ABSTRACT
The study focused on identifying the skills required by youths for commercial goat production in Akwa Ibom State. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The study was carried out in Akwa Ibom State. Six (6) research questions were answered and six (6) hypotheses were tested in the study. The population of the study was 427 consisting of 296 registered goat farmers and 131 extension agents from the six agricultural zones of Akwa Ibom State. The entire population constituted the sample because of the manageable size. A sixty-seven (67) items structured questionnaire was developed from the literature and goat production industries and used for data collection. The questionnaire had a 4-point response options. The instrument was validated by three Validates, two from Agricultural and Home Science Education and one from Educational Management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Test retest method of reliability and Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to obtain a reliability index of 0.87. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for answering research questions while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses. The result of the study revealed that skills required by youths for commercial goat production were 12 skills in planning, 12 skills in site preparation and housing, 10 skills in feeding, 11 skills in breeding, 12 skills in health management and 10 skills in marketing of goat produce. Based on the findings, it is recommended among others that the identified skills should be incorporated into the curriculum of the Skill Acquisition Centres and training institutes to train youths and that government should provide an enabling environment, soft loans or grants for youths to embark on commercial goat production in Akwa Ibom State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Declaration iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER
1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2
Statement of the Problem 7
1.3 Purpose of the Study 8
1.4 Significance of the Study 8
1.5 Research
Questions 9
1.6 Hypotheses
10
1.7 Scope of the Study 11
CHAPTER
2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 12
2.1.1 Work Skills Identification 12
2.1.2 Job
Analysis Approach 12
2.1.3 Task
Analysis Approach 13
2.1.4 Occupational Analysis Approach 15
2.1.5 Modular Approach 16
2.1.6 Planning of Goat Production Enterprise 17
2.1.7 Site
preparation and housing 20
2.1.8 Breeding
and reproduction 22
2.1.9 Feeding
and Nutrition 24
2.1.10 Health and Management 26
2.1.11 Common Diseases of
Goats 28
2.1.12 Marketing
of goat and goat product 30
2.2 Theoretical
Framework of the Study 32
2.2.1 Production Theory (Robert Dorfman 1959) 32
2.2.2 Occupational Theory (Frank Parsons 1908) 34
2.2.3 Training Theory (McGehee and Thayer 1961) 35
2.3 Review
of Related Empirical Studies 36
2.4 Summary of Review Related Literature 42
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Design of the Study 44
3.2 Area of the Study 44
3.3 Population for the Study 45
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 45
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 45
3.6 Validation of the Instrument 46
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 46
3.8 Method of Data Collection 47
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 47
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
4.1 Presentation
and Analysis of Results 48
4.2 Findings of the Study 63
4.3 Discussion of Findings 65
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1
Summary of the Study 68
5.2 Conclusion 69
5.3 Recommendations 70
5.4 Educational Implications of the Findings 71
5.5 Suggestions for Further Research 72
REFERENCES 73
APPENDIX 79
LIST OF TABLES
Tables Contents Page
4.1: Mean Ratings of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Planning for
Commercial Goat Production in Akwa Ibom State. 48
4.2: T-test Result of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths in
Planning for Commercial Goat Production in Akwa Ibom state. 50
4.3: Mean Ratings of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Site Preparation and Housing for Commercial Goat
Production
in Akwa Ibom State. 51
4.4: T-test Results of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths in
Site Preparation and Housing for Commercial Goat
Production in
Akwa Ibom State. 52
4.5: Mean Ratings of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Feeding for Commercial Goat Production in Akwa
Ibom State. 53
4.6: T-test Results of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths in
Feeding for
Commercial Goat Production in Akwa Ibom State. 55
4.7: Mean Ratings of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Breeding for Commercial Goat Production in Akwa
Ibom State. 56
4.8: T-test Results of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Breeding for Commercial Goat Production in Akwa
Ibom State. 57
4.9: Mean Ratings of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Health Management for Commercial Goat Production
in
Akwa Ibom State. 58
4.10: T-test Results of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Health
Management for Commercial Goat Production in
Akwa Ibom State. 59
4.11: Mean Ratings of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths
in Marketing for Commercial Goat Production in Akwa
Ibom State. 61
4.12: T-test Results
of Respondents on the Skills Required by Youths in
Marketing for
Commercial Goat Production in Akwa Ibom State. 62
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Goat is a hollow horned small ruminant
belonging to the family of Bovidae of the Genus Capra (Iwena, 2012). Goat is one of the first animals to be
domesticated by humans, about 9,000 years ago. Today, there are some 200
different breeds of goats that produce varieties of products, including milk,
meat, and fiber (mohair and cashmere). Goat production is a traditional activity practiced by
60-87% of the local populations either as the main activity
or as a secondary activity. Goats
play an important socio economic role in many West African countries. African
goat population represents 30% of Africa’s ruminant livestock and produces
about 17 and 12% of meat and milk, respectively (Wilson 1991). According to the
data of Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations (FAO, 2014), the
West African population of goats is approximately 150 million heads accounting
for 14.82% of goat population in the world. Nigeria (48.34%), Mali (12.76%),
Niger (9.93%) and Burkina Faso (9.27%) host a large number of goats (FAOSTAT
2017).
In Nigeria, breeds of goats have a population of about 22 to 26million with rough
estimates of 6.6million of them in southern and 20million in the geopolitical zones of the country (Chiejina,
and Behnke 2011). The breeds of goats in Nigeria are largely
indigenous; and the common ones include the West African Dwarf (WAD) goat,
Sahel/desert goat- known as West African Long-Legged goat; and Sokoto
Red/Maradi. The Kalahari goat breed, which is of South African origin is
gradually being adapted to the Nigeria’s ecological zones on experimental
efforts (Lebbie, 2004).
Distribution of the goat breeds in the country showed that the West African
Dwarf (WAD) goat is common to southern Nigeria including Akwa Ibom State while
the Sahel or desert goat and Sokoto Red are common to the northern region of
the country.
Goat production at commercial
levels, require skills in planning, site selection, site preparation, breeding,
management practices, diseases control, feeding, marketing and so on (Ogbu,
2013). Boniface, Patrick and Camilus (2003), are of the opinion that goat
farmers require skills in planning, housing, feeding husbandry, disbudding,
castration, disease control, breeding, record keeping, marketing etc. The Penn
State College Agricultural Science Research and Extension (PSCASRE, 2000)
stipulated the skills required in goat production to include: applying identification
tags, castration, breeding and knowledge of breeds, flushing, dehorning,
medication, milking, housing and moving (behavioral and aggression knowledge),
sickness identification, sheltering, feeding, manure handling, fencing and
marketing. Asogwa (2013) classified competencies in goat production to include
planning, housing, rearing weaned goat to market weight and marketing of
matured goats.
Skills
required in commercial goat production with regards to this study are grouped into planning, site preparation and housing,
feeding, breeding, health
management and marketing. Skills are capacities required by
individuals to be efficient to execute a task. Skill according to Osinem (2008)
is the expertness, practiced ability or proficiency displayed in the
performance of a task. The author explained that it is the ability to perform a
task acquired through repetition of the operation. According to Okorie (2000),
to possess a skill is the demonstration of acting, thinking or behaving in a
specific activity in such a way that the process becomes natural to the
individual through repetition or practice. Also Olaitan, Nwanchukwu, Igbo,
Onyemachi and Ekong, (1999) observed that, work skills are practical activities
that an individual expresses for a task to perform efficiently. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) in the
national policy in education describes skills as expressing the practical and
mental knowledge of an individual for set goals and objectives.
Skill
in the context of this study is the ability of youths to perform the various
activities in goat
production with maximum proficiency to commercialisation of goat in Akwa Ibom State.
Managerial
skills are human responsibility and skill that drives economic activities and
development (Oghojafor et al, 2012). It is a systematic process aimed at
improving the performance of an enterprise and it needs clear organisation of
human knowledge (Smart et al, 2012).
Skills in this
context are planning: Ability to identify business
opportunities in goat production, choose breeds of goats to produce, acquire
the system of farming, choose the system of farming to be adopted, registration
of the business to avoid government or associated threat, source capital for
goat production enterprise, set goals that are achievable, make budget for
intended production, source labour for goats farming, source feed for feeding
goats, source for other input. e.g. feeding and watering trough, robe, hay
rack, identify strategies for marketing goats and goat products.
Site
preparation and housing:Ability to clear and stump the site to build goat house, develop the
building plan, gather materials for the building, construct the building based
on the plan and marked specification, roof with zinc or water proof thatch
materials, use wire gauze or strong wire net at the half up of the wall to
permit ventilation, construct a sloppy floor in the pen, construct gutter from
one end of the house to the other slanting slide, put strong protector at the
entrance of the house, fence the building to avoid unwanted access, prepare a
tethering peg, provide adequate bedding materials at the floor for comfort of
the goat.
Feeding produce ration for different
goats enterprises, types and age, avoid common nutritional disorders in the
goats pen, able to read and interpret a feed information for goats
grams/concentration, identify the mineral requirements for goats at different
production stages, provide the proper minerals for goats, be able to take a
forage sample for analysis, provide clean, fresh water in the diet of goats, be
able to identify common forages (grasses and legumes), be able to identify
plants that are poisonous to goats, efficiently provide feed (hay, grains,
minerals and water) to goats
Breeding: Ability to identify goats breeds for breeding, select does and buck for
mating/insemination, select traits that will adept to your environments, select
buck for specific traits and qualities, be able to detect heat (estrous) in
does, pregnant females should be separated from flock, be able to handle and
care for a newborn kid, recognised dystocia (abnormal birth) and how to assist,
be able to properly assists a doe at birthing, be able to identify the
reproduction body parts of a doe and buck, understand the basics of artificial
insemination
Health
management: Ability to recognized a healthy goats
or kid, be able to recognized the signs and symptom of a sick animal, become familiar
with common goat diseases, be able to take a rectal temperature, be able to
take a faecal sample for accurate analysis, be able to give an intramuscular
injection (IM), be able give a subcutaneous injection (sub-Q), be able to
administer an oral dose of medicine or dewormer, be able to calculate the
proper dosage for an individual animal, be able to properly store vaccines and
other medicine for goat, become familiar with suitable disinfectants for their
farm animals, be able to develop a biosecurity plan for their herd
Marketing:Ability
to develop a marketing plan for your goat and goat product, become familiar
with goat sales options or strategies, be able to keep effective financial
records, be able to determine net worth of goats, sell goats and products
online, market intelligence to determine current market situation, Sort out
matured table size goats for sale after 24-28 months, advertise for better
awareness of the farm and goat produced, contact buyers who place order, be
able to analysis a goat based enterprise
Youth is
the period of life when someone’s appearance, freshness, vigor, spirit and
characteristics is indicative of one who is young. Youths can also be referred
to a time in life when one is neither a child nor an adult but in between the
two stages. Dorcas and Moses (2016) described youths as a stage of life very
important in determining young people’s paths to achieving productive
employment and decent work. Youth should therefore be demanded not as a time of
life but as a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a
predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the
life of ease (Thomas in Robert, 2003). According Eje et al. (2017) youth is a stage which a person is physically and mentally
able to acquire productive knowledge and skills for self-reliance. The author
also emphasied that it is a time to go out and secure the future and to
contribute significantly to the welfare of their families, communities and any
society they may find themselves. People at this stage are very energetic and
capable of learning and maintaining profitable production with skills that can
make themselves and communities to flourish and the nation strengthened. Youths
are risk takers and more likely to have access to extension service and make
use of agricultural loans more effectively (Amaza & Tashikalma, 2003). In
the context of this study, youths are those between childhood and adulthood and
are full of agility, mentally and physically fit to embark on an independent
living through independent work or business such as commercial goat production.
Youths in the study area do not directly participate in goat production. This
is because rearing of goat is solely in the hands of their parent, lack of
finance and skills in commercial goat production.
Goat production in
Akwa Ibom State is under the traditional production system. However, the
productivity of goats under the prevailing traditional production system is
very low (Singh and Kumar, 2007). It is because they are maintained under the
extensive system on natural vegetation on degraded common grazing lands and
tree lopping. Even these degraded grazing resources are shrinking continuously.
Moreover, adoption of improved production technologies/ management practices in
the farmers’ flock is very low. A number of technologies are available for
productivity improvement of goats. Technological and management options are the
only alternatives to accelerate growth in the productivity of goats, which is
low in the traditional system of production. Demand for goat meat in Akwa Ibom
State is on the increase and meats are purchased from the open market.
Therefore, rearing
of goats under intensive and semi-intensive system using improved technologies
for commercial production has become imperative not only for realizing their
full potential but also to meet the increasing demand of goat meat in the
domestic as well as international markets. Goat rearing has been found equally
rewarding under both intensive and semi-intensive systems of management.
Intensification and commercialisation of goat enterprise has been recorded
important because of shrinking of resources for extensive grazing.
Commercialisation would help in increasing the goat productivity and bridging
the demand-supply gap. However, use of improved technologies, particularly
prophylaxis, superior germ plasma, low cost feeds and fodders and innovative
marketing of the produce would be the pre-conditions for successful commercial
goat production.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Investigation shows that
Nigeria has the highest population of goat. Southern part of the country
including Akwa Ibom State contributes a little quota due to the sedentary
extensive system of farming practiced. In this system, goats are kept in
free-roaming flocks or herds in villages and their environs, scavenging for
feed. They have no benefit of prophylactic or curative medicinal treatment.
Owners provide little or no supplementary feed. Good flock management practices
are not applied and poor housing is provided to animals. Additionally, farmers
have a small number of animals, and limited access to land, therefore tethered
(in the compound/pens) and during the cropping season so as to avoid crop
damage. Sometimes, animals may be tethered in areas where forages are available
for in situ grazing. Cut-and-carried forage and waste from kitchen and crop
processing are supplied in some instances to the animals (Asamoah, 2012). This
is characterized by the absence of production target, limited food resource,
low productivity and high losses due to accidents, diseases, and theft.
Government of Akwa Ibom State has contributed on yearly bases to improve
agriculture which goat production is part of it on free interest loans to
farmers, provision of farm inputs and development of skills acquisition centres
where interested youths could be trained. Despite these government efforts,
goat production is not developed to commercial level. This is because youths do
not acquire skills in commercial goat production.
Therefore, there is the need
for the understanding of the role of goat, the diversity of production systems,
and the current production of goat products, and constraints that will
contribute to establishing strategies to advance the development of this
sector. In order to transform goat farming into a profitable and commercial
enterprise, youths need to be empowered with financial and aspects of
commercial goat production, including market linkages which all require
strengthened efforts (Llanto, 2010). In this regard the study is designed to
identify the skills required by youth for commercial goat
production in Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
major purpose of this study was to identify the skills required by youths for commercial goat production in Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the study
sought to;
1. identify
the skills required by youths for planning commercial goats production.
2. determine
the skills required by youths for housing of goat for commercial production.
3. identify
the skills required by youths for feeding of goat for commercial production
4. determine
the skills required by youths for breeding of goats for commercial production.
5. determine
the skills required by youths for health management of goats for commercial
production, and
6. determine
the skills required by youths for marketing of goats.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The findings of the study if
implemented would be of immense benefit to youths, farmers, agricultural
extension agents, researchers or academia, skill acquisition centres and government of Akwa Ibom State,
The
findings of the study on the commercial goat production planning skills would
provide agricultural extension
agents
with the necessary skills
on goat
production that would enable them
to understand the management
areas to lay
emphasis on when disseminating information to the farmers. The youths would also benefit from the findings of the
study through the agricultural
extension agents who would teach them the necessary skills required for goat production. This would increase
income and living standard of
the youths. The findings of the study would serve as a
base for future researchers on goat
production,
and would provide the
Administrators of Skill Acquisition Centers with information on skills required
in goat production by youths. These Centers could use this information on
skills to develop programmes for training and retraining of youths on skills
required in planning, site
preparation and housing, feeding, breeding,health management and marketing for goat production and income enhancement They would
also use the information to identify the needed facilities for training youths
in goat production enterprise.
The
findings of the study would be of benefit to the government and larger society
when implemented. This is because when youths are acquainted with the skills in goat production would help
to reduce the percentage of the unemployed, alleviate poverty, and enhance income and economy of the
state, curb crimes and youth restiveness.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research questions were
answered in the study.
1. What
are the skills required by youths for planning commercial goat production in
Akwa Ibom State?
2. What
are the skills required by youths for housing of goat for commercial production
in Akwa Ibom State?
3. What
are the skills required by youths for feeding of goats for commercial
production in Akwa Ibom State?
4. What
are the skills required by youths for breeding of goats for commercial
production in Akwa Ibom State?
5. What
are the skills required by youths for health management of goats for commercial
production in Akwa Ibom State?
6. What
are the skills required by youths for marketing of goats in Akwa Ibom State?
1.6 HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses
were tested at 0.05 level of significance.
Ho1: There is
no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of goat farmers
and agricultural extension agents on the skills required by youths in planning
for commercial goat production in Akwa Ibom State.
Ho2: There is
no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of goat farmers
and agricultural extension agents on the skills required by youths in housing
goats for commercial production in Akwa Ibom State.
Ho3: There is
no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of goat farmers
and agricultural extension agents on the skills required by youths in feeding
of goat for commercial goat production in Akwa Ibom State.
Ho4: There is
no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of goat farmers
and agricultural extension agents on the skills required by youths in breeding
of goat for commercial production in Akwa Ibom State.
Ho5: There is
no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of goat farmers
and agricultural extension agents on the skills required by youths in health
management of goat for commercial production in Akwa Ibom State.
Ho6: There is
no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of goat farmers
and agricultural extension agents on the skills required by youths in marketing
of goats in Akwa Ibom State.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
study waslimited
to the identification of
the skills
required by youths for
commercial goat production in Akwa Ibom State. These include skills
required in planning, site
preparation and housing, feeding and nutrition, breeding and
reproduction, health management
and marketing for commercial
goat production in Akwa Ibom State. The respondents for the
study were restricted to registered goat farmers
and
Agricultural Extension Agents in Akwa Ibom State.
Click “DOWNLOAD NOW” below to get the complete Projects
FOR QUICK HELP CHAT WITH US NOW!
+(234) 0814 780 1594
Login To Comment