Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 18 ISSUE 1
Written by Ibrahim Shehu USMAN, Olabanji AJAYI, Sikiru Adekunle OLAYIWOLA

The study analysed factors influencing information needs of fluted pumpkin farmers in Yola North Local Government, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristic of the respondents; identify the sources of information by the respondents; evaluate the relationship between socio economic characteristics of the respondents and information utilization as well as identify the constraints faced by the respondents in the study area. Three wards were purposively selected based on their high involvement in fluted pumpkin farming, 96 commercial fluted pumpkins farmers were identified using snowballing sampling technique and were used for the study. Interview schedule was used to collect data. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result shows that most (85.4%) of the respondents were male and 35.4% were between 30-39 years with mean age of 37 while 78.2% were educated as well as cultivated average of 1.6 hectares. The distribution of the respondents by source of information revealed that 80.3% sourced their information through friends and neighbours. The result of multiple regression showed that the coefficients of gender, household size and educational status were positive and significant. The study also revealed that inadequate fund (65.6%), poor provision of extension services (47.9%), poor access of irrigation facilities (40.6%) as the most serious constraints faced by the respondents. It was concluded that fluted pumpkin farmers had formal education which enable them utilized any available knowledge as information. The study recommended that farmers growing fluted pumpkin should be sensitized on how to borrow not only for production but for the value chain.

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