The Influence of Technological Changes on Labour Availability: A Case Study of Cocoa Farming Households in Ogun State, Nigeria (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Nigerian agricultural sector is dominated by small-scale farmers whose farms vary between 0.10 and 5.99 hectares in size and constitute about 80.35% of all the 29,800 million farm holdings in Nigeria [1, 2]. Their farmers used traditional technologies called hoe-cutlass culture and their capital structure is in form of small tools and predominant usage of family labour [3]. Among the other problems that are associated with small-scale farming are the problems of low productivity due to the problems of pest and diseases infestation and the problems of aged crop trees (cocoa trees) [3]. Given the increasing population pressure and resultant increase in food demand, the government has found it imperative to find ways by which the agricultural sector could be improved. In line with this, a number of programmes have been embarked upon and some institutions have been established. Such institutions include the National Seed Service (NSS), National Accelerated Food Production Programme (NAFPP), Agricultural Development Project (ADP) and others. It should be noted that the main objective among others of these programmes revolve around the development and dissemination of improved technologies in farming practices.