majority of the respondents are female (51.8%) and mostly subsistence farmers. Majority of them keep small ruminant animals and are majorly traders about 58.1% of this farmer’s kept them on intensive and herd size is less than 7.4% per farmer. A significant majority of respondents (52.4%) obtained information about phytogenic feed from friends or neighbors, highlighting the crucial role of social networks and informal learning in agricultural communities. A substantial proportion of respondents (80%) indicated awareness and use of phytogenic feed, suggesting its widespread acceptance in the region while 20% did not accept the widespread of the photogenic The exploration of demographic parameters and farming practices among ruminant keepers in Nigeria reveals significant trends that underscore the importance of socio-economic factors, educational background, and the utilization of phylogenetic feed resources in enhancing livestock productivity. The predominance of middle aged farmers engaged in both trading and livestock management illustrates a robust link between diverse income sources and agricultural sustainability. The high awareness and application of phylogenetic resources, such as bitter leaf and scent leaf, highlight the integration of traditional knowledge in modern farming practices. Furthermore, the recognition of the positive impacts of these resources on animal health and productivity reinforces their potential role in improving ruminant farming outcomes.