Determinants of factors affecting awareness of modern technologies in fish farming in Lagos State, Nigeria

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1 Agricultural Science Research Journal Vol. 6(11): , November 2016 Available online at ISSN: International Research Journals Full Length Research Paper Determinants of factors affecting awareness of modern technologies in fish farming in Lagos State, Nigeria *Ayandiji, A. and Oke, N. Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Bowen University, P.M.B. 284, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria *Corresponding Author s banji22aug@yahoo.com, Tel.: Abstract Modern technologies in fish farming provide farmers with a safe, healthy, more productive and profitable farm outputs. The specific objective of the study are to; examine the socio-economic characteristics of the fish farmers, examine modern technologies available to farmers, identify the reasons why fish farmers choose to adopt or not adopt new technologies and evaluate the factors affecting the adoption of technologies in fish farming. Six agricultural blocks in Lagos state containing lagoon and coastal fishing communities were randomly selected. 20 respondents from each agricultural block were selected. A total of 120 questionnaires were administered with the aid of an enumerators, data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis and regression analysis. The study found out that majority of respondents was males, 59% married, 83.3% had tertiary education. The principal constraints were inadequate capital (71.7%), high cost of technology (55%), high cost of feeds (59.2%) and lack of information (53.3%). Majority of the respondents were aware of the Morden technologies from their friends The major factors influencing awareness of modern technologies in fish farming were source of capital r =2.930, P= 0.022, source of water supply r =2.570, P=0.037 and cost of salary of staff r = , P= It can be concluded that although most farmers were aware of modern technologies available to them for use on their farms but were unable to adopt because of the constraints. Government should ensure that modern technologies are subsidized in order to ensure that farmers are able to purchase these technologies at affordable rates. Key words: Awareness, Modern Technologies, fish farmers, Lagos. Introduction Aquaculture production has increased over the years and as a result of wild fisheries approaching their biological limits and the world demand for cultured fish continuing to increase (Ayinla, 2012). Fish farming also known as aquaculture can be defined as the rearing of fish in enclosed and fairly shallow water bodies, where all its life processes can be controlled. Human beings have used fish protein as a food source, with wild fish providing the bulk of fish protein. Unfortunately, the fisheries sub-sector is under-developed despite it being the source of livelihood for many of the coastal populace (Ofuoku, et. al. 2008). Farmers carried out their production activities using conventional methods and techniques, unfortunately, they tend to realize their regular gains and output but on a long run, it becomes obsolete and the need for modern technology becomes a necessity (Adebiyi, 2008). Developing a more informed inclination to the adoption of modern technologies on fish farming could help better farm productivity and easiness in executing fishing activities and at the same time help the farm better monitor and evaluate its resources (Omioyin, 2007). Also rapid population growth in developing countries such as Nigeria, increased disposable income and changing consumer preferences has drastically increased the annual demand for aquatic food source (Osawe, 2007). The specific objectives of the study are; (a) to examine the socio-economic characteristics of the fish farmers in Lagos State (b) to examine modern technology available for fish farmers (c) to identify the reasons why fish farmers choose to adopt or not adopt the new technologies (d) to 275

2 evaluate the factors affecting the adoption of technologies in fish farming. Material and Methods The study was conducted in Lagos State, Nigeria. The state is located in the south-western geographical zone and has a land mass of 3,577km. It is situated between the coordinates of 6⁰35 N 3⁰45 E. The average temperature varies between 25⁰C to 35⁰C. The climate in Lagos state has two distinct seasons, the rainy season (April-October) and dry season (November-March). The annual average rainfall is 1532mm (Campbell, 2012). Lagos state has eight agricultural blocks; six blocks are lagoon and coastal blocks. Thirty five communities are in six blocks; however 20 fish farmers were selected for each block totaling 120 questionnaires were distributed with the aid of enumerators. The descriptive analysis and regression analysis were employed for this study. The descriptive statistical tools used were frequency counts, percentages, tables, mean, median and standard deviation The analysed characteristics include age, gender, marital status, number of children, educational level and other occupation of the fish farmers as well as the constraints towards effective fish farming, access to extension agent, number of contact with the extension agent and farm practices. Function of the fish farmer is stated as follows; Y=f (X₁, X₂, X₃, X₄, X₅, X₆, e) Y=Modern Technologies in fish farming X₁ = Age of farmers X₂ = Educational level of the farmers X₃ = Gender of the farmers X₄ = Major occupation X₅ = Labour adopted X₆ = Farming Experience E = Error term Where X₁, X₂, X₃, X₄, X₅, X₆ are the independent variables as defined above, Linear function; Y=bo + b₁x₁ + b₂x₂ + b₃x₃ + b₄x₄ + b₅x₅ + b₆x₆ where b₁, b₂, b₃, b₄, b₅, b₆ are regression coefficients for the respective variables. Where: Y = the response variable (Adoption), for whether fish farmers are willing or not to adopt modern fish farming technologies. Results and Discussion Table 1 revealed that 71.8 percent of the respondents were males while 28.2 percent were females. This means that more males were involved in fish farming business compared to females and it explains that extra masculine strength is needed and essential in order to sustain the farm business. Fifty nine percent of the respondents were married while 41 percent of the respondents were single. It implies that fish farming is their major source of livelihood on which the subsistence of their household depends. This finding agrees with those of Ekong (2003), Fakoya (2000) and Oladoja et al. (2008) who asserted that marriage confers some level of responsibility and commitment on individuals who are married. Table 1, indicates that there were more young people between the ages of years old and ages years old who were involved in fish farming. This explains how attractive the business of fish farming encourages young people to join the business. Furthermore, 83.3 percent had secondary and tertiary education respectively. Also Olaoye et al (2013) in a study on assessment of socioeconomic analysis of fish farming in Oyo State, Nigeria, discovered that respondents without formal education were 3.2 percent while 87.3 percent had tertiary education. Olaoye et al (2013) concluded that fish farming is dominated by the educated class and mostly by those armed with high level of education. It shows that considerable literacy level is required for technical and scientific knowledge which would enhance the productivity level and enhance farmer s income thereby increasing their standard of living. Above forty seven percent got capital from their personal savings, 18.3 and 16.7 percent of the fish farmers sourced capital through cooperative societies and bank loan respectively. This could imply profitability may increase among farmers using their personal savings since no interest is paid to financial institutions neither will they be under pressure to pay back amount borrowed. The highest proportion (40.0%) of the fish farmers sourced fingerlings from commercial hatcheries while 21.7% and 15.0% got fingerlings from own farms and fish farmers respectively. This result indicates that fish farmers tend to patronise commercial hatcheries more than any other sources of fingerlings because it is easy and less stressful compared to other sources. 276

3 Table 1: Distribution of fish farmers according to their socio-economics characteristics (n= 120) Socio-economic characteristics Frequency Percentage Sex Male Female Marital Status Single Married Age Group Below Above Educational Level Primary Secondary Tertiary Source of Capital Bank Loan Co-operative Personal Savings Pension Benefits Government Grants Friends/Family Fingerlings Source Streams/Rivers Own Hatchery Commercial Hatcheries Research Institutes Government Other Fish Farmers The result presented in Table 2 shows that 11.7 % of the fish farmers indicated that they became aware of modern fishing technologies through Government Extension Services, 9.1% became aware through Private Consultants, 10.0% through Co-operative Societies, 11.7% through friends, 2.5 % through neighbours, 9.1 % through farmers associations, while 14.2 and 7.5 % became aware through print and electronic media respectively. This implies that majority of the fish farmers were not aware of modern fishing technologies through the extension service and this supports the earlier submission of Okunlola et al (2011) which reported that majority of the farmers did not have access to extension activities which is supposed to be a major source for disseminating information to respondents on new technologies. Furthermore, the higher percentage percentage of respondents getting informed through print media is a pointer to the effect of education on technology adoption. Besides since majority of the respondents had secondary and tertiary education, this is suggestive that print media could be of immense contribution to dissemination of new technologies in the study area. 277

4 Table 2: Distribution of Respondents by Source of Awareness (n= 120) Awareness Source Frequency Percentage None(no response) Government Extension Service Private Consultants Co-operative Societies Friends Neighbours Farmers Association Newspaper/Magazines Radio/Television Total Source: Field Survey, 2015 Awareness of modern fishing technologies Table 3 indicates that about 71.7 percent of the farmers were aware of improved techniques in pond construction and maintenance, 61.7 percent of respondents were not aware of it. On introduction of improved fish seeds and species, 59.2 percent of the respondents show that they were aware of the technology while 53.3 percent of the respondents indicate that they were aware of this technology while 46.7 percent of the respondents indicate that they were not aware of it. Above 74.2 percent of the respondents indicated that they were aware of fortification of fish feeds in production while 58.3 percent of the respondents indicate that they were not aware of the technology. The results indicated that a larger proportion of the respondents were aware of various technologies available to them for the purpose of improving their production. High levels of awareness of most these modern fishing technologies by the fish farmers could be attributed to. Table 3: Fish Farmers Awareness on various modern technologies (n= 120) Modern Technology in Fisheries Aware (%) Not Aware (%) Improved techniques in pond construction and maintenance 86 (71.7) 34 (28.3) Introduction of modern fish hatchery equipment 46 (38.3) 74(61.7) Introduction of improved fish seeds/species 71(59.2) 49(40.8) Aeration for transporting fingerlings to reduce stress and mortality 64 (53.3) 56 (46.7) Modern harvesting methods 46 (38.3) 74 (61.7) Improved water quality management 85 (70.8) 35 (29.2) Fortification of fish feeds 89 (74.2) 31 (25.80) Liming and fertilization 91 (75.8) 29 (24.2) Prevention and control of fish diseases 55 (45.8) 65 (54.2) Control of predators 54 (47.4) 66 (55) Techniques of hatchery and fingerlings production 67(55.8) 53 (44.2) Integrated fish farming 50 (41.7) 70 (58.3) Constraints Affecting Fish Farmers Table 4 shows the constraints affecting fish farmers in the study area. 71.7% of the respondents have problems of inadequate capital, 55% for high cost of technology while 59.2% were having the problem of high cost of feeds. About 50% and 53.3% were faced with the problem of lack of technical skill and lack of information respectively. In recent related study Olaoye et al (2013) reported various factors affecting fish farming in Oyo State and factors were rated according to the degree of severity.it was also found that Majority of the fish farmers claimed that insufficient labour, is a problem, preservation and processing facilities, non-availability/high cost of quality fish seed, and poaching/predators among others. However, the constraints among fish farmers in the study 278

5 area were prevented may be because of the present state of economy of the nation and movement of people to find white collar job in the major city. Table 4: Fish farmers Constraints to Awareness (n= 120) CONSTRAINTS Yes (%) No (%) Inadequate capital 86(71.7) 34 (28.3) High cost of technology 66 (55.0) 54 (45.0) High cost of feeds 71(59.2) 49 (40.8) Problems of predators 40 (33.3) 80 (66.7) High fingerlings cost 34 (28.3) 86 (71.7) Poor extension linkages 38 (31.7) 82 (68.3) Scarcity of trained labour 36 (30.0) 84 (70.0) Lack of management skill 24 (40.0) 96 (80.0) Lack of technical skill 61 (50.8) 59 (49.2) Lack of information 64 (53.3) 56(46.7) Source: Field Survey, 2015 Regression Analysis The results indicated that source of capital, source of water supply and cost of salary of staff were significant factors that are responsible for the awareness of modern technologies in fish farming. These factors play significant role in influencing the ability of a farmer to adopt new modern technologies on their farms. A farmer has to cost the amount he spends on paying the salaries of the workers if it tends to be too high in order to be able to pay for these modern technologies on his farm. A more reasonable amount should be spent on payment of salaries for staff. The source of water is very important in determining farmer s decision to adopt or not to adopt a technology. If the source of getting water on the farm is not pure, this tends to affect the productivity of the farmer thereby bringing about a loss in production which then makes a farmer unable to adopt these modern technologies on his farm. Another significant factor is the source of capital for farmers. If a farmer finds it difficult to get capital for expansion of his farm, this tends to affect his ability to adopt modern technologies on his farm. Also, it was revealed that age of farmer, years of farming, source of capital, source of fingerlings, pond stocking density, source of water, number of staff, staff qualification were positively significant and sex of farmer, marital status, educational level, system of land acquisition, pond type, cost of payment of salary and association membership were influenced negatively, and Agbamu (2006) stated that educational level is one of the factors that influences adoption of new technology by farmers. 279

6 Table 5: Regression Analysis Independent variables Coefficient Standard error T ratio significant Sex Marital status Age Educational level Years of farming System of land acquisition Source of capital Pond type Fingerlings source Pond stocking density Water source Number of staff Staff qualification Cost of salary payment Association membership Conclusions A large proportion of farmers produce fish because fish is a major source of protein and is very essential for human growth. The study revealed that high cost of capital and high cost of feeds constitute the major fish farming production constraints among the sampled farmers. It could be inferred further that most farmers were aware of modern technologies available to them for use on their farms. This is as a result of little or no extension service which is meant to be used to encourage the farmers and demonstrate the advantages of adopting these modern technologies on their farms. Recommendations Based on the findings above, the following recommendations can be made to improve the profitability of fish production among farmers. 1. Non-governmental organisations should join hands with the Government to ensure that they provide credit facilities to farmers in order to encourage them to acquire modern fishing technologies. 2. Government should ensure that modern technologies are available and cheaper, as this will encourage their patronage of modern technologies. 3. Farmers should have access to proper information on these modern technologies through extension agents. References Adebiyi.S (2008). Factors affecting adoption of cocoa rehabilitation techniques in Oyo state of Nigeria. Unpublished master s thesis: Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Federal University of Technology Akure. pp.6-8. Agbamu,J.U.(2006). Essentials of Agricultural Communication in Nigeria. Malthouse Ltd. pp Campbell J. (10 July 2012): This is Africa s New Biggest city Lagos. Nigeria population 21 million the Atlantic (Washington) Ekong, E. E.(2003). An Introduction to Rural Sociology (2nd ed.) Dove Educational Publishers, Uyo, Nigeria. p Fakoya, E. O. (2000). Farmers Use of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Ondo State, Nigeria. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan. p Fakoya, E. O., Daramola, B. G. (2005). Socio Economic Factors Influencing Farmers Participation In Integrated Fish Farming.Published Rural Sociology Journal. p. 2. Months. Proc. Seminar on Modern Fish Farming by Dynamo Catfish Production, Ofuoku, A.N., Emuh, G.N, and Itedjere, B.E (2008). Information utilization among rural fish farmers in central agricultural zone of Delta State, Nigeria. World journal of Agricultural science 4 (5); Okunlola J.O.,Oludare A.O. and Akinwalere B.O.(2011). Adoption of new technologies by farmers in Akure, Ondo State Nigeria Journal of Agricultural Technology vol. 7(6) Olaoye O.J., Ashley Dejo S.S.,Fakoya E.O.,Ikeweinwe N.B.,Alegbeleye W.O., Asholu F.O. and Adelaja O.A.(2013). Assessment of Socio economic Analysis of fish farming in Oyo State Nigeria Global Journal of Science frontier Research Agriculture and Veterinary Vol. 13 issue 9 version 10 Omitoyin. B. (2007). Introduction to Fish Farming in Nigeria. University Press, University of Ibadan.105pp excluding cover page ISBN pg 5-9 Osawe, M., (2007). Technical know-how of catfish Grow-out for Table size in 4-6 pp: Lagos, Nigeria. Rogers E. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations. Third edition. Free Press: New York 280