Abstract

Evidently, the agricultural sector is attracting numerous investors who are learned but have little or no technical knowledge of agricultural production. Potentials of agricultural production are yet to be explored in print media to disseminate agricultural information in order to promote success of agriculture as an enterprise. The study therefore investigated readership of agricultural advertisements in Nigeria newspapers in Ibadan municipality of Oyo State, Nigeria. A list of four hundred and one (401) farmers was obtained from the local government office and thirty percent (30%) (122) of the farmers were randomly selected. A structured questionnaire guide containing open and close questions was used to elicit information from the respondents. The result of the analysis revealed that majority (52.69%) were between the age of 30 to 50, also indicates high (82.52%) literacy level above primary education. On marital status, 75.8% were married, 80.0% of the farmers practiced farming as secondary education, appreciable number (27.5%) have above 26 years farming experience. Quite high (60.8%) level of readership is recorded among respondents with larger percentage (14.2%) read newspaper at least once week. Respondents’ perception and attitude (59.2 and 74.2%) were favourably disposed to advertising respectively. The inferential statistics analysis shows education (chi-square=21.07:p≤0.01) significantly related with respondents’ perception of agricultural advertisements. However, marital status (chi-square=10.48; p≥0.57) and farming experience (chi-square=25.25; p≥0.11) were not significantly related. Correlation analysis of farmers attitude and perception of agricultural advertisements in newspapers was found to be significant (r=0.385; p≤0.000). Agricultural advertisements are a vanguard for awareness creation, boost agricultural enterprise and dissemination of agricultural information will receive wider reach within and outside farming population.

Key words: Agricultural advertisement, readership, newspapers.