ABSTRACT:

This study was carried out to examine the determinants of compliance with Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) among arable crop farmers in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select a total of 120 respondents. Primary data was collected through the administration of structured questionnaires designed to obtain relevant information from the farmers .Data analysis was conducted using both descriptive statistics—such as frequency, percentage, and mean—and inferential statistics, particularly regression analysis. The results revealed that 25.0% of respondents were aged between 41 and 50 years, while the majority (68.3%) had household sizes ranging from one to five members. Additionally, 30.0% of the farmers had between one to five years of farming experience. Regarding information sources, 78.3% of the respondents reported receiving agricultural information from the Maize Farmers Association. The perceived benefits of GAPs included guaranteed market access (mean = 1.75) and improved overall productivity (mean = 1.56). Further analysis showed that the key practices influencing compliance with GAPs were direct seeding (68.3%) and the practice of felling and burning trees before planting (78.3%). The main constraints faced by the farmers in implementing GAPs included the high cost of recommended agrochemicals (mean = 1.82) and inadequate knowledge regarding their proper use (mean = 1.80). Regression analysis revealed that household size (p = 0.046), knowledge of GAPs (p = 0.000), awareness of health benefits (p = 0.000), and recognition of economic advantages (p = 0.002) significantly influenced farmers’ compliance with GAPs in arable crop production. The study concludes that most of the farmers possessed good knowledge of GAPs. It is recommended that government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide subsidies or financial support to reduce the cost burden on farmers. Additionally, promoting local production of agrochemicals is essential to minimize reliance on imports, ultimately reducing production costs and encouraging wider adoption of Good Agricultural Practices.