INFORMATION SYSTEM USAGE AND RISK MANAGEMENT AMONG ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Farmers need to be adequately informed in employing economic strategies to tackle risk situations in agriculture. This study sought to examine the risk management coping strategy employed by the farmers, explore determinants of risk management strategies, and to establish the relationship between information systems and risk management strategy employed. Primary data were used from 141 randomly selected farmers. Pre-tested interview schedule was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, Likert-type scale, Multinomial logistic regression, and Bivariate correlation analysis were used for data analyses. The results revealed that the majority of the farmers were risk averse. Gender of household head, the highest level of education attained, household size, farming experience and membership of association had a significant effect on the choice of coping strategies employed by the farmers. Correlation results showed that the more access to information the farmers had to the different risks they encountered, the higher the management strategies they were likely to use. The study concludes that there is a significant relationship between information systems and risk management strategies employed. It was recommended that extension agents should be adequately sensitized on the various sources of information systems available to the farmers so that they can, in turn, pass the information to the farmers.