Assessing the impact of agricultural education programmes on farm production in rural agricultural communities in Yoni Chiefdom, Tonkolili District, Northern Sierra Leone

Abstract

The farmers in the northern region of Sierra Leone grow cereal crops, vegetables, root crops, leguminous crops and fruits. The majority of the farmers cultivate only a small or moderate size plots usually scattered in different location using crude tools such as hoes and machetes. Prevalent in most areas is subsistence farming whereby each family struggle to produce barely enough food to feed its household. The need for agricultural education and mechanization of agriculture is essential in the community in order to increase productivity. The study is therefore carried out to investigate the impact of Agricultural Educational Programmes on Farm Production in Yoni Chiefdom.The study used a mixed design, consisting of a descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to capture the data. The population is 183 subjects with a sample of 73 from Yoni Mamala and Yoni Mabanta Chiefdoms. The significant findings include the following: agricultural education programs were implemented in Yoni chiefdom, the major crops grow in the chiefdom were cash crops, vegetables, small ruminants, improved poultry and Inland swamp rice; the popular and effective teaching methods used in the implementation of agricultural education programmes were hands on activities, demonstration methods, radio teaching methods, and farm visitation. It is concluded that there were certain programs even though implemented in the chiefdom but were not common: these include fish farming, bee farming, leadership development, agricultural show, and production of food and fibres.Major recommendations were: farmers in Yoni chiefdom should be encouraged to practice fish and bee farming; an effective method of teaching adults should be carried out regularly in the chiefdom. Also, the Government should improve on the road network leading to the rural agricultural Communities in Yoni Chiefdom.