2025/01/27 by Alao, O. T., Alabi, A. A., Ajayi, R. T.
#Good Agricultural Practices #Knowledge #Okra farmers #Profitability #Utilization
paper · doi:10.60787/njhs.v28i3.149-158
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) are essential for enhancing yield and profitability in agriculture. This study evaluated the utilization of GAPs among okra farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. It described farmers' socio-economic characteristics, assessed their knowledge of GAPs, analyzed the extent of their utilization, examined perceived benefits, and identified challenges in adopting GAPs. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 240 okra farmers. Data were collected through pretested interview schedules and analyzed using inferential, and descriptive statistics. Results showed that the average age of the farmers was 45.8 years, with 95.4% being male and 79.2% married. About 79% had tertiary education. Farmers exhibited high knowledge in year-round planting with irrigation (Weighted Mean Score (WMS) = 3.91) and germination within 3-6 days (WMS = 3.87), though 57.9% had a medium level of overall GAP knowledge. The most used GAPs included a selection of well-drained soil (WMS = 2.67) and 45-day maturity (WMS = 2.69). Constraints included high production costs (WMS = 3.65), labour shortages (WMS = 3.09), poor agricultural extension services (WMS = 3.06), and difficulty obtaining fertilizers inputs (WMS = 3.65). In conclusion, okra farmers showed moderate utilization of GAPs, improved government extension services, and encouraged knowledge transfer are recommended to enhance adoption.