Perceived Effect of Roles of Agricultural Extension Workers in Combating Emergencies among Arable Crop Farmers in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the perceived effects of the roles played by agricultural extension workers in combating emergencies among arable crop farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 156 registered arable crop farmers from two agricultural zones.
Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, Chisquare, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Findings revealed that farmers experienced multiple emergencies including climate variability, pest outbreaks, flooding, drought, and pandemics.
Extension workers played crucial roles such as information dissemination, early warning, training, and provision of advisory services. However, farmers reported constraints such as poor road networks, inadequate staffing, limited funding, and weak access to ICT tools. Results further showed a significant relationship between farmers’socioeconomic characteristics, constraints encountered, and their perceived effect of extension roles. The study recommends strengthening extension systems through improved funding, capacity building, digital tool integration, and enhanced farmer–extension
linkages to support effective emergency response.