FUDMA Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology

EFFECT OF REPLACING MAIZE WITH SOLID WASTE PRODUCT OF SUGAR INDUSTRY ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY AND ECONOMICS OF PRODUCTION OF BROILER CHICKENS

S. E. ALU — 2025-01-06

This Research was conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing maize with solid waste product of sugar industry on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and economics of production of broilers chickens. The experimental diets were formulated such that SWAPSI replaced maize at 0% (control), 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% serving as T, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. The diets were compounded to be 2800 and 3000kcal/kg ME and 23 and 20%CP for both starter and finisher phases respectively. Four hundred day old chicks were distributed randomly among five diets, with 80 birds per diet that were replicated 5 times, each with 16 birds in a completely randomized design. Data were collected on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and economics of production. These data were analyzed using the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in the SPSS statistical software. The results show that animals fed T1 and T2 had the highest growth performance at both phases, with better feed conversion ratio compared to T3, T4 and T5. Chickens fed T1 and T2 exhibited the highest crude protein content digestibility for both phases.. Cost of feed per kilogram weight gain was higher at T5 (₦3003.63/bird) than the other treatments. Birds fed diet containing 20% SWAPSI gave higher gross margin of ₦2011.87. The inclusion of SWAPSI from 20-80% decreases all values because SWAPSI increase in the diet without causing damage to the birds. It also decreased total costs while improving gross margins by 20%. SWAPSI meal is recommended at 20% for maximum growth and economic rewards.

SOCIO-CULTURAL EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN AGRICULTURE BY FARMERS, EXTENSION AGENTS AND LECTURERS IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA.

E.E. EKPERI — 2025-01-06

The study assessed the socio-cultural effects of AI technologies in agriculture, based on the perceptions of farmers, extension agents, and lecturers in Delta State, Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 293 respondents, comprising 40% lecturers, 20% extension agents, and 5% farmers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, 4-point Likert scale, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results indicated significant variance in the level of awareness; lecturers at 90.9%, followed by extension agents at 94.1%, were more aware of these AI tools, including drones, than farmers (68.2%). Thereafter, the perception about AI technology in terms of sociocultural impact also differed among these groupings. Farmers were concerned that AI would change traditional practices extensively, which is at variance with the community norm, whereas the lecturers and extension agents perceived it as something positive that should happen. Results of ANOVA Post-hoc tests revealed that farmers' perceptions differed from those of lecturers with a mean difference of -1.830, p = 0.002, and extension agents with a mean difference of -1.574, p = 0.039. This study has therefore brought to the fore that interventions should be culturally sensitive in addressing farmers' concerns if AI adoption in agriculture is to be inclusive.

EFFECTS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS PRICE HIKE ON THE SUPPLY OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN NIGERIA – A REVIEW

A.M. EZEKIEL — 2025-01-21

The supply of agricultural products in Nigeria determines food and nutritional security in the country. One of the factors affecting the supply of agricultural products is technological advancement which encompasses of farm mechanization, irrigation etc. Petroleum products are used to power farm machineries and move farm produce from the point of production to the point of consumption. Therefore, the pricing of the derivatives of petroleum products play key roles in impacting the production and productivity of the agricultural sector. A comprehensive literature review of the effects of petroleum products price hike on the supply of agricultural products in Nigeria was conducted using relevant scientific papers, project reports, books and peer-reviewed journals. The review showed that petroleum products are used to power and drive farm machineries and move farm commodities from the point of production to the point of consumption. The pricing of petroleum products positively correlates with inflation rate through the cost of transportation, cost of production, prices of commodities, cost of living. This shows that petroleum products price hike affects producer decision, consumer behavior, and energy policies. This suggests that an alternative to petroleum products such as renewable energy should be exploited to reduce dependency on petroleum. Strategic petroleum reserve should be kept and used to buffer short-term supply shocks and price hikes of petroleum products. Also, farmers should have access to credit at no or low interest rate to boost the production capacity.