Challenges of Agricultural Statistics and Database Management in Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper investigated the challenges of agro-data statistics and database management in Kogi State, Nigeria. The various constraints in agro-data management were examined. Questionnaire and interview schedule were used to obtain information from 180 farmers and 30 extension agents proportionately and randomly selected from three Local Government Areas in Kogi State. The collected data was analyzed using Likert scale, charts and percentage. The results reveal that farmer and institution related problems are the types of constraints facing agricultural data collection and processing in Nigeria. The farmer related constraints include: illiteracy/lack of skills, motivation requirement to give information, uneasiness of the farmer to disclose information and fear of taxation with weighted average of 4.7, 4.5, 3.6 and 3.0 respectively. The institution related constraints include: underdevelopment of agriculture, lack of government personnel and unenforced company tax on cooperate farms with weighted average of 3.9, 3.8 and 3.3 respectively. These constraints made collection of agro-data difficult and statistics inaccurate and unreliable. However, there were prospects for overcoming the challenges with increase in budgetary allocation and training of personnel of extension services. It was recommended that the extension contacts of the farmers should be increased, farmers should be involved in the planning stage of farm survey, and free farm record books might be given to the farmers, statistical officers and enumerators should be trained and retrained and logistics and infrastructure be provided.