ACCESSIBILITY AND EFFECTS OF HIV AWARENESS PROGRAMS ON SMALLHOLDER AGROFORESTRY FARMERS’ PRODUCTIVITY IN AKINYELE COMMUNITY, OYO STATE

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV could hamper the livelihood activities of any people irrespective of their economy and population. However, the creation of constant awareness could decimate its spread and negative effects on the health of active people. The study investigated the accessibility and effect of HIV programs on smallholder agroforestry farmers’ productivity in the Akinyele community, Oyo State. A proportionate and random sampling procedure was used for the selection of 130 respondents. The test instrument used was a questionnaire with an interview session. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed 56.9% of respondents were male, 23.8% were in the age range of 31-40 years, 67.7% of respondents were married, about 70.0% had formal education and about 50.0% had household sizes of 1-5 persons respectively. In addition, about half the respondents (50.0%) had household size of 1-5 persons, and about 54.0% of the respondents practiced Islamic religion. Furthermore, the majority of farmers (94.6%) received awareness information programs on HIV/AIDS through radio, 67.7% received awareness information programs on television, 56.0% of respondents received awareness information on HIV/AIDS programs from friends and neighbors while about 40.0% of the respondents received HIV/AIDS information from public lectures through religious organizations. The survey also, revealed that the majority of respondents had a high level of information reception from the awareness programs, and 83.1% of respondents had a high level of productivity implying that farmers’ access to information on HIV/AIDS informed high productivity of farmers. The Chi square statistic showed no significant relationship between sex (χ² =1.54), age (χ² = 9.04), household size (χ² = 0.77), and other demographic characteristics and farmers’ productivity. The extent of HIV/AIDS awareness information had a significant relationship with farmers’ productivity (r = -0.36, p = 0.00). The study recommends that awareness programs and their sources of dissemination must be further strengthened and be made available to agroforestry farmers in the Akinyele community through extension agents with adequate result-oriented approaches of extension teaching methods and demonstrations, and health communications from health-extension workers.