Ethno-Veterinary Practices Amongst Small-Holder Farmers In Ekiti State, Nigeria

Type Journal Article - African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines
Title Ethno-Veterinary Practices Amongst Small-Holder Farmers In Ekiti State, Nigeria
Author(s)
Volume 4
Issue 4
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2008
Page numbers 434-442
URL http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajtcam/article/viewFile/31238/36824
Abstract
This paper aimed at identifying factors influencing the use of ethno-veterinary practices amongst goat and
poultry farmers in Ekiti state, Nigeria. It specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers;
identified some diseases of goats and poultry with their corresponding indigenous cures; presented the procedures
used in developing some of the ethno-veterinary medicine amongst farmers; identified the reasons for using ethnoveterinary
practices; analysed the ecological factors influencing ethno-veterinary practices; identified the roles
played by institutions in the utilisation of ethno-veterinary practices; and examined the benefits and problems
associated with ethno-veterinary practices in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to
select 100 respondents from ten communities, namely: Otun-Ekiti, Igogo-Ekiti, Osin-Ekiti, Omuo-Ekiti, Ilasa-Ekiti,
Araromi-Ekiti, Efon-Alaaye, Oba-Ayetoro, Ise-Ekiti, and Orun-Ekiti. Pre-tested structured and unstructured
interview schedules were used to collect quantitative data, while Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to
elicit qualitative data from the respondents. Frequency distribution, percentages, means and standard deviation were
used to describe the data. Inferential statistics such as correlation and Chi-Square analyses were used to make
deductions. The correlation result showed that at p < 0.05 level of significance, age (r = 0.368), family size (r =
0.114) and association membership (r = 0.231) were positively and significantly correlated with the utilisation of
ethno-veterinary practices while education level (r - 0.342), farming scope (r = -0.261,) and cosmopoliteness (-
0.135) had negative but significant correlation with the utilisation of ethno-veterinary practices. Some of the
problems (associated with the use of indigenous knowledge) identified by the farmers were lack of institutional
support and the seasonal nature of some medicinal plants. It is, thus, suggested that all identified constraints need be
removed by government to enhance the use of low-external inputs for sustainable agricultural development.

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