Post-Harvest Technology Information Awareness of Agro-Based Women Entrepreneurs in Abia State, Nigeria

Authors

Amarachi Confidence Ukpabi Ph.D , Library and Information Science, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, PMB 7006, Umuahia, Abia State, NigeriaFollow
Ukpabi Joseph Ukpabi PhD, Food Science and Technology, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, PMB 7006, Umuahia, Abia State, NigeriaFollow

Date of this Version

2-6-2022

Abstract

The quantities of agricultural commodities wasted during the post-harvest handling, storage, processing, packaging, distribution and marketing are considered unacceptably high in Abia State, Nigeria. Though the state has a sizeable number of agro-based women entrepreneurs, and a national agricultural research institute that is noteworthy in post-harvest technology (PHT) research and documentation yet, there are substantial decrease in food quality, reduced financial value and heavy losses of agricultural produce after bumper harvests in an era when agricultural research scientists have conceived improved post-harvest technologies that ought to address these problems. This study was conducted therefore, to identify the extent of awareness of post-harvest technology information by agro-based women entrepreneurs in Abia State, Nigeria. Data were collected from a sample of 264 respondents drawn from a population of 2358 agro-based women entrepreneurs who were registered with Abia State Agricultural Development Programme as at 2017 with the aid of a well- structured questionnaire. The collected data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics to find the mean responses, standard deviations and t- calculated values of the two groups of women (younger aged (20- 45 years) and older aged (≥ 46 years ) agro-based women entrepreneurs). The results showed that there is moderate extent of awareness of PHT information amongst these women and it was recorded majorly from their awareness of the internet, information officers, extension agents, family members and peers with the awareness of PHT information from community libraries and reading of books rated low. It also showed that there is no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) in all mean responses of the two groups of women after hypothesis testing. The study recommended that librarians and information scientists should enhance PHT information sensitization through the use of internet platforms and indigenous language.