EFFECT OF ADOPTION OF E-EXTENSION TOOLS ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF SMALLHOLDER SUGARCANE FARMERS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effect of adoption of e-extension tools on the livelihood of smallholder sugarcane Z-test farmers in selected Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 273 sugarcane farmers from four Local Government Areas (LGAs): Makarfi, Kudan, Kubau and Ikara. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, an adoption index and a Z-test. The findings showed that phones (94.5%), radio (75.5%) and internet websites (69.2%) were the most available e-extension tools. Overall, 67.4% of the sampled farmers had a high level of adoption, 25.3% had a medium level and 7.3% had a low level. The reported comparison showed that mean yield increased from 3.21 to 3.67 tonnes/ha, representing a difference of 0.46 tonnes/ha, while mean annual income increased from ₦816,421.17 to ₦1,700,429.34, a difference of ₦884,008.17. The reported Z-test values of 9.657 for yield and 11.510 for income were significant at the 1% level. Major challenges included high cost of data (81.7%), poor network coverage (59.7%) and fluctuation in power supply (41.0%). The study concludes that the reported before-and-after differences are consistent with improved livelihood outcomes among the sampled sugarcane farmers. Recommendations focus on improving rural connectivity and power supply, strengthening digital literacy, integrating eextension into public extension services, and improving access to finance and farmer-based information platforms.