Assessment of Fish Farmers Use of Recommended Management Practices in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The enhancement of fish production through aquaculture can be brought about by enhancing farmers’ utilization of information on new innovations and recommended practices. This study was carried out to assess fish farmers’ use of recommended management practices in Oyo state. One hundred and fifty fish farmers were selected from the four agricultural zones in the state using multistage sampling technique. Primary Data were analyzed using descriptive and multiple regression analysis. Most of the fish farmers were male (88%), 78% had tertiary education and 68% had <11years of experience in fish farming. The study revealed that the rate of adoption of recommended aquaculture management practices was 46.7%. The regression analysis also revealed a linear relationship between the socio-economic characteristic and adoption of RAMP (R2 = 0879). Educational background (p<0.05), years of experience (p<0.1) and method of farming (p<0.05) were positively significant. The use of these management practices were also limited by different factors as revealed in the study. In conclusion, the adoption of recommended management by fish farmers is not encouraging enough. Strong cooperation between the fish farmers and extension agents was highly recommended.