AGRICULTURAL LITERACY NEEDS FOR POVERTY REDUCTION AMONG URBAN YOUTHS IN DELTA STATE

Abstract

The study was designed to identify agricultural literacy need for poverty reduction among youths in Delta State. Three research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The population comprised nine thousand three hundred and ninety (9390) youths. Sample size of 940 respondents was drawn from the population using Proportional random sampling technique. Data was collected from respondents using structured questionnaire and hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test. The results of the analysis revealed that most the youths had low income status due to unemployment; needed to be equipped with skills engage in agricultural occupation in the urban to alleviate poverty; and strategies were identified to improve agricultural literacy in the area. The null hypothesis stated was accepted. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that the findings of the study should be made available to the government and non-governmental organizations responsible for agricultural literacy programmes so that they will utilize the strategies identified by the study to promote agricultural literacy progarmmes in the State and other parts of the country; government should use agricultural literacy as a tool for reducing unemployment and poverty rate among youths