Abstract

The study was carried out to assess trend in agricultural services received by farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. The three agricultural zones in the state, twelve blocks, thirty cells and four hundred and thirty two farmers constituted the samples for the study. Data were analyzed with percentage and mean score while some were presented in charts. Findings revealed that majority (86.8%) of the respondents were males, married (89.6%) with a mean household size of 8 persons and mean age of about 48 years, respectively. On average, they had about 20 years of farming experience, owned and cultivated 4 and 3 hectares of land, respectively. Extension visit was agricultural service that was relatively enjoyed by the respondents. The study advocated for private sector investment in agriculture especially in provision of farm credit and other crucial agricultural services to farmers in order to increase productivity and output.

Key words: Agricultural services, farmers, agricultural inputs, Benue State.