**3. Results and discussion**

#### **3.1 Socio-economic characteristics of livestock farmers**

Results in **Table 2**, showed that majority (58.53%) of the farmers fell within the age bracket of 41–50 years. The average age was 44.00 years. The farmers are still young and in an active age. Younger farmers are modern, innovative, full of physical vigor and ever-ready to try new technology faster than their older counterpart in organic farming practices. Additionally, younger farmers are also ready mentally and physically to engage in farming activities in a bid to alleviating poverty and becoming more self-reliant than their older counterpart. The finding is in agreement with the study of [7] who pointed-out that younger farmers are more involved in farming activities than older farmers in South-east Nigeria and that older farmers are not always enthusiastic about new farm technologies, especially if the benefits are not expected in the near future, but at the same time, farmers with advanced age are associated with more experience. **Table 2**, also indicates that greater proportion (61.30%) of the farmers were males. The finding implies that both sex are involved in organic farming activities but males were more in number than females in the area. This is true and could be attributed to the fact that male seems to have more access to agricultural productive inputs such as farmland, economic crops, agricultural extension services and farm credit than female in the area. Furthermore, the high number of male could also be associated to the fact than male have more physical energy to withstand the stress and strain involved in organic farming activities than female in the area. The result is


*Do Rural Livestock Farmers Have Knowledge of Organic Livestock Farming Practices? Lesson… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99961*


*\*Multiple Responses were recorded; Source: Field Survey Data, 2020.*

*2.0 Knowledge Level of Farmers on Livestock Organic Farming Practices.*

#### **Table 2.**

*Socio-economic characteristics of livestock farmers.*

in line with the findings of [12] who reported that males constituted the greater proportion of those involved in farming activities in South-East, Nigeria. **Table 2** also shows that majority (57.73%) had secondary education. The mean education level was 13.00 years and equivalent to secondary school education. The finding indicates that approximately 96.83% of the farmers had trainings in formal educational institutions which no doubt increases their literacy levels in understanding the importance of organic farming. It is also expected that the higher level of

#### *Do Rural Livestock Farmers Have Knowledge of Organic Livestock Farming Practices? Lesson… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99961*

education would contribute significantly to decision making regarding the appropriate use of organic farming practices in the area. Additionally, exposure to higher level of education is positively and significantly related to knowledge, understanding and use of organic farming practices among farmer. The finding is supported by the study of [13] who pointed the need for education in increasing farmers knowledge in order to facilitate the organic farming transition process. The study also shares view with the finding of [14] who asserted that higher education correlates positively with understanding, use and evaluation of new organic farming practices. Marital status is presented in **Table 2**. It shows that greater proportions (53.57%) of the farmers were married. This is an indication that married individual were more involved in organic farming activities in South-east Nigeria than their other counterpart. This could be as a result that married farmers tends to have access to farmland, economics trees, labour from households and access to farm credit. This finding supports the work of [15] who opined that married farmers tend to have easy access to production variables such as land and large family size which are traditionally owned and provided by household heads (husbands) to compliment family labour, reduce the cost of hired labour and improve their production. Farming experience is computed in **Table 2** and it revealed that higher proportion (56.34%) of the farmers had between 20 and 30 years of farming experience. The mean farming experience was 29.00 years. This implies that the farmers were experienced and may have been practicing several organic farming methods in the area. Having experience is one of the most useful managerial resources to organic farming. The finding is strengthened by the study of [16] who reported that experience in agribusiness enhances performance, decision making, better knowledge of climatic conditions and improve efficient use of productive resources. The result of the farmers distribution based on household size is compiled in **Table 2**. It shows that approximately 44.04% of the farmers had household size of between 9-10persons. The mean household size was 8.0 persons. This shows the farmers had large households and it is significant advantage in farming. It is expected that the very moderate household size of the farmers would serve as a source of labour in practice of several organic farming methods in the area. This findings support the result of [17] who reported that large household size is a proxy to labour availability, ensure ease allocation of resources and reduce the cost of hired labour. **Table 2** shows that greater proportion (78.96%) of the farmers in the area belong to one form of cooperative society or the other. Understanding the important of cooperative society in farming is not expected to be a challenge to the farmers in the area. Farmers that belong to cooperative society have access to relevant and up-to-date information on organic farming, farm credit and exchange of labour. The finding is supported by the result of [18] who argued that the more active the farmers are in their involvement in the farmer association, the more information of farm activities carried out and agricultural input distribution they have compared to those who do not join the association. The result of farmers distribution based on extension contact is presented in **Table 2**. It indicates that reasonable proportions (56.15%) of the farmers were visited once in a fortnight. The mean number of visits per month was 2.0. This shows that the farmers had low extension contact which may not support development of use of organic farming methods. The study of [19] asserted that extension contact promote knowledge of farmers on modern farming methods which improves their production and standard of living. **Table 2** also shows that greater proportion (79.56%) of farmers in the area had access to farm credit. This could be one of the most important factors in organic farming as majority of farmers have access to credit facilities to ensure easy purchase of farm input and expansion of farm. The study of [20] opined that the coefficient of access to farm credit was positive and significantly related to the

#### *Agricultural Economics*

improved production of farmers. The result of livestock farmers distribution based on farm size is displayed in **Table 2**. It shows that majority (97.81%) of the farmers in the study area were involved in poultry farming. Additionally, poultry sector in Nigeria accounts for about 58.2% of overall livestock production as it offers the nippiest profit to investment expenditures in livestock production enterprise (21). Finally, **Table 2**, it indicates that majority (44.25%) of the farmers in the study


*Discriminatory index: Cut off point x̄*≥*2.50 Accepted; x̄*≤*2.50 is Rejected; \*Figures in parenthesis are percentage; Field Survey Data, 2020.*

*Keys; VHK: Very High Knowledge; HK: High Knowledge; MK: Moderate Knowledge; NK: No Knowledge; SD: Standard Deviation.*

#### **Table 3.**

*Knowledge level of farmers on livestock organic farming practices.*

#### *Do Rural Livestock Farmers Have Knowledge of Organic Livestock Farming Practices? Lesson… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99961*

area had an annual farm income of between N800,001–900,000. The mean annual farm income was N860,700.00 (2,259.77USD) while monthly farm income was estimated to be N 71, 725.00. This is relatively high and above the Nigeria Monthly National Minimum wage of N30,000.00. This is relatively high income could be attributed to farmers' practice of organic farming. It also shows an encouraging income realized from the practice of organic farming. The study of reported that farmers with higher farm income will make better decision, use necessary productive inputs, realize huge yield/output and be more relatively efficient than their counterparts who have low farm income.

Result of farmers distribution based on level on knowledge of livestock organic farming practices is displayed in **Table 3**. The various attributes were rated in a 4- point likert scale type of questions of Very High Knowledge (VHK) (4); High Knowledge (HK) (3); Moderate Knowledge (MK) (2) and No Knowledge (NK) (1). Using the method of mean score analysis, a discriminatory mean of 2.50 was produced. The mean value of each attribute equal to or above (x̄= ≥ 2.50) was regarded as an accepted decision while attributes with mean value less than (x̄= ≤ 2.50) was regarded as a rejected decision. The values of standard deviation (SD) denote the degree of variation in the responses of the farmers. The standard deviation value which ranged from 0.60 and above indicated that farmers were in agreement in their level of knowledge of organic farming practices. Additionally, all the items were rated high and had an acceptable overall discriminatory score (x̄= ≥ 2.50) expect the attribute of having Knowledge of inducing ovulation for animals without drugs (x̄= ≤ 1.46) and Knowledge of use of purely local breed of livestock (x̄= ≤ 1.76) which had a low acceptance and poor rating. The low level of knowledge and acceptability of the first attribute may be due to lack of knowledge of the farmers to successfully induce ovulation without drugs in farm animal. It encompasses practices like administration of hormone to non-use of biostimulation. In a similar way, farmers poor knowledge of use of purely local breed of livestock could be attributed to the fact that Nigeria local breed (chick, goat, or sheep) are usually small in size, process less meat, egg and grows slowly. Although the study of [6] reported that indigenous poultry species represent valuable resources for livestock development because their extensive genetic diversity allows for rearing of poultry under varied environmental conditions, providing a range of products and functions. Thus, great genetic resources embedded in the indigenous poultry await full exploitation that will provide basis for genetic improvement and diversification to produce breeds that are adapted to local conditions for the benefit of farmers and still less prefer to exotic breed by livestock farmers.

n = 504.

### **4. Conclusion and recommendation**

Conclusively, result revealed that farmers have knowledge of the following practices extensive system of livestock/poultry farming; provision of natural air; treating injured animals without drugs; treating injured animals without drugs; provision of natural water sprinkling during hot weather; rearing animal without antibiotics; animal feeding using 100% organic feeds among other various livestock farmers possesses in livestock organic farming. Incidentally, majority of the livestock farmers have low knowledge of how to induce ovulation for animals without drugs.
