Factors influencing Grasscutter Domestication in Rural Communities of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Domestication of grasscutter is a relatively novel practice in Nigeria with its potentialities, challenges and opportunities. It is therefore becoming a profitable business among rural farmers in Oyo State. This study investigated factors affecting grasscutter domestication in Oyo State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 110 respondents from 5 rural Local Government Areas of Oyo State. Interview schedule was used for data collection and analyzed using chi square, PPMC and regression analysis. Results showed that majority (84%) of the respondents were male and married with mean age of 44±7.05 years. The mean household size was 5±1.41 persons and half (50%) of the respondents had secondary education. The most utilized source of labour was family (61%) and the average years of farming experience was 9.78±3.99 years. An average grasscutter farmer in the study area keeps 20 grasscutters with average monthly income of N36,000±11,045.36. Most (60%) of the farmers prefer to sell their produce directly to consumers while others (30%) did not mind selling at open market. Respondents (61%) had high knowledge about grasscutter production and half (50%) of them had favorable attitude towards grasscutter production. Benefits derived by farmers included increased income, resistance of animals to diseases and cost effectiveness.  Regression analysis shows that age (p=0.001), educational level (p=0.000) and respondents’ knowledge (p=0.00) influenced domestication of grasscutters in the study area. The study recommends that farmers be further trained on the nutritional and economic benefits of grasscutter in the study area to encourage more farmers to be involved in the enterprise. Keywords: Grasscutter, domestication, knowledge level, rural communities,