ATTITUDE OF COOPERATIVE RURAL FARMERS TOWARDS JATROPHA PRODUCTION IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated cooperative rural farmers' disposition towards Jatropha cultivation in selected local government areas of Ogun State. A Multistage sampling method was employed to select areas with available Jatropha farmers, and 180 respondents were chosen using a simple random sampling technique. Data collection was conducted through a well-structured questionnaire, inclusive of an interview segment, and analysis was carried out utilizing descriptive statistics as well as Pearson's product-moment correlation. Results indicated that a significant majority (82.2%) of Jatropha farmers were males, married (63.3%), with households comprising 4-6 members (71.1%). Additionally, 67.2% were Christians, and 56.1% of farmers were within the active age bracket (40 years and below). The outcomes further revealed that most respondents concurred on Jatropha's potential as a renewable energy source, recognizing its seeds as a viable alternative to synthetic fertilizers for soil enrichment. The findings established a positive correlation between farmers' attitudes towards Jatropha production and the perceived benefits, indicating a correlation coefficient of 0.22 with a statistically significant p-value of 0.003 at the 0.01 significance level. Moreover, a correlation was observed between farmers' attitudes towards Jatropha production and their awareness levels regarding the same, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.14 with a non-significant p-value of 0.06 at the 0.05 significance level. The implications of this study underscore the importance of fostering a positive attitude among farmers towards Jatropha cultivation. Consequently, governments should be involved in facilitating continuous communication efforts emphasizing the significance of Jatropha production for farmers.