Skill Improvement Needs for Minisetts Yam Farmers for Sustainable Food Security in Federal Capital Territory – Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

A survey was carried out to identify skills improvement needs for minisetts
yam farmers for sustainable food security in the Federal Capital Territory
– Abuja. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested to guide the study.
The population comprises all the FCT College of Education and Agricultural
Extension Agents in Agricultural Zone ‘B; ‘ADP’ of the Ministry of Federal
Capital Territory – Abuja. Purposive sampling technique was employed
to select 100 respondents comprising 14 Lecturers from FCT College of
Education and 86 Agricultural Extension Agents in Agricultural Zone ‘B;
‘ADP’ of the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory – Abuja. Data were
collected using a structured questionnaire with the titled: Skill Improvement
Needs of Minisetts Yam Farmers Questionnaire (STNMYTQ). Mean and ttest statistics were used for data analysis. The finding revealed preparation
skills, sprouting skills of yam minisett in nursery bed and field planting
skills. The study concluded that these skills have significant effect on
improved seed yam production. Hence, the improved skills identified
should be used by skill acquisition centers to train farmers as out of
school training programme for improved seed yam production to achieve
food security, and farmers in Federal Capital Territory – Abuja should use
the identified skills as improved strategies that boost the production of
yam for food security in FCT – Abuja.