ANIMAL TRACTION TECHNOLOGY IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA POTENTIALS AND CONSTRAINTS

Abstract

This paper presents the finding of a about 80% of adult working population of survey on the potential of Animal the State. Thc 1.5 million hectares of land traction technology in Ogun State of Iraq covers mainly the rain of Nigeria. A total of fifteen settlement forests and the derived Savanna. The (Camps) and sixty households were farnicts, who arc mostly small holders and purposely selected and surveyed arc resource-poor, cultivate on the average using a combination of structured 1.2 hectares with traditional farm interview schedule and participatory implements. Farm production is achicvcd. Rural Appraisal technique. Data were almost entirely with the aid of family analysed using descriptive statistics. labour as costos hired labour is Fulani of Kwara State of Nigeria origin prohibitive and there are labour shortage settled in Ogun State with their cattle particularly for land preparation, weeding for over 25 years and are pursuing and harvesting Government effort at sedentary lifestyle as agro-pastoralists. introducing tractor hiring services was a They operate under a relatively secure failure as thc policy could not be sustained tenurial arrangement that allow them to due to high hiring charges, delays in settle and practise arable crop farming. providing the service and unavailability of They prepare the land for planting tractors. This situation gives a compelling using the ridge system, which favours the need for a locally sustainable cheaper use of animal traction. The very cost labour-saving technology. of hired labour represents a major Omotayo and Idisi (1990) reported that the incentive for adoption of animal U$C of animal traction contributed traction technology. The average cattle immensely to farm output and family herd size is 30. All the respondents were income in Northern Nigeria. They are aware of the use of animal traction. technology was not extended to Southern Although none of the respondents had Nigeria because of the perceived fear of using the technology in Ogun State, they tested . Reports (Adu. 1993: Ogungbe nevertheless believed that the technology and Adu, 1998) on the settlement of Fulan can be used in the State. They all agro-pastoralists with their cattle in the indicated readiness to release their humid zone of Nige cattle for training if the technology is to Also, experiences from other parts of West be introduced. The paper discussed Africa with similar ecological and socio animal traction in rural economy, its cultural setting or environment, confirmed potential and constraints.