Change management in vegetable farming: the case of farmers in Delta State, Nigeria
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Abstract
At the advent of climate change, changes in policy and the introduction of climate change adaptation strategies resulted to speedy changes in the vegetable sub-sector. Organic fertilizer joint farming operations, vegetable crops diversification and irrigation were introduced simultaneously or within a short duration. Hence, the capability to efficiently manage technical and organizational change become crucial to vegetable farmers. To unveil how farmers growing vegetables changed management, four groups of farmers were paid to visit and interven. These farmers made investments in organic fertilizers, irrigation and vegetable diversification. Three of the groups were joint farming, while one of these three operatedin cooperative farming operation basis. Ten agricultural extension agents were also interviewed. Change was articulated in this article through the employment of a framework of change. The in-depth presentation and cases of the four groups of farms and a conceptual model for change management on vegetable farms, as adapted are captured. The results indicated that contemporary innovations and farming systems introduced to comparable farms which produced highly varying outcomes. Sustained gradual changes, previous change experience, intrinsic motivation, interaction with agricultural extension agents and diligent planning of farming operations positively influenced farming performance during and after change. A principal revelation that change needs to be appreciated as a managerial challenge and not just an issue of adoption of new innovation.
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