DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION … E.pdf · JULY, 2013. i TITLE PAGE ... CHAPTER FOUR:...

UGBEM, EMMANUEL AGIOPU PG/M.Ed/08/49004

COMPETENCY-IMPROVEMENT NEEDS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN

PLANTAIN PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Faculty of Education

DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION (AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION)

Nwamarah Uche

Digitally Signed by: Content manager’s Name

DN : CN = Weabmaster’s name

O= University of Nigeria, Nsukka

OU = Innovation Centre

ii

COMPETENCY-IMPROVEMENT NEEDS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN

PLANTAIN PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

BY

UGBEM, EMMANUEL AGIOPU PG/M.Ed/08/49004

DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION (AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION)

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA

JULY, 2013

i

TITLE PAGE

COMPETENCY-IMPROVEMENT NEEDS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN PLANTAIN PRODUCTION

ENTERPRISE IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

BY

UGBEM, EMMANUEL AGIOPU. PG/M.ED/08/49004

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION, (AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION)

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

AWARD OF MASTER OF EDUCATION DEGREE (M.ED) IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

JULY, 2013

ii

APPROVAL PAGE

This project has been approved for the Department of Vocational Teacher

Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

BY

…………………………………………. …………………………………………. Prof. S. O. Olaitan Prof. C. A. Obi Supervisor Head of Department …………………………………………. ………………………………………….

Internal Examiner External Examiner

…………………………………………. Prof. I. C. S. IFELUNNI Dean, Faculty of Education

iii

CERTIFICATION

Ugbem, Emmanuel Agiopu a postgraduate student in the Department of

Vocational Teacher Education (Agricultural Education) with registration number

PG/M.Ed/08/49004 has satisfactorily completed the requirements for the course and

research work for the master of Education degree in Agricultural Education.

The work embodied in this project is original and has not been submitted in

part or full for any other undergraduate or postgraduate of this or any other

institution.

…………………………………………… .……..……………..………………… Prof. S. O. Olaitan Emmanuel. A.Ugbem (Supervisor) (Student)

iv

DEDICATION

This research project is dedicated to my beloved wife Mrs. Ugbem, Augustina

Andorshiye.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researcher expressed his sincere appreciations to his supervisor Professor

S. O Olaitan for his encouragement, contribution and supervision throughout the

course of this research work. Equally appreciated are: Doctors R. O. Mama, J. A.

Ukonze, B. I. Ellah, F.I. Eze, I. Okeme for their support toward logical conclusion of

this work.

The researcher is grateful to Mr. S. I. Ikpi, P.B Awup, Mrs. B. Idam, J.M

Aruku, J. Agege, I.Oguzor, F. Adado, F. Ekara, V.C. Asogwa, O. Onipede, O.I Lawal,

D. Otu, and I. Akwaji for their moral support.

The researcher acknowledged the support of his wife Mrs. Ugbem, Augustina

Andorshiye for her perseverance, steadfastness, moral and financial support. Equally

acknowledged are Mr. Edwin Ugbem, Mrs. Juliana Ogar, Benjamin Ugbem, Beshel

Ugbem, Rose Ugbem Oscar for their encouragement and support. Above all much

gratitude and thanks to God Almighty for seeing me through this research work.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page - - - - - - - - - - i

Approval Page - - - - - - - - - ii

Certification - - - - - - - - - - iii

Dedication - - - - - - - - - - iv

Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - - v

Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - vi

List of Tables - - - - - - - - - ix

List of Figure - - - - - - - - - xi

Abstract - - - - - - - - - - xii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION - - - - - - 1

Background of the Study - - - - - - - - 1

Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - - 8

Purpose of the Study - - - - - - - - 11

Significance of the Study - - - - - - - - 12

Research Questions - - - - - - - - - 13

Research Hypotheses - - - - - - - - 13

Scope of the Study - - - - - - - - - 14

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE - - - 15

Conceptual Framework of the Study - - - - - - 15

� Competency Base Approach - - - - - - 19

� Job Analysis - - - - - - - - - 22

� Task Analysis - - - - - - - - - 25

� Modular Approach - - - - - - - - 28

� Occupational Area Approach - - - - - - 31

Theoretical Framework - - - - - - - - 34

� Occupational Theory - - - - - - - 34

� Production Theory - - - - - - - - 36

vii

Literature Review on:

� Plantain Nursery Enterprise - - - - - - 40

� Plantain Plantation Management Enterprise - - - - 52

� Plantain Processing and Marketing Enterprise - - - - 73

Review of Related Empirical Studies - - - - - - 83

Summary of Literature Reviewed - - - - - - - 88

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY - - - - - - 90

Design of the Study - - - - - - - - - 90

Area of the study - - - - - - - - 90

Population of the Study - - - - - - - - 91

Sample and Sampling Technique - - - - - - - 91

Instrument for Data Collection - - - - - - - 92

Validation of the Instrument - - - - - - - 93

Reliability of the Instrument - - - - - - - 93

Methods of Data Collection - - - - - - - - 93

Methods of Data Analysis - - - - - - - - 94

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA - - 96

Research Question 1 - - - - - - - - 96




Hypothesis 1 - - - - - - - - - - 121

Hypothesis 2 - - - - - - - - - - 123

Hypothesis 3 - - - - - - - - - - 126

Major Findings of the Study - - - - - - - 128

Major Findings of the Hypotheses - - - - - - - 154

Discussion of the Findings - - - - - - - - 155

Discussion of the Hypotheses - - - - - - - 164

viii

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS - - - - - - - 167

Restatement of the Problem - - - - - - - 167

Purpose of the Study - - - - - - - - 168

Summary of the Procedure Used - - - - - - - 168

Major Findings - - - - - - - - - 169

Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - 171

Implication of the Findings - - - - - - - 172

Limitations - - - - - - - - - - 173

Recommendations - - - - - - - - - 174

Suggestion for Further Study - - - - - - - 175

References - - - - - - - - - - 176

Appendices - - - - - - - - - - 191

I. Distribution of Population of Secondary School Graduates - - 191

II. Distribution of Population of Teachers of Agricultural Science - - 192

III. Distribution of Population of Registered Plantain Farmers - - 193

IV. Formula for Cronbach Alpha Reliability Method - - - - 194

V. Results of the Reliability Test - - - - - - 195

VI. Letter of Request for Validation of Research Instrument - - 196

VII. Letter of Request for Respond to Questionnaire Items - - - 197

VIII. Questionnaire in Plantain Nursery Enterprise - - - - 198

IX. Questionnaire in Plantain Plantation Management Enterprise - - 202

X. Questionnaire in Plantain Processing and Marketing Enterprise - 208

XI. Results of Data Analyzed - - - - - - - 228

XII. Evidences of the Validation of Research Instrument - - - 273

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LIST OF TABLES

I. The Mean Ratings of the Responses of Teachers of Agricultural Science,

Plantain Farmers and Secondary School Graduates on Competencies Required

by Secondary School Graduates in Plantain Nursery, Plantain Management

and Processing and Marketing Enterprises - - - - 97

II. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competency in Plantain Nursery Enterprise in Cross River State - 99

III. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competency in Nursery Enterprise in Cross River State - - 100

IV. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competency in Marketing of Nursery in Nursery Enterprise in Cross River

State - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 102

V. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

in Planning for Plantain Plantation Management Enterprise in

Cross Rivers State - - - - - - - - 104

VI. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratios of Secondary School Graduate

on Competency in Plantain Plantation Establishment, Planting and

Plantain Thinning Operations - - - - - - 106

VII. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competency Items in Mulching, Fertilizer, Irrigation, and Weed

Control - - - - - - - - - 108

VIII. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

in Propping, Harvesting and Marketing - - - - - 110

IX. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competencies in Plantain Plantation Processing Enterprise in

Cross River State. - - - - - - - - 113

X. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competencies in Processing of Plantain into Chips and into Flour 115

XI. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competency Items in Processing of Plantain into Pudding and

Dodo (ikire) Enterprise - - - - - - - 117

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XII. Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates

on Competencies in Processing of Plantain into Wine and Marketing of

Processed Plantain Products - - - - - - 119

XIII. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the Mean Ratings of Teachers of

Agricultural Science, Plantain Nursery Farmers, and Secondary School

Graduates on Competencies in Plantain Nursery Enterprise in

Cross River State - - - - - - - - 122

XIV. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the Mean Ratings of Teachers of

Agricultural Science, Plantain Plantation Management Farmers and

Secondary School Graduates on Competencies in Plantain Plantation

Management Enterprises - - - - - - - 124

XV. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the Mean Ratings of Teachers of

Agricultural Science, Plantain Processors and Marketers and Secondary

School Graduates on Competencies Needed by Secondary School

Graduates for Employment in Plantain Processing Enterprises - - 126

xi

LIST OF FIGURE

Fig. 1: Schema of Plantain Production Enterprise - - - 18

xii

ABSTRACT

This study focused on the identification of competency improvement needs of secondary school graduates for employment in plantain production enterprise in Cross River State. Four research questions guided the study while three hypotheses were formulated and tested at probability of 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted survey research design. The study was carried out in Cross River State, made up of three educational zones of Ogoja, Ikom and Calabar. The population of study was 619 made up of 159 Teachers of Agricultural Science, 365 Secondary School Graduates and 95 Registered Plantain Farmers. There was no sampling since the population was manageable. The entire population constituted the sample. Three sets of questionnaire item were used to obtain data from respondents in the three enterprises in plantain production. Three experts validated the questionnaire items, two lecturers from the Department of Vocational Teacher Education University of Nigeria, Nsukka and one lecturer from the Department of Vocational Education Federal College of Education Obudu. The questionnaire items were tested for reliability using Cronbach’s alpha method which yielded coefficients of 0.90, 0.85 and 0.87 for the three enterprises respectively. Six Research Assistants helped in administering 619 copies of the questionnaire to the respondents. They were all retrieved and analyzed using weighted mean and improvement needed index (INI) to answer research questions and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to test the hypothesis of no significant difference. It was found that 209 competencies were required by Secondary School Graduates in the three plantain enterprises. 48 competencies were required by secondary school graduates for improvement in nursery enterprise, 85 competencies in plantain plantation management enterprise, and 76 competencies in plantain processing and marketing enterprises. The hypothesis tested revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Nursery Farmers and Secondary School Graduates on 43 out of 48 competency items while there was a significant difference in 5 out of 48 competency items in plantain nursery. In plantation management there was no significant difference in 79 out 85 competency items, while there was a significant difference in 6 out 85 competency items. In processing and marketing there was no significant difference in 65 out 76 competency items while there was a significant difference in 11 out 76 competency item. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Cross River State Government should direct skill acquisition centres to integrate the identified competencies in plantain production into their training programs and use it to retrain Secondary School Graduates and other interested individuals in plantain production enterprise.

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Plantain (Musa Paradisiaca) is an important staple food grown in many

communities in Cross River State. In the report of Food and Agricultural Organization

FAO (2004) plantain is a starchy food that is consumed by over 70 million people in

different parts of Nigeria in different form. The report maintained that plantain is

considered a delicacy in most States of Nigeria including Cross River State and is

accepted and enjoyed by many at meal time by both children and adult.

According to Blomme and Ortiz (2000) plantain is a herbaceous plant of the

genus Musa belonging to the order of the zingiberales and family of musaceae and

specie of paradisiacal. The authors described that plantain plant is a large perennial

herbs with an underground stem called a corm, which is the true stem of plantain

plant. The corm produces aerial shoots which arises from the lateral buds that

develop into eyes and later suckers. The authors further stated that the continuous

vegetative growth of suckers perpetuates the corm’s life and hence the perennial

status of plantain plant. In the view of shamrock, Horry and Frison (2001) plantain

plant forms average of 40 leaves (within 8 to 18 months) and the terminal bud

develops into inflorescent which carries both female and male spike flowers arranged

in group. The female inflorescence develops into fingers that constitute the bunch of

plantain.

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In this study, plantain is a herbaceous perennial plant that produces edible

fingers in a form of bunch cultivated in Cross River State for food and fibre for the

people of the state and beyond within the period of eighteen (18) months.. Plantain

is important in many ways. In the view of Simond (1987) plantain foods is not only

most economic source of dietary energy but also a source of vitamins and minerals

particularly iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, ascorbic acid etc. Robinson (1996)

reported that plantain has a lot of medical value, as it has been useful in the

treatment of diarrhea, ulcer, throat infection, asthma, and low libido in men and as a

diet for diabetic patient.

In the view of Frison and Shamrock (1999) plantain contributes significantly to

income security of the people who engaged in its production. Plantain production

provides employment opportunities to youth and unemployed adult, through diverse

means among those in rural and urban areas. As a result of the above importance,

plantain production could serve as a means of livelihood.

Anyanwuocha (2006) defined production as the creation of wealth in the form

of goods and the provision of services which are capable of satisfying human wants.

The author stated that production refers to any activity involving human effort

leading to the satisfaction of human wants. In the view of Hanson (1996)

production refers to the transformation of an item or product into another. It is the

art of manufacturing goods in the amounts and at the time that the consumer wants

them while attempting to build up his profits. In the context of this study, production

refers to the process by which a Secondary School Graduate creates wealth in

3

plantain production enterprise for a sustainable livelihood, through the application of

human effort in managing resources effectively.

An enterprise in the opinion of Christenson in Ibrahim (2007) is an

organization with partly over lapping objective working together with the rules and

regulations guiding them for some period of time in order to achieve stated

objectives. According to Enome (2003), enterprise is any farm activity (or identifiable

sector of the farm business) for which there are specific returns. Thoreau (2005)

stated that an enterprise is a systematic activity especially when directed toward

profit making in a business. The author further explained that it is the willingness of

a person to undertake new ventures, initiative through the buying and selling and

spending his live in order to make a living. In the context of this study, enterprise is

a business outfit that involves new ventures and initiative activities systematically

carried out in plantain production, which requires certain competencies for success.

Competency in the view of Cooper and Graham (2001) refers to knowledge

skills and attitude needed for performing a task. The authors explained that

competency serves as a motivated pattern of knowledge, skills and abilities deployed

to undertake a valued job. International Labour Organization Report (ILO) in Dimelu

(2010) stated that competency is the knowledge, skill and behaviour which someone

exhibits in doing his job which are factors in achieving the result pertinent to the

teaching strategies. Olaitan (2003) stated that competency involves the acquisition of

knowledge, skills and attitude by an individual to perform successfully at a specified

proficiency level in a given task. In this study, competency refers to the acquisition of

knowledge, skill, and attitude by Secondary School Graduates in plantain production

for success in the enterprise. This implies that competency is a measure of potentials

4

that reflect what a secondary school graduate can do in plantain production activities

like pre planting operation which include: site selection, clearing land preparation,

planting operation and post planting operation that include fertilizer application,

mulching, thinning, disease control, harvesting, storage, processing and marketing of

plantain. The skills acquired by Secondary Schools Graduates in the operation of

plantain production should earn them employment in the enterprise.

Employment in the report of the International Labour Organization ILO (2002)

is defined as the act of providing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent

and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity in

order to earn a living. In the ILO Report (2003), obtaining a decent and productive

work applies to all workers, not just workers in the organized sector or wage

engagement but also to home workers and self engaged people in the society. In

this study employment is the act of engaging Secondary School Graduates either

through self or paid employment in plantain production for the purpose of earning a

living that is sustainable. Graduate as defined by Hornby (2005) refers to a person

who has completed a course of study at any level of education.

Secondary School Graduates in the view of Elizabeth (2008) are individuals

that have completed their Secondary School Education and have been declared

passed in required subjects. Okafor, Okere and Oketoobo (2010) stated that

Secondary School Graduates are individuals who have passed through the two levels

of Secondary Education with some basic skills in certain areas of human endeavours.

In the context of this study, Secondary School Graduates are youths that have

completed a three years Senior Secondary School Education in arts or sciences with

5

rudimentary competency in plantain production but are neither employed in any job

for a sustainable living nor are admitted into a tertiary institution for higher studies.

In respect to this study, Secondary School Graduates have a fair knowledge in

Agricultural Science but are not gainfully employed. In other words they are jobless.

These graduates have rudimentary knowledge in plantain production in the

Secondary School level before graduating but refused to implement this knowledge

acquired rather they migrate to urban centres in search of other unrelated white

color jobs, they are used as political assistant and pose as society nuisances.

In Cross River State, plantain is a delicacy, yet it has not reach the enterprise

level due to lack of manpower into its production. Therefore the State Government

intended to create job for the idle Secondary School Graduates in plantain enterprise

and directed that schools should make the study of plantain compulsory in

Agricultural Science curriculum in the State. This is in line with the provision of the

National Curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools in Ibrahim (2007) which stated

that any student offering Agricultural Science should study how to grow two crops

relevant to his environment. Therefore plantain production is a favoured crop and

relevant to the environment of many communities in Cross River State as a result of

the type of weather, rainfall and soil requirement. Olaitan and Mama(2001) stated

that many students record success in external examination in Agricultural Science by

studying the subject theoretically but without the technical know-how.

Secondary School Graduate possesses rudimentary knowledge in plantain

production but it is not enough to go into plantain enterprise such as becoming a

plantain nursery farmer, plantain plantation manager, plantain processor/marketer. A

6

plantain nursery farmer in the context of this study refers to an individual that

specializes in the propagation of plantain suckers, nurturing them in other to

maximize profit. When the nurseries are matured, they are planted in the field,

where they are to be managed and maintained by a plantation manager. In the

context of this study, plantation manager refers to an individual that posses skill in

coordinating, directing and harmonizing human and material resources in a

plantation through a set of management functions in order to accomplish a set goal

of harvesting healthy bunches. These healthy bunches are processed by a processor.

In the view of Dazie and Orchard (1997), a processor is one who transforms

harvested crops into different food edible by man. In this study plantain processor

refers to someone who transforms harvested plantain into different edible products

by man and animals and markets them to make profit. Secondary School Graduates

do not posses such competency therefore they needed improvement for employment

opportunities in plantain production enterprises.

Improvement in the view of Zae, Cale, Aaron, Tom (2006) is the act of

introducing new ideas or innovation into a body for resultant change in behaviour

and attitude. Olaitan, Alaribe and Ellah (2010) viewed improvement as the process of

helping instructors in School of Agriculture in the area of study to acquire a high

proficiency level, knowledge, skills and attitudes. In this study improvement refers to

the process of helping Secondary School Graduates acquire knowledge, skill and right

attitude needed for high proficiency level in plantain production. Needs in the view of

Hornby (2001) are usually things required by an individual in order to live in a

comfortable way or achieve what he or she wants. Odunkwe in Onuka (2003)

7

explained that in the needs theory of McClelland, needs are learned through coping

relevant behaviour, which tends to recur more often.

Therefore in the context of this study, improvement needs refers to the

process of introducing profitable skills into Secondary School Graduates in order to

enhance their already known knowledge in plantain production so as to gain

employment for a sustainable life. In this study the researcher observed that

Secondary School Graduates do not engage themselves in plantain production on

their own rather they prefer to be political assistants, roam about the streets and

constituting nuisance to the society. In order to identify the improvement needs of

Secondary School Graduates in plantain production, the level of skill, they possessed

must be known through assessment.

Assessment in the view of Angelo and Cross (1993) is the process of gathering

and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop

deep understanding of what students know, understand and can do with their

knowledge as a result of their experiences. Palomba and Banta (1999) stated that

assessment is a systematic collection of review and use of information about

programmes undertaken for the purpose of improving learning and development. In

this study, assessment refers to the process of gathering information in order to

determine the worth and performance of Secondary School Graduates in plantain

production.

Performance as define by Quick in Olaitan, Lawal and Onipede (2010) is the

process of carrying out a piece of work. Hornby (2005) stated that performance

refers to how well or badly an individual carries out an activity. Performance in this

8

study refers to how well the Secondary School Graduate carries out the activities

involved in plantain production enterprise.

The activities involved in plantain production are taught theoretically by

Teachers of Agriculture in Secondary Schools. Ifeanyi Eze and Ukonze (2007) stated

that Secondary School Teachers do not teach basic competency in Secondary School

Agriculture. They concentrate their teachings more on theory as the curriculum does

not make provision for it. What the Secondary School Graduate possess after school

about plantain is only introductory aspect like origin of plantain, types, soil

requirement and uses. For success in plantain production, Secondary School

Graduates are expected to posseses all skills needed in plantain production such as

skills in nursery, plantation management, plantain processing and marketing. These

differences bridge the gaps that exist in this study. Therefore, there is need to

identified required improvement needs by Secondary School Graduates for improving

their performance in plantain production to be introduced and taught in schools and

also be integrated into skill acquisition centre in Cross River State.

Statement of the Problem

In Cross River State, plantain is produced by farmers who are mostly peasant

in nature. Majority of the farmers produced the crop through intercrop. This method

of production of the crop results to low yield because when the main crop is

harvested, the plantain which is an intercrop is abandoned in the bush at the mercy

of wild animals and wild fire resulting from bush burning. This action further reduces

the yield of the crop. Despite its delicacy, medicinal function and steady flow of

9

income, plantain production in the State is still low due to lack of man power; yet

many unemployed Secondary Schools Graduates roam the streets looking for white

color jobs. When they failed to secure jobs, they resulted into unacceptable

behaviours and activities for survival. These activities include prostituting, drug

addiction, stealing and to some extent kidnapping. These unemployed Secondary

School Graduates could be helped to live a more meaningful and acceptable life

through skill development in plantain production enterprises and help to increase the

low level of plantain production by farmers.

Cross River State Government is interested in the expansion of plantain

production to meet human needs and create employment opportunities for idle

youths, therefore makes concerted efforts to help farmers to improve their holdings

by making resources available and providing Extension Services to the farmers

through the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADP) in the State. The

Government also extended to farmers micro finance facilities to increase their capital

investment in agricultural production but most of the farmers favoured investing

more in crops like yam, rice, oil palm, cassava and groundnut which to the farmers

require more independent effort at the expense of plantain that are grown as

intercrop like melon. Farmers do not view plantain production as a sole crop

plantation enterprise like cassava, groundnut, oil palm and rice.

The investment practices of these farmers appeared not to favour large scale

plantain production. Therefore, a search for alternative to improve plantain

production in the State becomes necessary hence the Government considered

involving Secondary School Graduates that flock the streets of cities and towns idling

10

about doing nothing in order to create job opportunities. The Government then

directed Skill Acquisition Centres to accommodate the training of interested

Secondary School Graduates in plantain production enterprise since they had acquire

some rudimentary knowledge in crop production including plantain while in

Secondary Schools.

A visit by the researcher to some of the Skill Acquisition Centres in the

plantain production areas of the State such as Ikom, Akamkpa, Biase, Obudu and

Boki Local Government Areas revealed that the Centres had no training programmes

in plantain production that would help retrain Secondary School Graduates in the

step by step skills in plantain production. Therefore the researcher became interested

to identify the competencies in plantain production enterprise that could be used in

Skill Acquisition Centres to improve the competencies of Secondary School Graduates

and other interested individuals in plantain production enterprises for employment.

The researcher is interested in identifying the skills required in each plantain

enterprise and also to determine the retraining needs of unemployed Secondary

School Graduates who are interested in any of the plantain production enterprises.

This led the researcher to identify through a pilot study unemployed

Secondary School Graduates with rudimentary knowledge in plantain production who

are interested in each of the plantain production enterprises. The pilot study covered

areas that are noted for plantain production in Cross River state. Some of these

areas are Ikom, Akamkpa, Biase, Obudu, Ogoja and Boki Local Government Areas. A

paid radio announcement through the State Radio Corperation was made requesting

those interested in plantain production to report for documentation at the

11

headquarters of their Local Government Areas. The Supervisory Councilor of

Agriculture for each Local Government Areas was requested to assist in the

documentation. The following results were obtain: nursery enterprise-----82, plantain

plantation management enterprise----163 and processing and marketing enterprise---

120 (see Appendix I).The researcher considered this number reasonable for training

at the skill acquisition centre after their participation in the study.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study was to identify competency- improvement

needs of Secondary School Graduates for employment in plantain production

enterprise in Cross River State Nigeria. Specifically the study sought to:

1. Identify competency needed by Secondary School Graduates for

employment in plantain nursery, plantation, processing and marketing in

plantain production;

2. Identify competency in plantain nursery where Secondary School Graduates

requires improvement for employment;

3. Identify competency in plantain plantation management where Secondary

School Graduates require improvement for employment; and

4. Identify competency in plantain processing and marketing where Secondary

School Graduates required improvement for employment.

Significance of the Study

The findings from this study would be of benefit to the following: Secondary

School Graduates, Teachers of Agricultural Science, Government of Cross River State,

12

Plantain Planters and Marketers Association, Administrators of Skills Acquisition

Centers.

The study would provide information to Secondary School Graduates on

competency needed for employment in plantain production enterprise and areas

where they require improvement. They could use this information to select any of

the enterprises in plantain production and also seek for opportunities in Skill

Acquisition Centres, for retraining for competency in plantain production enterprises.

The study would provide information to Teachers of Agricultural Science on

the competency needed by Secondary School Graduates for employment in plantain

production enterprise. The Teacher of Agriculture through the findings of the study

could use the information in plantain production if packaged into the curriculum for

training of youth in and outside the school community.

The study would provide information to the Government of Cross River State

on competency needed in plantain production. The Government could request the

curriculum planners to package the identified competency into production

programme for training of Secondary School Graduates in plantain production

enterprise at the skill acquisition centres.

The study would provide information to Plantain Farmers and Marketers on

competency needed by Secondary School Graduates for employment in plantain

production. This result could be used by plantain farmers and marketers as an aid to

employ Secondary School Graduates into the various enterprises as workers.

The study would provide the Administrators of Skill Acquisition Centres with

information on competency needed in plantain production by Secondary School

13

Graduates. These Centres could use this information on competency to develop

programmes for training and retraining of unemployed youths in plantain sucker

multiplication, establishing and maintenance of plantation and processing and

marketing of plantain and its products. They could also use the information to

identify the needed facilities for training youths in plantain production enterprise.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

(1) What are the competencies required by Secondary School Graduates in

plantain nursery, plantain plantation management, plantain processing/

marketing enterprise? ;

(2) What are the competencies in plantain nursery enterprise where Secondary

School Graduates require improvement for employment? ;

(3) What are the competencies in plantain plantation management where

Secondary School Graduates require improvement for employment? ; and

(4) What are the competencies in plantain processing/ marketing enterprise

where Secondary School Graduates require improvement for employment?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated and tested at p< 0.05 level of

significance.

(1) There is no significance difference in the mean rating of the responses of

Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Nursery Farmers and Secondary

14

School Graduates on competencies needed by secondary school graduates for

employment in nursery enterprises.

(2) There is no significance difference in the mean ratings of the responses of

Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Plantation Management Farmers and

Secondary School Graduates on competencies needed by secondary school

graduates for employment in plantain plantation management enterprises.

(3) There is no significance difference in the mean ratings of the responses of

Teachers of Agricultural Science, Secondary School Graduates and Plantain

Processors and Marketers on competencies needed by secondary school

graduates for employment in plantain processing and marketing enterprises.

The Scope of the Study

The study was restricted to the identification of competencies required by

Secondary School Graduates for improvement in order to function effectively for

employment in plantain production enterprises in Cross River State. The enterprises

in plantain production include: plantain nursery practice, plantain plantation

management, and plantain processing and marketing.

The study was restricted to collection of information on plantain production

enterprises to the use of questionnaire from Agricultural Science Teachers,

Secondary School Graduates and Registered Plantain Farmers in Cross River State.

15

CHAPTER TWO

THE REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The review of related literature is arranged under the following headings:

Conceptual Framework of the Study

Theoretical Framework of the Study

Literature Review on:

A. Plantain Nursery Practice Enterprise

B. Plantain Plantation Management Enterprise

C. Plantain Processing and Marketing Enterprise

Related Empirical Studies and

Summary of Related Literature Reviewed

Conceptual Framework of the Study

Conceptually, literature was reviewed on the following: (a) Competency Based

Approach; (b) Job Analysis Approach; (c) Task Analysis Approach; (d) Occupational

Area Approach; (e) Modular Approach

A conceptual framework as defined by Eboh (2007) is a schematic description

and illustration of the causative mechanisms and relationship deducible from the

research problems. The author explained that the researcher uses conceptual

framework to express a relationship or set of relationships including cause effect

scenarios. With reference to this study, conceptual framework refers to the terms

that explain the relationship that exist in plantain production enterprise. The schema

below described the following: plantain production; enterprises; nursery enterprise;

plantation establishment and management; processing/ marketing; competency,

16

employment, secondary school graduates and improvement. Plantain production

refers to the cultivation of a herbaceous perennial plant that produces edible fingers

in a form of a bunch, cultivated to create wealth for a sustainable livelihood through

the application of human effort in managing activities like plantain nursery practice,

plantain plantation establishment and management and plantain processing and

marketing as shown in the schema. Each of these constitutes an enterprise.

An enterprise in the schema is a business outfit that involves new ventures

and initiative activities, systematically carried out that require competencies for

success in plantain production. Competency in the context of this study refers to the

acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitude by an individual to perform successfully

in plantain production. These competencies required for success in the plantain

production enterprise are identified through competency based analysis, job analysis,

task analysis, modular approach and occupational area approaches through any of

the following: job analysis, task analysis, modular analysis, etc.

If one possesses the required competencies in plantain production, one can

gain employment in any plantain production enterprise. Employment in the context

of this study is the act of engaging secondary school graduate in plantain production

enterprise for self or paid work for the purpose of earning a living that is sustainable.

Secondary school graduates in the context of this study refer to youth that have

completed a six-year course in Agricultural Science and are neither employed nor

admitted in any tertiary institution. Many secondary school graduates are not

employed in plantain production because they possess inadequate competency

therefore they needed to be assessed to determine what they have and what they

need. Need assessment in the context of this study is the process of gathering

information in order to determine the worth and performance of secondary school

17

graduates in plantain production. These information that determine the need and

performance of secondary school graduates create a need gap that require retraining

for improvement. Therefore improvement in the context of this study refers to the

processes of introducing profitable skills into secondary school graduates in order to

enhance their already known knowledge in plantain production so as to gain

employment for a sustainable life in plantain production. This makes them self-

reliance and reduces antisocial activities and youth restiveness thereby making the

society to experience peace, national development and sustainable economic growth.

18

Plantain Production

Enterprise

Nursery Enterprise

- Sucker Identification

- Sucker Multification

- Harvest of suckers from

explants into shade for

nursery

- Care for the explant

Plantation Establishment

and Management

- Site selection

- Planting operation

- Irrigation

- Fertilizer application

- Weed control

- Probing

- Harvesting

Processing and Marketing

- Processing of plantain

into chips


into flour


into pudding


into dodo


into wine

- Marketing of plantain

products

Ski

lls in

Skills in

Skills in

Job A

naly

sis

Task

Analy

sis

Occ

upational

Analy

sis

Modula

r

Appro

ach

Com

pete

ncy

Base

Analy

sis

Com

pete

ncy

Employment

Secondary School

Graduates

Improvement

Need Assessment

Need Gap

Schema of Plantain Production Enterprise

Fig. 1: Schema on Plantain Production Enterprise

19

Competency Based Approach

In the view of Jaafari (2007) competency based approach is a research

supported approach based on the primary goal of defining the critical behaviours in

knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for effective individual and organizational

performance. The author further explained that competency based approach is a set

of related behaviours that impact job performance, measured against established

standards and can be improved through training and development. According to

Hamilton in Olaitan (2003) competency based approach is described as behaviours,

skills, attitudes which are required for the successful performance of a task to be

identified and then design instructions to produce the skills.

In the opinion of Ogwo (2002) competency based approach is characterized

by clearly stated attainable and measurable objectives followed by identified

knowledge and skills that learners have to master within a given time frame. The

author stated further that the approach is performance-oriented and it emphasizes

the demonstration of skills on the job. In the view of Hoge, Tondora and Marrelli

(2005) competency based approach is an organizing framework that lists knowledge,

skills, attitude and judgment required for effective performance of a specific job, job

family (i.e. group of related job), organization, function or processes.

Competency based approach in the view of Olaitan and Ali (1997) is important

in that: It helps in training teachers to arrange their learning experiences of training

packages better, helps teachers to decide how best to carry out their job, enables

teachers and learners to readily assess their performance against the set objectives

and assessment and certification are easy and objective.

According to Olaitan, Nwachukwu, Onyemachi, Igbo and Ekong (1999) the

importance of competency based approach include: helping teachers to make

20

decisions relative to what to teach, when to teach it and how much time to spend on

it, helping teachers to organize knowledge and skill for each task into a hierarchy and

it assures educators that what they are providing about vocational education is

appropriate.

Hayton and Kelley (2006) outlined the importance of competency based

approach as follows: being superior to other approaches such as job analysis

method, task analysis and behaviour analysis because task analysis is highly specific,

behaviour analysis is moderately specific while competency approach is least specific

and facilitate a broad application of the same model throughout the organization,

generate success profiles for jobs, the breadth and flexibility built into competency

based approaches are consistent with the need for strategic flexibility, task variety

and autonomy that result from designing work around competencies, provides

support for more enriched and satisfying work and increases the likelihood of

intrinsic motivation, it reduces interesting leap from individual difference to job

performance, provides direct bases for identification of behaviour to be observed (i.e.

competent innovators will demonstrate examples of innovative activity) and it is used

to directly derive behavioral based performance appraisal mechanism, which is

expected to be more valid, reliable and acceptable to raters and ratees.

In conducting competency based approach, some steps are involved. Hoge et

al (2005) outlined the following steps in competency based approach: clearly and

specifically define objectives: In defining objective four essential questions are to be

answered and these are - why is there a need to develop a competency approach;

what is the unit of analysis; what is the relevant time frame and how will the

competency approach be applied, Obtain the support of a sponsor (i.e. one who will

provide information, resources and authority required to ensure success. Develop

and implement a communication and education plan, A key success is to convince

those who will participate or be affected of its value, Plan the methodology: This

21

involves selecting the sample of individuals who will contribute data for the project,

as well as the methods to be used to obtain data, Identify the competencies and

create the competency model: This involves three interrelated tasks – content of the

job is defined, competency identification and assembling of the competency model

which provide information used to identify the specific competencies required for

effective performance, Apply the competency model: The worth of competency

model lies in its application. The value is maximized if it is applied in all aspects of

human resources, Evaluate and update the competency model: After development

and application, it is important to evaluate both the competency model development

process and the value of the resulting approach to the organization.

In the view of Olaitan (2003) competency based approach involves the

following steps: Identification of all tasks to be learnt, Identification of knowledge,

skills, and attitude required in order to carry out a particular function effectively and

using the identified knowledge, skills and attitude as a basis for teaching and

learning, Arrangement of tasks or jobs in appropriate courses; Organization of

knowledge and skill for each job into a hierarchy and Determination of what one

needs to know for mastery of each knowledge or skills.

Claudia, Mitaela and Lucian (2009) enumerated steps in competency based

approach to include: Compiling a detailed description of the tasks that makes the

job, Observe incumbent people performing the jobs, Conduct the interview with

people who are currently doing the job, Facilitate meetings with job content experts

and Facilitate meetings with people in the organization who are visionaries, i.e.

people who really know the jobs, the organization and most importantly the features

of the jobs and the organization.

Competency based approach in this study involves the processes of identifying

the knowledge, skills, abilities and motivation necessary to perform a task in plantain

production enterprise, successfully. Competency based approach delves more on

22

knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for job performance. It is of benefit in

identifying competencies needed by secondary school graduates for employment in

plantain production enterprise. Therefore competency based approach will be used

alongside with other approaches to package programmes in the study.

Job Analysis Approach

Job analysis in the view of Osuala (1999) is described as the detailed listing of

duties, operations and skills necessary to perform a clearly defined job. The author

further explained that such operations and skills necessary are organized into a

logical sequence which may be used for teaching, employment or classification

purposes. In the opinion of Charles Allen in Olaitan (2003) job analysis is a statement

of all facts concerning a job which reveal its content and the modifying factors which

surround it. The author explained that job analysis is an attempt of listing all the

skills, knowledge and attitudes the learner must be taught if he is to learn the

complete trade.

According to Hernandez (2002) job analysis is a process of identifying and

determining in detail the particular job duties and requirements and the relative

importance of those duties for a given job. The author further stated that job

analysis is a detailed description of the physical and other demands of a job or job

goal based on direct observation of the job, other things and it describes what the

worker does in terms of activities, functions and the workers characteristics (skills,

knowledge, abilities and adaptabilities) needed to accomplish the task involved.

23

The importance of job analysis are enormous. Olaitan et al (1999) listed the

importance of job analysis to include: establishing a priority for selection and

placement on the job, estimates criteria of job success, estimates traits which

differentiate success on the job from the success on the others and furnishing of

preliminary estimation of the traits which may be evaluated in selecting persons for

the job.

According to Sidney, Cronshaw and Steven (2009) importance of job analysis

are: helping to hire the right quality of workforce into the organization, bringing the

right requirements of a job and the work performed, serves as basis for improvement

in definition of job domain, describing a job, promotion criteria, training needs

assessment and compensation plans. In the area of human resource, job analysis is

often used to gather information for use in personnel selection, training, classification

and of compensation. The field of vocational rehabilitation uses job analysis to

determine the physical requirements of a job to determine whether an individual who

has suffered some diminished capacity is capable of performing the job with or

without some accommodation. Certificate examination bodies use job analysis to

determine the elements of the domain which must be sampled in order to create a

content valid exam. Job analysis is used to answer questions such as: (i) Why does

the job exist?; (ii) What physical and mental activities does the worker undertake?;

(iii) When is the job to be performed?; (iv) Where is the job to be performed?; (v)

How does the worker do the job?; (vi) What qualifications are needed to perform the

job?; (vii) What are the working conditions?; (viii) What machinery or equipment is

used in the job?; and (ix) What constitutes successful performance? Job analysis is

24

used as a technique for reducing job overload and this helps one to resolve structural

problems within jobs, work more effectively with ones boss, improve the way one

teams function and become more assertive so that other people will respect ones

right not to take on an excessive workload.

In conducting job analysis, the following steps may be adopted. Olaitan et al

(1999) outline the steps as: Identify the success on the job, the traits that will

predict the criteria for success and identify what a worker does.

According to Biddle (2009) steps involved in conducting job analysis are:

Assemble and train panel: A panel of qualified job experts should be selected using

this laid down criteria: Collectively represent the demographic of the employee

population; Be experienced and active in the position they represent (i.e. job experts

should not be on probability status or temporarily assigned to the position;

Representative of the various functional areas and 10-20% supervisors for a given

position should be included. Write job duties: Job duties typically start with action

words (analyzes, coordinate, evaluate etc), Consolidate duties into a master duty list:

have job experts independently identify job duties. This will allow for multiple,

independent opinions which will produce 2-3 times the number of duties, Write

physical requirements, tools and equipment, other requirements and standards: In

order to ease understanding of your job, experts have their list the knowledge, skills

and abilities that are needed to accomplish each duty, Consolidate physical

requirement, tools and equipment, other requirements and standards into master

list: Personal characteristics must be operationally defined, Provide ratings for duties

and physical requirements, Have two supervisors review the completed job analysis

25

and assign supervision ratings and Prepare final job analysis document, including

descriptive statistics for ratings.

Sidney et al (2009) numerated steps in job analysis as follows: Review formal

job documentation, understand the organization’s strategy and culture, Find out who

the top achievers are and understand why they are successful, Check that you have

the people and resources to do the job, Confirm priorities with your boss and take

action.

Job analysis in the context of this study is a process of itemizing all operations

in plantain production enterprise with the aim of identifying a suitable and

sustainable enterprise for employment. Job analysis approach focuses on skills,

identification and listing of operations. Since this study seeks identifying

competencies needed for improvement for employment, job analysis may also be

integrated with other approaches in the study.

Task Analysis Approach

Task in the view of Vander Veer and van Welie (2000) task analysis is defined

as an activity performed by agents to reach a certain goal. The authors further

stated that task changes something in the task world and requires some period of

time to complete. In the opinion of Olaitan et al (1999) task analysis is the

identification of classes of learning behaviour expected to be performed by an

individual. The authors explained that task analysis is concerned with the process of

breaking work into smaller components.

26

According to Osuala (1999) task analysis is the procedure of breaking down

job activities to determine the teachable content in terms of operations, tools,

processes and technical information to be organized into course of study and

arranged in a sequence of difficulty. Wheeler in Olaitan and Ali (1997) explained that

task analysis is a logically related set of actions needed for the completion of work

objective. Watkins (2007) stated that task analysis refers to the study of what a user

is required to do, in terms of action or cognitive processes, to achieve a task

objective. The author explain that task analysis provides structure for the description

of tasks or activities, which makes it easier to describe how activities fit together and

to explore what the implications of this may be for the design of products.

Task analysis is important in the following ways. According to Clark in Onuka

(2003) task analysis is useful in: Designing instructional strategy to be adopted in

training workers; selecting valid curriculum content for training programme and

evaluating the performance of employee.

In the view of Olaitan et al (1999) task analysis is important in the several

ways: provides basis for collecting interrelated information about work in order to

allocate priorities; helps to make decisions about structuring a leadership

environment; makes content selection process in any work valid; helps in specifying

instructional objectives; useful in the designing of instructional activities; helps in the

determination of teaching strategy and useful in evaluating performances.

In the opinion of Watkins (2007) the importance of task analysis includes:

studying how users use existing products and how it will assist in the process of

understanding the difficulties they face in using existing products and improvements

27

that might be needed, used in a predictive fashion to represent how users may

operate products that are developed, assist in the development of training manuals

for products and It can also be used in the development of evaluation plan.

The following steps are involved in task analysis. In the view of Matteson in

Olaitan (2003) the steps are: Break an occupation into various tasks, e.g. sawing a

metal bar, bending of sheet metal etc, Break that task into specific learning activities

e.g. measuring, marking out etc, Validate the activities through a review of job

functions to be performed. Identify materials and methods for performing each

activity e.g. steel rule, scriber, hacksaw etc and implementing the activities.

In the report of World Health Organization (WHO) (2005) Training Courses,

the following steps were identified: Define the target population for training. This

group is the learners for whom the training is intended. It is important to define this

group in order to design the training that is appropriate, Listing the tasks to be

performed by the target population on the job, List the skills and knowledge needed

to do the tasks and Selecting the skills and knowledge to be taught. Experts use a list

of criteria to decide which skills and knowledge to be included in the training.

In the opinion of Watkins (2007) the following are steps in conducting task

analysis: Understanding the activities to be represented, Task elicitation: information

on activities considered as central relevance to development should be focused and

elicited through interview, Task representation (i.e. clarifying notes, making diagrams

or tables). Show notes to user: this is to ensure that the representations are correct.

It is advisable to go through the preliminary description with the users and Input to

28

the design; the task analysis diagram can be used directly in discussions about the

system being considered.

In the context of this study, task analysis is the identification of new skills,

attitude and interest and harmonizing them into plantain production enterprise for

employment. Since task analysis involve the breaking down of activities into smaller

and usable form, its package will serve as a guide in this study in preparing

packaging activities for secondary school graduate in plantain production. Therefore,

task analysis will be utilized with other approaches in this study. Task analysis is

relevant as competency identified by the study could be arranged into different

tasks.

Modular Approach

Module in the view of Olaitan (2003) is a unit of standard of measurement.

The author explained that module is a segment of an instructional programme, which

serves as a basis for day to day planning. Olaitan and Ali (1997) define modular

approach as a unit of curriculum based on the development of entry level

competencies of student.

According to Tasbulatova (2000) modular approach is a training reform

method that will sufficiently equip the trainee with skills for employment and that it is

for immediate goal attainment and involves short training period. He further stated

that it requires a detailed assessment procedure and certification compared to what

is needed in a more traditional system of training in order to ensure quality control.

Modular approach in the opinion of Oristian (2007) is an organized packet of

29

information that includes elements such as objectives, assessment content,

assignment or activities. She stated further that typical learning modules are

designed to enable students move through the content linearly.

Modular approach is important in the following ways. According to

Tasbulatova (2000) the importance includes: Achievement of immediate goal,

promote the individualization of training, strengthen the ability of the learner to work

independently and promoting active participation of teachers and learners within the

training processes.

In the view of Olaitan et al (1999) the importance of modular approach

includes: Provision of immediate goal attained when a learner is aware of the skills to

be learnt and under a condition he or she operates, incorporation of new knowledge,

practices and improvement in occupation and provision of students with diverse

ability level in occupation, hence, at least every student will be able to develop a

minimum entry in one occupation.

In the view of Morxano (1998) the following steps are involved in developing

a module: Define the target population for training; List the task to be performed by

the target population on the job; the skills and knowledge needed to do the task,

Select the skills as well as knowledge to be taught; Organize the selected skills and

knowledge into suitable learning units and develop the training design, including brief

outline of module content and planned training methods; Draft expanded outlines of

modules including instructional objectives, main body of text and description of

training method; provide realistic examples and information used in the exercise,

30

Drafting the completed modules and course directory guideline; and Revise and

finalize training material based on the field test.

Brophy (2000) identified the following as steps necessary for developing

modular approach: Identification of the major concepts to be explored in the

course,and establishing a learning objective from taxonomy categories. In this step

the lists of concepts are transformed into actions that student can perform to

demonstrate their level of understanding expected by the instruction, Prioritizing the

content: the goal of this step is to identify how critical this content is towards

achieving the major learning outcome for the course, and Designing challenges for

instruction: this should not be abstract to enable students notice the connection

between ideas.

According to Olaitan and Ekong (2002) the development of modular approach

involves the following steps: Moving to industries to source information about a

particular occupation with respect to the skills, procedure and other relevant

information required for the performance of tasks in the occupation, Writing the step

by step procedure for carrying out the skill activities, and Using experts in the

occupation to validate the information.

The authors further stated that alternatively the steps listed below could be

used to develop the module: Locating sources of information about the skill or task;

which may include textbooks, magazine and other relevant literature, selecting

relevant information from these sources; Describing the items obtained from the

sources using appropriate skill notations, that is words that indicate observation of

31

the performance of the action. Arranging the described skill in sequence of

chronological order of importance; and Dividing the arranged skills into modules.

In the context of this study, modular approach is relevant as different tasks to be

performed in plantain production enterprise would be arranged in module for training

secondary school graduates for work. It will therefore be utilized with other

approaches in this study for packaging activities for secondary school graduates in

plantain production enterprise.

Occupational Area Approach

Occupation is defined by Olaitan and Ali (1997) as a number of related jobs

that an individual does to earn a living. In the view of Baker (1996) occupational

area approach identifies competences which are common and to some extent are

necessary for initial employment in a number of related jobs and or occupation.

According to Thompson (1997) technical competencies in some occupational areas

overlap. This implies that a technical competency required for one occupation may

be relevant to the technical competencies in another occupation. In the opinion of

Bardes and Denton (2001) technical competencies are those skills that call for

proficiency in specific activity particularly those involving practical knowledge, skills,

methods, processes, procedure or techniques for their performance especially in

plantain enterprise.

Occupational area approach is important in the following ways. According to

Baker (1996) occupational area approach may be of great use in curriculum planning

of such occupations that involves levels of technical knowledge for efficiency of skills,

abilities and attitudes and understanding of the profession. In the view of Dumbiri

32

(2009) professionals such as planners, marketers, accountants, etc. in the different

occupations but with overlapping competencies may be trained on the same

enterprise skill models on planning, marketing, accounting etc. with slight variation

to suite their occupational area.

In the opinion of Michael and Andrea (1999) the importance of occupational

area approach includes: providing an overview of a sector and the common job roles

and key occupational areas found at all levels within it, identify any overlaps or gaps

in the coverage of existing occupation, and identify where amendment might be

necessary and helping to define occupational areas for which qualification might be

necessary.

In developing occupational area approach the following steps may be

adopted. In the report of Human Resource Partnerships Directorate (HRPD) (2000)

the following steps are applicable to occupational area approach: Planning the

process: In this process the following are involved: Identify human resource needs;

Determine the purpose for development; Identify the industry or committee

members in the process; Define the scope of the occupation or skills set and

Investigate appropriate methods of development, Select industry participants for the

occupational analysis. These participants must: Be current and experienced in their

occupation; Represent the full range of activities and specialties being considered; Be

individuals with knowledge and skill in advanced technologies and Represent small

medium and large enterprise , Conducting the occupational analysis: It takes the

following formats: Organize information in an approved structure and format;

Arrange for professionals to proofread and edit the information or document and

33

Establish approved training program, Delivering the training programme: this is

delivered through: Training of industrial trainers; Educational institutions; Distance

learning and Self-study; and Assessment and certification of individuals. This is done

through: Determining who will assess individuals for certification; Determining the

potential for revenue generation from certification; Award certificate and maintain

registry of certified practitioners.

In the report of the Joint International Labour Organization (ILO) and World

Health Organization (WHO) (2003) the following are steps applicable to occupational

analysis: Plan and develop occupational programme that will be in line with the policy

of the occupation; Make consultation from professionals or experts that will advice

where necessary. Set up a training strategy such as: Induction training; Supervisor

and management training; On-the-job training; and Work procedures and skills

training, Conducting the training using experts on various areas of the occupation

and Evaluating your training program to monitor its effectiveness, by promoting,

maintaining and improving strategies for efficiency.

Occupational area approach in this study refers to the identification of

common competencies in plantain production enterprise that if mastered will

enhance production in another plantain enterprise. Since occupational area approach

helps to identify any overlaps or gaps in an occupation and also identify where

amendment might be necessary. As a result, occupational area approach will be used

along side with other approaches to develop programmes for secondary school

graduates for employment in plantain production enterprise.

34

Theoretical Framework of the Study

A theory in the opinion of Hornby (2001) is a set of well-reasoned ideas

intended to explain facts or events. In the view of Kerlinger in Obi (2003) a theory is

a set of interrelated concepts, definitions and propositions that represents a

systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among variables with the

purpose of explaining and predicting phenomena. In the opinion of Beachamp in

Olaitan (2003) a theory is defined as a set of related statements that are arranged so

as to give functional meaning to a set of series of events. The author further stated

that the set of related statement may take the form of descriptive or functional

definitions, hypothesis, generalizations, laws and theorems. The theoretical

framework of the study will be based on occupational theory and production theory.

Occupational Theory

Occupation in the opinion of Mbadiwe (1992) refers to a cluster of related jobs

which have core skills, knowledge and traits required by an employee to provide a

means of livelihood. According to Olaitan and Ali (1997) occupations involves a

number of related jobs that an individual does to earn a living. Occupation in this

study includes nursery production enterprise, plantain plantation management

enterprise, and plantain processing and marketing enterprise. In the view of Olaitan

in Akwaji (2006) there are some principles that give occupation its functional

principles. The author enumerated these principles to include: occupational skill

theory, occupational theory of value and occupational theory of body of knowledge.

35

In occupational skill element theory, Olaitan in Akwaji (2006) stated that an

occupation must have skills in which individuals could be trained to ensure

employment for a living. According to Osinem and Nworji (2005) skills is the ability to

perform an activity expertly. The authors further stated that skill is a well-established

habit of doing things and it involves the acquisition of capability through repetitive

performance of an operation. In the opinion of Ogwo and Oranu (2006) occupation

has job cluster and with specific skills elements within the occupation to prevent

unemployment among secondary school graduates. Based on this theory,

competency in plantain production will be identified for training of secondary school

graduates for employment.

In occupational theory of value, occupation must have values that attract

individual into it. Values in the views of Robinson (1999) refer to the quality of being

useful or desirable. Olaitan et al (1999) stated that values co-note benefits derived

from an activity. The authors explained that value is the determinant of attitudes as

well as behaviour on a work. The authors further stated that the value of an

occupation may be economic, social or prestige. Okorie (2000) stated that the value

of Vocational Education depends upon the ability of an individual to use his training

in gainful employment and that if he cannot secure or gain such employment in any

occupation; his training is evidently of no value either to his economic life or the

society.

In this study, the occupational theory of value has relevance as plantain

production is an occupation that has economic value and will guide the researcher to

identify all relevant skills and materials for training of students and those

36

occupational competencies and instructional facilities that will equip the secondary

school graduate for employment in plantain production enterprise.

Occupational theory of body of knowledge. Body of knowledge in the opinion

of Eneogwe (1996) refers to the content or subject matter to be studied, the syllabus

to be studied or of any achievement. According to Olaitan (2001) occupational theory

of body or knowledge must be relevant on condition that the knowledge to be

learned should be arranged logically during the course of training for the purpose of

mastery. The author further explained that occupation should have a level of

proficiency in training without which a professional certificate or recognition will be

guaranteed.

In the context of this study, the study will be based on identifying

competencies that will be arranged logically to meet what is obtained in an

occupation for employment of secondary school graduates in plantain production

enterprise.

Production Theory

Production in the opinion of Akande and Azike (2002) is the process of

creating wealth in form of goods and services when appropriate inputs are combined

to yield a given output. In the view of Ande (2005) production is defined as the

various economic activities aimed at the creation of goods and services and the

distribution of these goods and services to the final consumer for the satisfaction of

human wants. Hanson (1996) stated that production involves manipulation of

relevant inputs by man to achieve economic outputs. The author explained that

37

these inputs man manipulates are regarded as factors of production and listed them

to include: land, labour, capital and management or entrepreneur.

Land is a fixed asset and immovable factor of production. In the opinion of

Olukunmi (2007) land is a free gift of nature consisting of various natural resources

such as water, forest and mineral resources. Samuelson (1995) stated that land is a

naturally occurring resource such as soil and mineral deposit necessary for crop

production. The author explained that farmers cannot grow crops or raise animals

without land. According to Esseang and Olayide (1994) land aids production as it is

on land that firms and factories are built. Okorie (2000) stated that competency in

the cultivation of crops might include ability to: (i) select a suitable site for nursery

and plantation; (ii) select good planting materials that suit the land; and (iii) prepare

land to avoid flooding and erosion. In the context of this study, competency required

in acquiring land for plantain production will be identified and developed for

secondary school graduate for employment in plantain production.

Labour is a variable factor of production and essential in all units of farm

production. According to Fred, Pommerehne Schneider and Gilbert (2006) labour

refers to human effort applied to do work or complete a task. The authors further

stated that labour could be skilled or unskilled and both are essential in production.

In the view of kalu (2006) labour is rated very essential among other components of

farm production and is needed even in highly mechanized production firms because

human labour is used in operating machines and equipment to produce goods and

services. In the opinion of Olukunmi (2007) labour is the human effort of any kind

directed towards production, which could be physical or mental, skilled or unskilled,

38

scientific or artistic. The author further explained that labour is needed to sow, to

harvest, to manufacture, to build or to process goods as well as transport the goods.

Okorie (2000) stated that labour as input to crop production requires competency

such as ability to prepare land suitable for desired crop, carryout seed selection and

raise seedling in nursery.

In the context of this study, man makes use of labour to carryout activities

involved in plantain plantation enterprises. These activities will constitute the

competencies to be identified by this study in which secondary school graduate could

be developed, in order to generate efficient labour for economic benefit in plantain

production enterprise for employment.

Capital is a wealth set aside for the production of further wealth. According to

Essang and Olayide (1994) capital is man made factor of production consisting of

physical cash, buildings, machinery, semi finished goods, equipment and tools used

in production. In the view of Bruno (2003) capital resource warrants a serious

financial attention of farm managers such that if it is inadequate or absent in supply,

production becomes ineffective or impossible. Capital in the opinion of Olukunmi

(2007) is defined as man made resources which are produced to aid the production

of other goods and services. The author further stated that capital is any form of

wealth set aside for the production of further wealth.

Capital in the context of this study will be based on identifying competencies

for acquiring or sourcing of capital for supporting plantain production and the

efficient use of money, equipment and other inputs to perform the activities needed

to generate income and material in plantain production. Such competencies needed

39

to be maintained include ability to: Prepare profit and loss account in plantain

production enterprise; Keep records of all financial transactions and Carryout

maintenance of machines and tools.

Management or entrepreneur as a factor of production describes the person

who decides what goods to produce. Management in the opinion of Dick (2000) is a

determinant key to successful farm production business. The author considered

management in his production theory as a major source behind changing other input

resources such as land, labour and capital into possible output. According to

Richardson (2000) management or entrepreneur is a manipulating agent in farm

production system responsible for harnessing other human and material resources

towards profitable production. In the views of Ande (2005) management or

entrepreneur is a factor of production that involves coordination and organization of

other factors of production (land, labour and capital) in order to produce goods and

services. The author stated that management involves planning, organizing,

directing, coordinating and controlling functions in the production process in order to

make maximum output at minimum cost thereby making profit. The manager or

entrepreneur requires management competency to function effectively in plantain

production enterprise. Therefore in the context of this study it is necessary to identify

competencies required by a secondary school graduate for employment as managers

or entrepreneur in plantain production enterprise.

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Planning Activities for Plantain Enterprise

Planning is an essential factor for success in any enterprise. According to

Norman (2000) planning is a basic management function involving the formulation of

one or more detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs or demands with

available resources. In the view of Reisdafer, Koschewska and Saka (2000) planning

involves the establishment of objectives and determining what should be done and in

what ways these objectives will be achieved. The authors further stated that

planning consist in establishing before hand, actions which would be executed within

the scenarios and condition previously established, considering the resources which

would be used, and attributing responsibilities, to achieve the fixed objectives.

Olaitan (2005) stated that planning involves critical and logical thinking, creativity

and steadfastness towards achieving an objective.

In the opinion of Olaitan and Mama (2001) planning is a deliberate attempt by

the farmer to arrange and document farm activities in order before implementing

them. The authors stated that the farmland and its topography, the variety of crops

to grow, available resources and facilities and market demand for the crop to be

produced are to be included in his planning.

The importance of planning as stated by Barbara (2003) includes: Providing

the farmer opportunity to analyze alternative courses of action; planning forces

managers to shake off their inertia and insular outlook; minimizes the incidence of

impulsive and arbitrary decision and ad-hoc actions; provides the basis for other

management functions, and Planning tends to improve the ability of the enterprise

41

to effectively adapt and adjust its activities and directions in response to changes

taking place in the external environment.

Olaitan and Mama (2001) outlined the importance of planning in farming to

include: enables the manger adjust his effort to suit available technology to meet

market demands; helps the manager of the farm to make adjustment in his farming

effort based on available information; guides the manager on the effective way of

utilizing available meager resources for its activities such as land, labour and capital;

guides the manger on the type and amount of resources to allocate to his farm

activities such as the type and size of crops to grow; helps the manager to cope

with the problem of risk and uncertainties in agricultural production; and allows the

manger to maintain a sort of agricultural pattern suitable for farm operation.

Certain steps are relevant for a thorough planning. According to Olaitan and

Mama (2001) planning involves the following activities: Formulate specific objective

for the farm; Revise the objectives periodically; Draw up programme plan for the

farm; Decide on the farming and cropping system to adopt on the farm; Plan for the

procurement of farm inputs; Select soil conservation processes for application in the

farm; Specify the type of crop or animal to be produced, and Select appropriate

equipment for specific farm operation.

In the opinion of Yalokwu (2002) the following steps are identified in planning

for an enterprise: Identification of farming opportunities; Determination of goals,

mission and objectives; Formation of policy plan; Implementation of the plan;

Identification of alternative cause of action; Evaluation of the plan and reviewing the

plan with new planning activities.

42

In the view of Nkoli in Asogwa (2009) steps in planning for an enterprise are:

Choose a farm of sufficient size to support the objective of the farm; Fit in the

capabilities interest and knowledge of the farmer to the type of farm operations;

Draw programmes for the farm as long as possible; State the highest net income for

the farm as the goal rather than the low cost of production per unit or high

production per unit; Outline farming strategies around the existing special markets;

Base the cropping system on the type of soil; Use power and machinery that are

necessary to make the greatest net profit; Organize farm production that will make

efficient use of the labour force; Draw all farm operations to make the most efficient

use of the available money; Keep a complete set of farm records necessary to make

sound improvements and high profit from a farm; and study the farm properly and

allow enough space in the plan for changes. The view by the opinions of the authors

will help the researcher to develop questionnaire items in planning for plantain

production enterprise.

Plantain Nursery Enterprise

Nursery in the opinion of Almekinders and Louwaars (1999) is an area where

seeds are first grown and tended till the seedlings are strong or grown enough to be

planted out in their permanent beds or fields. The authors explained that

consideration is usually given to crops with small seeds and those with less viability

in nursery establishment. Omovunyi, Olue and Akerobo (1999) explained that

nursery plant refers to a young plant or seedling raised and cared for until when the

plant grows vigorously, healthy and ready to be sold or planted in the permanent

43

site. According to Hornby (2005) nursery is a place where young plant and trees are

grown for sale or for planting somewhere else.

Plantain in the view of Iwena (2008) is propagated vegetatively by suckers or

bits. The author explained that suckers are young plantain shoots growing from the

base of the mother tree; while bits are parts of large corm that have been divided

radially after the aerial parts have been removed. In the opinion of Philips and

Lordbanjon (1995) plantains are grown from seeds but vegetatively by suckers. The

authors explained that plantains unlike banana do not produce many suckers

because of intense apical dominance on the average, 4-10 suckers are produced in a

year. The authors identified different types of suckers which have different level of

suitability as planting materials.

(1) Peeper Suckers: These are small suckers just emerging from the ground or

the soil and having scale leaves. Elongation usually cease soon after

emergence above the soil as the sucker enters apparent dormancy.

(2) Early Sword Sucker: This is a sucker that has grown to almost 30-50cm above

the soil. It is covered with scale leaves and is sword like in shape.

(3) Late Sword Suckers: These are suckers which have elongated up to 1m with

readily discernible narrow sword like leaves often coiled with highly diminutive

short blades. They are the best conventional planting materials.

(4) Water Sucker: This is characterized by spindly pseudo stem carrying functional

leaves. It is usually produced near the soil surface by poorly growing plantain

mot.

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(5) Maiden Sucker: This is a large but non-fruiting Ratoon stand which has well

developed functional leaves i.e. young plantain plant with open leaves. At field

planting, the pseudostem is severed at about 30cm height and the corm

planted.

(6) Bits: These are split corm from non fruiting ratoons. The splitting is usually

done such that each piece bears a viable bud or eye.

(7) Butts: They are whole corms of fruited plantains usually split before planting.

Faturoti and Tenkouano (2006) stated that plantain is mainly propagated

through vegetative means using suckers. The authors identified the following types

of suckers for planting:

(1) Peepers: A young sucker bearing scale leaves.

(2) Sword Sucker: These have narrow leaves (any bud is capable of growing).

(3) Maiden Suckers: It has large foliage leaves.

(4) Water Sucker: It has broad leaves with narrow rhizome base.

Madhavarao (2010) stated that plantain is propagated vegetatively by means

of suckers or off-sets whole or bits of rhizomes of the parent plant or daughter

suckers with at least one sprouting bud. The author identified two types of suckers:

(1) Sword Suckers; these are suckers with well developed base and a pointed tip

with narrow sword shaped leaf blades in the early stage.

(2) Broad Leaved Sucker or Water Sucker: These are small, undersized suckers of

superficial origin bearing broad leaves.

The importance of nursery establishment to a farmer in the opinion of

Omoruyi et al (1999) are: It gives uniformity in growth of field crops; brings about

45

high yield as a result of good start from nursery; reduces pest and diseases as

proper care is given to crops during nursery.

According to Andrew (2006) the importance of nursery establishment include:

It is easy and convenient to manage seedlings under small area; provide favourable

climate to emerging plants for their better growth and development; cost of some

crops like hybrid vegetables ornamental plants, spices and some fruits are

economized through nursery; nursery production help in maintaining effective plant

stand in shortest possible time through gap filings; increases uniformity in crop

maturity and harvesting as compared to direct sown crops; and transplanting of

seedlings eliminates the need for thinning and provides a good opportunity for virus

free vigorous and off-season nursery.

Faturoti and Tenkouano (2006) observed that the usual process of sucker

removal and transplanting has been inadequate and encourages infection and spread

of nematode and weevils. Therefore to counteract these setbacks, the authors

identified rapid production of clean materials known as rapid sucker multiplication.

The authors outlined the steps involved in sucker multiplication to include:

Conditioning of an ex-plant obtained from a sucker (stem bit); Obtain sword sucker

from an actively growing plant (sword sucker best because epical dominance would

not have been initiated); Wash off soil and peel off the roots; Locate the level of

sucker attachment to the soil and then peel the suckers from top downward; Locate

the “V” junction of leaves sheath keeping your knives at 2mm above the point of the

visible bud. Leave sheath are remove in order to break dormancy. As long as the leaf

sheath is there, it would assume that the mother plant is there and would not grow.

46

Removing the sheath will expose it to sunlight and moisture for it to grow. Repeat

the above step, until 4-5 leave sheath depending on the variety that has been

removed; Reduce the pseudostem to 1-2cm; Keep under shade for 48 hours and

repeat step 7; After 48 hours reduce the pseudostem to 2mm to last leaf and while

do this, you are renewing your cut and watch the centre point; Cut through the

centre point after 2mm of pseudostem left on the ex-plant. Continue this act until the

knife is fully immersed make it in the other direction to make a cross. You have to

shock the ex-plant, keep 1-2 hours under shade before you plant in the moist fine

sawdust medium and cover it up to 2-3cm with sawdust; In 2-3 weeks the buds start

shooting out; then water daily and remove as soon as plantlets have 1 or 2 roots

then transfer to weaning or shade house. Care should be taken while removing cut

with some pieces to allow plantlets food reserve. The explants should then be

returned after plantlets removal. Harvesting of plantlets will continue till explants

deteriorate (2-3 months after introduction into the humidity chambers).Keep in a

shade house with light and 50% sunrays reduction to wean or harden them up for 4-

5 weeks before planting on the field, and finally Plant in rich sterilized topsoil mixture

ratio of topsoil, poultry manure and palm fibre or coffee.

In the view of Darren (2007) the steps involved in plantain sucker

multiplication include:

(1) Pup Selection: Plantain is propagated from rhizomes called pup. The ideal pup

is a sword sucker that has 5 to 40cm of stem or pseudostem. The larger the

pup’s corm, the greater the number of plantlets that pup is capable of

producing. When removing the pup from the mother plant dig around the pup

47

while being careful not to injure its corm. Sever the pup as close to the corm

of the mother plant; wash excess soil from the pup and remove any dead

dried leaves.

(2) Phase I Conditioning: under this step the following activities are carried out:

Using a sharp knife peel away 2-5mm of the corm cortex including the roots;

Do the peeling at the point where the outermost leaf sheath connects to the

corm; Dip the corms in a nematicide; Reduce the length of corm to 10cm; Do

not allow the pup to contact soil that is potentially infected with nematodes;

Identify the transition zone of the outermost sheath that is the point at which

the plantain leaf sheath connects the corm; Locate “V” form by the two edges

of the outermost leaf; Using a sharp knife and beginning at one edge of the

“V” make a cut around the circumference of the stem at a point 2mm above

the transition zone. Repeat the above step until it becomes difficult or

impossible to visualize the “V” formed leaf sheaths; reduce the height of the

pseudostem to 2cm and Place the pup in a location that receives filtered sun

and allow the pup to dry for 48 hours.

(3) Phase II Conditioning: Take up the pup that was air dried and begin to reduce

the height of the stem (i.e. 1 to 2mm or less); stop Cutting at a point where it

becomes slightly translucent; Locate the side from where it was growing from

the mother; Make a crosswise incision 3cm deep across the width of the pup;

Make another incision perpendicular to the first. At this point, try to damage

the growing tip. Damaging the apical meristem will break apical dominance

and will allow the lateral buds to push and form new plantlets. The

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conditioned pup is now called explants” and then Set the explant aside for 2-3

hours in the shade

(4) Placement of Ex-plant in the Germination Bed: After 2-3 hours place the

explant in a germination bed where it will have time and space for plantain

plantlets to develop; Cover the germination bed with clear plastic so as to

create a greenhouse effect and water the germination bed periodically to

maintain a constant level of moisture.

(5) Root and Plantlet Development: There will be new roots which will begin to

grow within 8-16 days; Intermodal buds start pushing and growth becomes

visible within 16-22 days and after 4-6 weeks plantlets will start growing.

(6) Excision, Reactivation: Between 6-8 weeks, carefully remove the entire

explant from the germination bed and gently wash or remove any substrate

that is attached; Plantlets with 2-5 leaves that are less than 1.5cm in diameter

at this base can be cut off from the explant with a sharp knife; The plantlet

should be cut out with a very small amount of the explant’s corm still attached

to it; remove plantlets with 2-5 leaves and reactivate all large plantlets;

return the explant back into the germination bed as before and water after 24

hours. You can continue the process of removing explant’s from the plantlets

and placing the explant back into the germination bed for 4-10 cycles.

Eventually, the energy stores of the explant will be depleted and it will stop

producing pups. At this point the explant will become noticeably soft and may

begin to rot.

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According to Philips and Lordbanjon (1995) the collection of suckers from

existing field may damage the roots of the mother plant and which may latter tip

over. The authors listed the following as steps for sucker multiplication:

(A) Split Corm Technique: The authors stated that corms of non-fruiting ratoons

that is corms of flowering, pre-flowering, maiden or even sword suckers could

be multiplicated with the following steps: Uproot the corm to be used ensuring

that it is not been damaged by nematode or the borer weevils; Cut the corm

into sets or bits of approximately 50g with or without eyes; Treat the cut bits

immediately with a solution of 1% Benomyl (Benlate) fungicide; Plant the bits

in a mixture of 1:1 mixture of forest topsoil and sawdust at a spacing of 15cm

x 15cm either in nursery beds or trays; Treat with appropriate dose of

carbofuran (Furadanran insecticide and nematicide) and Transplanting suckers

are produced within 8-12 weeks. The multiplication ration is about 1:20 using

a 7 kg flowering corm.

(B) Split bud technique: This is similar to the above mentioned method except

that here the corms are splited into about 4-6 or 8 portions depending on the

size. They are also treated with fungicide, air dried and planted in the same

medium as stated above. They should be examined fortnightly for sprouts and

these should be carefully excised and each splited into 4 parts and treated

exactly, like the corm bits/sets and planted. Using this method, upward of 500

suckers can be produced from corm within a period of 8 months.

(C) On-field forcing/decapitation method: The process involves establishing a

multiplication plot for the production of suckers at a higher density than the

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production field. After about 3-5 months planting, the plant should be cut back

near 50cm above the ground level to expose the growing tip/meristem/heart.

The meristem is destroyed by meshing it with a knife or cutlass to prevent re-

growth. Consolidate with earth to form a mound around the plant. The

suckers will promptly emerge through the mound. This process is known as

decapitation method.

(D) Tissue culture method: This method is beyond the reach of an ordinary

farmer. It requires scientific and technical manipulations. It is a means of

rapidly multiplying plantains that is disease free through culturing of the

actively growing part in an appropriate growing medium in vitro. It has a

multiplication ratio of 1:10,000 suckers within 9 months.

Rowe (2007) stated that suckers could be obtained from plantain plant in the

field without waiting for the pups to form naturally. The author outlines the

sequential stages to include: Identify the appropriate size the initial plants should be

before beginning the rapid multiplication; Remove three of the outer sheaves from

the trunk all the way to the base of the plant; Remove all leaves, double the trunk to

a shape of the number 7 and drive a thin flat stake which is 5cm wide all the way

through the centre of the trunk; Sprinkle a handful of fertilizer (urea or a complete

fertilizer) around the base of the trunk; Cover the fertilizer and base of the trunk with

about 7cm soil; Allow for two months. This is the complete process for inducing

multiple sucker development; All the suckers should be dug after sprouting and the

corms prepared by cutting the trunks off at about 5.1 x 7.6 cm above the corms.

Those Corms that are 10.1cm and larger in diameter can be planted directly in the

51

field, while corms can be allowed to grow 3-4 months in plastic bags before being

planted in the field.

In the report of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology

UNCST (2007) edible plantain do not produce seeds and therefore are clonally

propagated using a number of methods such as tissue culture, derived plantlets,

suckers and split corms sometimes called bits.

Swennen (1990) explained that for a good plantain establishment, sources

and selection of suckers are very important. The author stated that a new and most

promising planting material consist of in-vitro plants which are small suckers

produced from meristem culture. The author further stated that planting materials

can also be collected from an existing old field, and or a multiplication plot planted

only for the production of suckers.

According to Nelson, Ploetz and Kepler (2006) plantain is propagated

principally by vegetative division and for more rarely by seeds. The division by

rhizomes in plantain is referred to as sucker production and collection. The authors

explained that the sword suckers are preferred to water suckers. The authors

outlined the following steps in obtaining the suckers: Identify a sword sucker from a

healthy mother plantain; Provide extra light by trimming overhanging leaves; Fertilize

the suckers before removing them from the mother plant to enhance viability;

Suckers are removed from mother plant when they reach a minimum of 15cm in

diameter and 50cm in height; Remove the sucker from the mother with a sharp tool

and make sure you obtain an appreciable amount of corm with the sucker; Wash the

detached suckers and immersed the rhizomes in hot water (54˚C) or 10% bleach

52

solution; Trim the roots from the rhizomes; and from the suckers new roots sprout

readily; Suckers may be planted almost immediately or allowed to sit for few days

without loss of viability; and care should be taken not to transfer infested suckers

that contain nematodes or other plantain pathogen to a new field.

The information from the literature on nursery is useful to this study; as it will

guide the researcher in the identification of competencies in nursery production

enterprise for employment through the reviewed literature and opinion of the

authors cited above.

Plantain Plantation Establishment and Management

Plantain plantation establishment requires a large area of land. Plantation in

the view of Hornby (2001) is a large estate on which tea, cotton, sugar, tobacco and

other commercial crops are cultivated. Uko (2010) stated that such large plantations

are owned by Government Corporation and commercial farmers who required good

management techniques for profitable establishment and maintenance of their farm

estates. They can also be owned by individuals that possess the skills and other

material resource inputs. According to Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research report

in Uko (2010) a good management in plantation establishment takes several factors

into consideration so as to ensure the well being and yield of the plants in the field.

According to the report, factors such as accessibility to major road, terrain,

availability of water, rainfall of the locality and soil fertility are worthy of

consideration when planning for plantation establishment.

53

Plantation establishment as perceived by Aya and Lucas (1996) involves pre-

planting and planting activities.

Pre-Planting Activities

Pre-planting activities in the opinions of Onwere and Umoh (1995) refers to all

farming activities carried out before the actual planting of seeds or other planting

materials. Akinsami (1999) stated that pre-planting activities are farming operation

performed by the farmer before the actual planting of seeds is done. The author

enumerated the activities to include: bush clearing, burning, stumping, farm layout

and land preparation.

Pre-planting activities in the opinion of Aya and Lucas (1996) include activities

like: site selection, field survey mapping and land preparation.

In the views of Philips and Lordbanjon (1995) land with easy access and a

deep light soil which is rich in organic matter should be selected. The authors further

stated that land which is flat should be selected as it can be prepared using

machinery. In the opinion of Faturoti, Tenkouano and Lemchi (2006) plantain site

should have a high organic matter, nutrients and water supply. The authors

explained that the forest field is an ideal site for plantain establishment, due to the

following characteristics it should be:Hot and humid environment; should have an

average temperature of 25-30˚C; Average rainfall of 120-160mm per month and

well-drained soil rich in organic matter in long fallow or with lots of mulch.

In the report of IITA (1998) site selection takes into consideration the

following factors:

54

A Rainfall – plantain requires an evenly distributed rainfall ranging between 120

and 160mm per month. In selecting site, areas where dry season last longer than

three to four months should be avoided.

B Wind – plantain plant have weak rooting systems relative to the size of their

aerial parts and therefore stormy wind, can cause considerable damages. Areas

sheltered from winds are preferred or alternatively there should be provisions for

wind breaks.

C Light – sites with sunny condition are favorable for plantain, since a high

degree of sunlight is beneficial to growth and curtails the development of fungal

diseases.

D Soils – plantains require light, deep soil that will enhance root development

and penetration. Heavy soils with poor drainage or those which compact easily

should be avoided. Sandy loam and silt clay loam soils rich in organic matter are

ideal for good growth and development.

Land preparation: in the views of Udoh et al in Uko(2010) clearing, felling and

the trash should be packed or burnt to pave way for field layout and pegging are the

next steps to be adopted immediately site has been selected. Philips and Lordbanjon

(1995) views land preparation from the following perspective:

(1) Starting with forest: Land preparation under intensive cropping could start

from the forest. After the undergrowth has been cleared, the larger trees are

felled. The cleared forest residues is packed and heaped in the windrowed and

then burnt.

55

(2) Starting with bush: In areas of young forest re-growth, the vegetation should

be slashed and windrowed in order to clear areas where the soil can be

mechanically prepared.

(3) Starting with fallow land: The land should be cleared, ploughed and disc

harrowed one or two times. Sub-soiling may be considered in a poorly drained

soil.

The authors further stated that with the forest, three options may be adopted:

Leave the vegetation in situ and clear only the areas needed for the planting holes;

Cut swathes, clear strips of land for planting other crops then plantain can be grown

perfectly on the windrows; Burn down all vegetation that has been cut down this has

the advantages of: Satisfactory clearing of land; Restricting the numbers of weeds;

Accelerating the uptake of the existing minerals; Rapidly destroying not only the

vegetable matters but also the surface humus contained in the soil and causing the

ashes to disappear rapidly owing to leaching effect of rain water.

In the report of International Network for the Improvement of Banana and

Plantain INIBAP (2003) land under forest should be cut and windrowed. Burning

should be done on the windrows. The report explained that this operation leaves the

original matter intact in the top soil and helps to maintain good soil structure. The

report further explained that lands which were previously cleared and used in the

recent past should be ploughed with light machinery to a depth of 10-20cm; deeper

ploughing should be avoided as much as possible.

Field layout- After the land has been cleared burned and trees fell to give

ventilation in the plot, the field is to be mapped. According to Akinsami (1999) field

56

layout is the marking of the field into rectangular plots, blocks or field using the 3-4-

5 method. The author explained that a base line is established by erecting a pole

either in the centre or at the middle of one side of the field and a string is tie to the

pole and extend it along the line until a free end of 4m from the pole in made.

Repeat it with another string from point A to C and make a distance of 3m. This is to

identify strategic point where each stand of plantain will be planted.

In the view of Philips and Lordkanjon (1995) for large scale plantains,

plantains should be laid out in blocks of 4 hectares and fields of 20 ha. Rosales,

Alvarez and Vargas (2010) stated that field layout could take the form of a square

shape, rectangle shape, triangle shape and the double forms depending on the

farmer’s choice. Asare and Sohill (2010) viewed that lining and pegging are

important in plantain plantation. The authors stated that to carry out lining and

pegging, place a peg at a reference point and with a rope tied to the peg make a

horizontal baseline to the edge of the land about 100m. From the peg end on the

horizontal base line, mark the recommended spacing for each stand of plantain to be

planted and put a peg at every mark. Repeat the process vertically till the whole

farm is pegged. The authors explained that lining and pegging makes planting easier

and gives direction where the plantain plant is to be situated to make room for

ventilation.

Digging of holes – plantains is planted in holes dug by the farmer. Philip and

Lordbanjon (1995) stated that plantain holes should be prepared with a minimum

size of 30cm x 30cm x 30cm planting. The authors stated further those holes less

than the above dimension results in excessive lodging and early decline soon after

57

the first crop. In the opinion of Faturoti, Tenkonano and Lemchi (2006) holes should

be dug with a minimum size of 30cm x 30cm x 30cm using a spade or shovel or any

other implement that will give the specification of the hole. The authors further

stated that the top soil should be kept separate from bottom soil as it is the first soil

to be used in covering the plant hole.

Planting Operation

Suckers are planted immediately after field preparation. Planting operation in

the view of Onwere and Umoh (1995) involves the actual process of placing planting

materials into the soil. The authors explained that planting activities are usually

carried out during a particular season which is often referred to as planting season.

In the opinion of Anom in Ukoh (2010) planting of seedling in the plantation involves

the following procedures: Isolate mature and healthy seedling in the nursery; trim off

roots that are too long to stimulate the growth of new ones; Remove the polythene

bag leaving the ball of earth on the roots; Plant the seedling into the hole with the

entire ball of earth at a planting distance of 7m apart; Cover the hole with topsoil

and organic matter, followed by the bottom soil and Press the base of the seedling

firmly to the ground

According to Fatuorti et al (2006) planting of plantain takes the following

steps: Dig planting holes with a minimum size of 30cm x 30cm x 30cm using a spade

or shovel, and keep the top soil separate from the bottom soil; Identify the mature

and healthy sucker, or seedling raised in the nursery; Place the seedling or sucker

centrally in the hole; Cover first with topsoil that containing organic matter and

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humus and then with bottom soil and Press the base of the seedling firmly to the

ground to ensure that the seedling is not easily removed by wind or pest.

According to Alvarado-Ortiz, Diaz, Almodover and Cortes (2005) plantain

planting should take the following steps: Isolate suckers, seedlings according to their

sizes (large, medium and small); Make or dig holes according to the sizes of the

suckers or seedlings; Place the suckers or seedlings in their holes according to their

sizes and if planted in rainy season and in heavy flat land with poor drainage, leave

part of the pseudostem above soil level and fill the hole totally.

The authors further explained that when planting in flat land, ensure that the

furrows have a slope of 0.5 – 1% then places the seed on the sides of the furrow.

Philips and Lordbanjon (1995) stated that mechanical planting is possible on a flat

land where tractors can be used 60cm deep; furrows are dug using a tyre of ditcher

(sub soiling fine fitted with two furrowing blades) and planting is done at the desired

spacing at the bottom of the furrow. The authors stated further that before planting,

suckers should be laid along the furrows and at planting the suckers should be kept

upright at the bottom of the furrows. The neck of the sucker should be leveled with

the surface of the soil after the furrow has been partially filled.

The literature on plantain plantation establishment is useful to this study as it

will guide the researcher in identifying competencies in establishing plantain

plantation enterprise for employment through the reviewed literature and opinion of

the authors cited.

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Plantain Plantation Management

Plantain management is a vital part of the plantation. In the views of Koontz

and Beizz (2007) management is define as the process of defining and maintaining

an estate, environment in which individuals, work together efficiently to accomplish

selected aims. Plantation management in the opinion of Burton and Thakur (2007) is

a unique continuous process (group of interrelated and integrated activities)

involving plant growth, pest, disease and nutrient management, irrigation, weeding,

pre and post harvest activities, labour management, office administration, collection

and marketing of plantain produce by utilizing the limited available resources through

a set of management functions in order to accomplish set of goals.

Plantation management as viewed by Robinson and Sauco (2010) involves

field management practices which are intensive, scientifically applied, costly and

demanding on equipment, chemicals, infrastructure, facilities and transport targeted

towards maintaining the plantation. The authors stated that plantain plantation

management activities are limited to manuring, mulching, propping the plant and

harvesting when grown at the back yard garden where labour and other resources

comes from the family, while for commercial purposes improved methods of

plantation management within the resources of the farmer are required to boost the

level of productivity. The authors enumerated these management activities to include

manuring or fertilizer application, thinning or desuckering, pruning, weeding,

irrigation, staking or propping, wind breaks, controlling of high mat and harvesting.

Plantation management according to Aya and Lucas (1996) involves activities

such as supplying, mulching, fertilizer application, pruning, weeding, pest and

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disease control and harvesting. In the opinion of Onwere and Umoh (1995)

plantation management activities refers to the various farming operations carried out

in the farm after planting of seeds, seedlings or other planting materials had been

done. The authors outlined these activities to include: thinning, supplying, mulching,

fertilizer application, watering or irrigation, weeding and harvesting.

A Thinning

Thinning in the opinion of Oke, Redhead and Hussain (1998) is the careful

removal of seedlings from a stand of germinated plants to improve production. In the

view of Philip and Lordbanjon (1995) thinning or desuckering is the removal of weak

stands of plantain from among the fast growing clustered sucker to one or two to

stop competition. Desuckering according to Hauser (2006) is the destruction or

reduction of seedling to the required number for proper growth and development.

Suckers to be removed are disease infested ones or the weakest among the

seedlings. In the opinion of Madhava Rao (2010) the importance of desuckering

includes: Bigger fruits and bunches are obtained; production of fruits at a time of

favourable weather or favourable market and it makes successive bunches on the

same clumps not to suffer competition of nutrient. When suckers are left to develop

freely, they compete against each other and reduce yield.

In the view of Abdulai and Binder (2006) the importance of desuckering includes:

Permitting good circulation of air and rapid growth in the plantation and giving room

for other activities like weeding, manuring; Healthy fruits and bunches are obtained

when desucking or thinning is carried out and Checking the spread of disease in the

plantation. Desuckering in plantain plantation management involves many steps. In

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the account of Philip and Lordbanjon (1995) the following steps are outlined: Identify

the sucker to be thinned or desuck; Cut off the sucker pseudo stem with a machete;

Use the tip of the machete to pierce through the growing tip and twist many times.

By doing this the sucker will die. The author advice that suckers should not be

removed by digging them out as this destroys the root system and weakens the

growing stand thereby making it to be susceptible to lodging.

In the view of Madhava Rao (2010) the steps to be used in desuckering are:

Identify the sucker to desuck; Cut the sucker to ground level with a matched and

Thrust a chisel shaped crow bar between the sucker and parent with a twisting

motion to gauge out the growing point. The author stated that alternatively the

following steps could be used to desuck: Identify the sucker to be thinned; Cut off

the sucker pseudo stem and Pour in some quantity of kerosine into the cavity left i.e.

5 to 20ml per sucker and gradually the sucker dies off. Also a mixture of 2.4-D fuel

oil and grease maybe applied on the cut sucker which will eventually destroy the

sucker.

B Mulching

Mulching is a management activity in plantain plantation. In the view of

Udosen (1996) mulching is the act of covering the soil surface with dried material to

prevent soil water evaporation. Zake, Bwaniki and Nkwiine (2000) define mulching as

the act of using any protective material to cover the soil surface with the intention of

minimizing evaporation. The authors outlined mulch materials to include: leaves

straw, hay and sawdust, cassava peelings, palm bunch refuse, kitchen refuse.

Faturoti et al (2006) asserted that elephant grass, old and dead leaves, palm refuse,

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cassava peels and domestic refuse are good mulching materials. The authors stated

that green manures may be applied as mulch.

Mulching of crops is important because; in the opinion of Sebuliba (2002)

mulching is important as: It protects the soil from direct drops of heavy rain;

intercepts solar radiation; reflects the light and so keeps the soil temperature low

and it reduces the effect of wind and air movement.

In the views of Crane, Balerdi and Maguire (2005) mulching serves the

following purposes: Mulched plantain produce more suckers and yield significantly as

bigger bunches are generally sustained longer than un-mulched plots; restrict weed

growth thereby reducing the cost of weeding; provides organic matter with attendant

high plant nutrients release to plants; it provides high soil moisture retention; greater

earthworm activities and reduces run-off thereby reducing erosion.

In carrying mulching activity the following steps are adopted. In the view of

Robinson (1995) the steps include: Identify the sources of mulching materials which

may be obtained from elephant grass, dried weed from cleared farm lands, kitchen

refuse etc; chop the grasses into bit and spread the chopped grasses around the

base of each stem of the plant about 15cm five to seven days after planting.

According to the report of International Network for the Improvement of

Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) (2003) steps in mulching include: Harvesting of

grasses such a panicum maximum, elephant grass etc; Gather all dried grasses from

cleared farm land; Chop the grasses into bits using machete or grade the grasses;

Spread the chopped dried grasses around the base of the plantain plant about 20cm

seven days after planting and water the plant after mulching.

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The report stated that chopped stem of plantain plant whose fruits have been

harvested or plantain leaves could be used as mulch and spread around the base of

the plantain plant or stand. The report warned that the use of cover crops such as

perennial or other climbing plants is not advisable in a high density plantain.

C Irrigation (Watering)

Irrigation in the submission of SOFTECH (2010) is the artificial application of

water to the soil through various systems of tubes, pumps and sprays. In the opinion

of Giwa (2010) irrigation is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water

to the soil from another source in order to grow crops. The author stated that the

water source for irrigation may be nearby or distant body of water such as river,

spring, lake, well. The author further explained that depending on the distance of the

source and seasonality of rainfall, the water may be channeled directly to the field or

stored in reservoirs. Madhava Rao (2010) stated that irrigation is the process of

supplying water in addition to natural precipitation to field crops, orchards, vineyards

or other cultivated plants. The author outlined methods of irrigating the farmland to

include: basin, furrow, flood, sprinkler, drip surface irrigation.

Water is an essential ingredient in crop production and for photosynthesis to

occur. According to Drsechsel, Graefe, Sonon and Cofie (2006) the importance of

irrigation includes: Providing people with regular supply of perishable crops

throughout the year; providing employment opportunity; Unused plots can be put to

use and It enables farmers to earn a high level income

In the opinion of Crane et al (2005) plantain require large amount of water

and are very sensitive to drought. The authors stated that plantain requires about 4

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to 6 inches of water per month; and since adequate soil moisture is essential for

good production especially during the dry months of the year, provision should be

made for irrigation. Irrigation according to Philips and Lordbanjon (1995) should start

from single device like watering can in a small field to any other mechanical device.

In opinion of Alvarado et al (2005) steps involved in irrigating the farm depends on

the choice of irrigation system and size of the farm. According to the authors for a

small farm of one hectare, watering can be used and the steps include: Identify

sources of water, example - river, stream, well or from reservoir; Filled the watering

can with water and apply water from the watering can through the nozzle of the can

to each stand.

In the opinion of Crane et al (2005) irrigating farms should be done with

caution to avoid over irrigation. Plantain plants are extremely susceptible to damage

by flooding. Therefore the type of irrigation system depends on how the water is

spread throughout the field. In the opinion of SOFTTECH (2010) surface irrigation

methods use the soil surface to spread water across a field or plantation to the plants

being irrigated, and include furrow, border or flood irrigation and basin irrigation.

The author stated that in furrow irrigation, small channels or furrows are used to

convey water across a field. In border irrigation, a field is divided into strips

separated by border ridges running down the slope of the field. Border irrigation is

used for tree crops. While sprinkle water is applied to all field by means of rotating

sprinkles or mini-sprinkles connected to a pressurized pipe system. The pipe system

supplying the sprinklers can be permanent, movable potable or a combination of the

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three and can be operated automatically or semi-automatically. Sprinkler spread

water over a radius of 5 to 300 feet depending on the design.

D Manure and Fertilizer Application

Fertilizer in the opinion of Fox (2009) refers to any substance such as manure

or a mixture of nitrate used to make soil more fertile. According to Rony (2010)

fertilizer refers to organic and inorganic substances which may be natural or

manufactured added to the soil in order to increase the supply of one or more plant

nutrients. The author stated that fertilizer recommendations should be based on crop

requirements for a particular expected yield.

Fertilizer application in the views of Lagat, Wangia, Njohia and Ithinji (2007)

depends on the soil structure, natural fertility of the soil and the chemical properties.

The authors stated that plantain respond better to fertilizer application and the

bunch yield from fertilized plants grows ten times higher than that from unfertilized

plants. In the opinion of Bayeri and Tenkouano (2006) the correct placement of

fertilizer material has a major effect on quality of nutrient available for plant use and

quantity lost through erosion and leaching. The authors outlined fertilizer application

methods to include: Broadcasting method; Ring application; Band placing; Tractor

spreaders and Fertigation

In the submissions of Fixten and Reetz (2006) the best management practice

is based on the concept of applying the right fertilizer at the right rate, time and

place. The authors stated that as a general rule, before applying fertilizer the soil

should be analyzed to determine the type, amount and method to be used. The

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authors enumerated fertilizer application methods as: Side dressing; Drilling;

Broadcasting and Ring method

Fertilizer application is important in plantain plantation management.

According to Philips and Lordbanjon (1995) the importance of fertilizer includes:

Increase yield or output; Improved soil moisture retention; Organic fertilizer controls

weed and erosion; Soil porosity and biological activities are encouraged and

encouragement of healthy growth.

According to Munoz, Kelling, Powell and Speth (2004) manure are valuable

sources of crop nutrients and organic matter, which can improve soil biological

condition. The authors outlined the importance of manuring as: Increase in organic

matter content of the soil; Improves soil structure; Increase in yield and output;

Checking of soil erosion and leaching in the plantation and helps to control weeds

Fertilizer (farmyard manure) application in the opinion of Steward (2006)

should start one month after planting or at the onset of the rains. The author stated

that application should be done based on the soil nutrient status. The author

recommended 300kg/ha/yr of nitrogen (as urea) and 550kg/ha/yr of potassium (a

muriate of potash) applied in six (6) split application. Fixten and Reetz (2006)

recommended 450gm of urea, 225gm ½b of tripple super phosphate 225gm muriate

of potash per plant of plantain.

Fertilizer recommendation according to Baiyeri and Tenkouano (2006) is a

mixture of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P2O5) and potassium (K) in the ratio of 400kg

active ingredient (a.i) 160kg a.i and 320kg a.i respectively per hectare per year or

250gm (N0, 100gm (P205) and 200gm per plant per a year. The authors stated that

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because nitrogen and potassium are easily leached away they should be supplied at

regular intervals. Fertilizer application in the view of Madhavc Rao (2010) should not

be placed near the stem as it is sensitive. The author outlines the following steps in

applying ring method fertilizer: Identify the type of fertilizer to apply (NPK, Farm

yield manure); Get a trowel and make a circle of about 4 to 8 feet apart from the

trunk of the plant; Take a small tomato tin for nitrogen and a milk tin for potassium

and fill it with fertilizer; Pour it round along the constructed circle of 4 to 8 feet apart

from the punch; Cover lightly with earth and water lightly.

In the report of Mighty Garden (2010) the steps involved in ring application

are: Get the fertilizer to be used; With your fingers measure two palms away from

the trunk; Use your hand trowel or hand fork and construct a ring or circle round the

plant and Apply a small tomato tin of the recommended fertilizer and cover with

small earth. Fertilizer application method according to Faturoti et al. (2006) could

take other forms but for established plantation, ring application in narrow trenches

dug to depth of 3cm around the plant at a distant of 1-2cm radius is ideal.

E Weed Control

Plantain plantation should always be kept weed free. Weed in the submission

of Belakazar and Espinosa (2000) is a plant having no economic value which intrudes

in cultivated field, competes with crop plant and tends to persist in spite of man’s

efforts at eradication. Crane et al (2005) stated that any plant with a superficial root

system should be considered a weed in a plantain field. The authors explained that

weeds compete for water and nutrients with the plantain plant and reduce fruits

production. Weed control in the opinion of Lemchi, Tshiunza, Tenkauano and Faturoti

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(2005) is the act of removing and destroying plants that are not planted by man but

compete with planted crops. The authors stated that if weeds are not controlled, it

compete with plantain for space, air, nutrients, moisture which may be expressed in

the plantain plantation as: Established failure; Reduction in the size of individual

leaves and total area on the plant; Reduction in leaf longetivity; Reduction in pseudo

stem height and girth; Yellowing of leaves and intense reddening of leaf petioles and

petiolar margins due to nitrogen deficiency; Loss of yield and Longer growth period

from planting to harvest.

According to Rosales et al (2010) weed should not be allowed to coexist with

crops. Weeds should be controlled adjacent to plantain plants and mats at all times.

The authors stated that farmers should maintain a weed-free area of 2 to 6ft around

the banana mat with well-draining organic mulch. In the view of Swennen (1990)

weed control measures include: Manual weed control; Mechanical weed control and

Chemical weed control

The author stated that weed can be controlled manually by hand weeding or

slashing. The author advice that hoeing should not be encouraged because it

destroys the superficial roots of the plantains plant. According to Tenkouano, Hauser,

Coyne and Coulibaly (2006) chemical weed control is encouraged using contact non

selective herbicides, long lasting systemic and total herbicides. The authors stated

that treatment with a contact herbicide is only possible at the time of planting and

two to three months after planting. The authors stated that in weed control, each

method chosen has its own peculiar way of controlling weed. For chemical method

where herbicides are used, the authors described the mode of spreading thus:

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Identify herbicide to be used; Get a knapsack sprayer; Dilute 5ml of herbicide with

20 litres of water; Carry the knapsack sprayer on your back with the left hand at the

pumping side and the right hand holding the nozzle of the sack and

Direct the nozzle to the weeds to be killed while you pump as you move about.

Food and Agricultural Organisation FAO(2006) stated that apart from cultural

practices, weed can be control chemically by use of: 0.4% glycel spray, selected

hermicides such as ametryne, simazin, diuvon, paraquat and glyphosate.Pre-

emergence herbicide,ametryne which can suppress general weed growth for 3-4

months.Contact herbicide, paraquate applied to the weed cover when the plantain is

about 6 months old.

The report stated that weeding helps to check weeds and it takes the

following steps: Row weed with hoes or the use of herbicides in the plantain field,

Ring weeding which involves weeding around the base of each seedling and total

weeding which is weeding the entire plantation with the use of herbicide or cutlass.

Weed control in the opinion of Philp and Lordbanjou(1995) should be done by:

regular slashing every 6-8 weeks before the canopy closes after about 5-6 months.

Contact herbicide at the time of planting(when the plantain do not have any leaves).

International Institute for Tropical Agriculture IITA(2008) in its research findings

identified four methods of controlling weeds in plantain farms:

(1) Manually which involves weeding using hoe, slashing with cutlass, the farmer

holds the hoe or cutlass with one or two hands, bending down while using the

implement.

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(2) Chemical control which involves using herbicides such as chlovam-beam or

diuron applied at the rate of 1-3kg/ha..They are pre-emergence weed control

in plantain plantation.

(3) Mechanical control which involves the use of machine like harrows cultivators

among others in between the rows to keep plantain weed free.

(4) Biological control which involves mulching or growing cover crops on

plantation.

F Propping

Propping according to Faturoti et al (2006) is a managsement technique that

is done to support the plantain plant. According to the author, the falling over of

plantain pseudo stem due to exceptionally large bunches, weak psuedostem and

strong wind can cause partial damage to the plant or even total bunch loss. In the

view of Swennen (1990) bearing plantain always need support from 1 or 2 wooden

props usually bamboo. According to the author piece of bamboo or two sticks that

form a fork is used to support the plantain plant with bunches from tipping over,

snapping, and doubling.

Udosen (1996) outlined the steps in propping as: Identify the plantain plant

with bunch; Get two or three long Indian bamboo; Place them against the stem on

the side where it is leaning over and Make sure the bamboos are placed in the

position that will support the bunch of plantain; from tipping over snapping or

doubling. In the opinion of Adewole and Duruji (2010) the steps in propping plantain

plantation are: Identify the plant to be propped; Get two poles from Indian bamboo

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with a later branch at the top; placed the poles along the side of the plant bearing

the bunch and Tie with a rope the lateral branch to the pole.

G Wind Breaks

Wind breaks in the views of Swennen (1990) is an act of planting or allowing

tall trees at the edges of the field in the direction of wind. The author stated that

large trees should be left around the plantation to help break the force of the wind.

According to Tchango, Bikoi, Achard, Escalant and Ngalani (2010) where trees are

not available, adequate fat growing trees like eucalyptus or gmelina should be

established. The authors stated that where dwarf varieties are available they should

be preferred to the taller varieties.

H Harvesting

Harvesting is the last management activities in plantation management. In the

views of Hornby (2005) harvesting is the act of cutting and gathering crops.

Harvesting in the opinion of Rosales et al (2010) is the cutting and gathering of

matured fruit, which is conducted according to market requirement trying always not

to damage bunches. Crane et al (2005) stated that plantain bunches are harvested

when the fingers are plumb but before they begin to turn yellow. The authors

pointed out that plantain matures for harvest after 12-15 months of planting. In the

report of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) (2004) plantain is harvested 3–4

months after the plant flowers. Harvest should be made at full state of fruit filling for

local market and ¾ fill for distant market. The report advice that harvesting should

be made early or late in the day.

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There are several methods of harvesting that are in vogue. In the opinion of

Madlava Rao (2010) these methods include: Cutting the bunch within a foot or two

of the peduncle followed by cutting the pseudostem; Cutting the bunched and the

parent pseudostem untouched; Cutting the bunch and the pseudostem, cut back to

half the length after harvest; and Cutting the bunch and the pseudostem cut to

ground level.

The author stated that the practice of partially cutting the pseudostem after

harvest of the bunch is called “mattocking” and the idea of retaining a part of the

pseudostem is to supply nutrient, contained in the parent pseudostem to the

followers. Harvesting should be done with care not to damage the harvested bunch.

Philips and Lordbanjon (1995) listed steps to be followed when harvesting: Identify

the pseudostem to be cut; Cut about 3-4s meters high from the ground or just a little

above your height with a cutlass or machete; With the machete thrust into the

pseudostem push over gently to one side from where the bunch is carefully cut off;

Cut the pseudostem and leaves into bits and spread around the farm as mulch for

upcoming suckers.

In the report of FAO (2006) the steps in harvesting plantain are:Take a cutlass

or machete; Identify the pseudostem with the bunch to harvest; Reach up as high as

you can on the pseudostem and hack at the 6 diameter; Continue hacking until the

top half of the pseudostem comes down and Cut off the bunch of plantain with a

swig of the machete.

In the opinion of Adopo (2010) steps involved in harvesting a bunch of

plantain without mechanical damage are: Identify the matured bunch to harvest;

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take a machete and make a cut about 6 to 8cm on the pseudostem; Shake the plant

slightly by pushing at the level of the cut; Place a fork under the stare to monitor the

fall of the bunch; In the absent of the fork, one helper is required to receive, catch or

hold the bunch as it comes down; Cut the bunch off the pseudostem and carry

bunch on stretchers to store house.

The submission and views of the authors reviewed are useful to this study as

it will guide the researcher to identify competencies in the management of plantain

plantation enterprise for employment that could be used to improve secondary

school graduates in plantain production enterprises.

Plantain Processing Enterprise

Food processing in the submission of Ogiehor, Ikenebomeh and Momodu

(2004) is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into

food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans and animals.

Adeniji and Tenkouano (2008) viewed processing as a way of transforming and

preserving fruits. The authors stated that post harvest loss is a major problem

limiting the production of plantain due to unavailability of established processing and

storage condition that could guarantee longer shelf life of the crop.

Plantain processing in the opinion of Ogiehor, Ekundayo and Okwu (2005)

implies taking clean harvested props and transforming them to produce attractive,

marketable and often long shelf-life food products. The authors stated that the shelf

life of plantain is greatly reduced after harvesting due to poor processing facilities.

Plantain processing according to Dazie and Orchard (1997) is the process of

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transforming harvested crops into different food edible by man. The authors stated

that the bulk of plantain produced is eaten either raw in the ripe state or as cooked

vegetable or only very small proportion is processed in order to obtain a storable

products.

The authors further stated that many products are derived from the

processing of plantain such products include: plantain flour, powder, chips, canned

slices, jam, jelly. In the view of Akinyemi (2005) plantain processing business involve

converting it into fried chips, dodo Ikire, flour, soap, gin and wine. In the report of

International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) (2006)

the most common products of processing plantain are chips, sweets and roasted

plantain as a street food. The report categorized plantain processing business into:

(1) Micro enterprise for single product prepared and sold on the street. Example

dodo Ikire, roasted plantain.

(2) Micro enterprise for single product prepared at home for sale on street or from

home example chips, beer.

(3) Small to medium enterprises for mixed snack or food with company label and

license e.g. juice, jam.

(4) Medium to large business with modern processing technology example wine,

flour, chips etc.

In the opinions of Daniella, Englberger and Lorens (2010) plantain harvested

are cooked, boiled, fried, roasted or baked. The authors stated that processed

products include plantain chips, flour, juice, jam, ice-cream and wine. The authors

further stated that processed products have a long shelf life and can be stored and

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sold over time to add diversity to farm sale. Oheuhen, Enweani, Ogiehor and Uwabor

(2006) identified pudding as another product of plantain that can be developed as an

enterprise.

Processing of Plantain into Chips

Plantain is processed into chips as follows: Onyejegbu and Olorunda in

Tchango et al (2009) outline steps in processing of plantain into chips as: Identify

mature unripe plantain bunches; Separate the bunch into individual fingers; Wash

and carryout manual peeling with knife; Slice pulp into piece of about 2mm thick;

apply salt (optional); Fry in vegetable oil or refined palm oil 2 to 3 minutes at 160-

170˚C; Drain and cool; Hermatic packaging in plastic or aluminium sachets; Store

and sale

Akinyemi (2005) identified the following steps in processing of plantain into

chips: Purchase matured green plantain from farm gate prices; Remove the outer

layer with a knife; Cut and slice into sheets; Mixed sheets with salts; Deep frying of

slice with vegetable oil and Cool the chips and pack.

In the opinion of Ekunwe and Ajayi (2010) two methods are involved in

processing plantain into chips. Steps in method one is: Harvest green/semi-ripe

plantain; Peel with knife; Wash plantain pulp; Slice to shape with knife; apply salt;

Fry with vegetable oil for about 5 minutes between 190˚C-200˚C; Cool the chips in a

try and packaged chips and sale

The authors stated the second method of processing chips from plantain is the

same with the above method but with a slight difference. The first steps make use of

green or un-ripe plantain while the second method uses ripe plantain. The fried

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products are allowed to cool before being packaged in cellophane or polyethylene

bags.

Processing of Plantain into Flour

Processing of plantain into flour is another enterprise in plantain production.

In the opinion of Bayeri and Ortiz (2000) the following steps are involved:

A Harvest or purchase plantain bunch from farms or farm gate prices

B Hand peel with a knife

C Immersed in a plastic bowl containing portable water to prevent browning

D Sliced longitudinally into two with the aid of kitchen knife

E Dry the slice in a forced air moisture extraction plus II oven or Sango

Galenkamp Plc at 65˚C for about 48 hours; and

F Milled with the aid of stainless Kenwood warring blender.

In the view of Ogazi (1996) processing of plantain into flour traditionally

involved the following steps:Obtain the unripe plantain fruit, Peel with sharp knife,

Slice the fruit and sun dry for 1-2 days to desiccate the peel and stem the flow latex,

Soak pulp in water for two or three days, Remove soaked pulp and squeeze into

small pieces and sun dry for 15 days, Ground dried chips to powder with power mill

or pound in a mortar to produce flour, Filter the flour and packed.

The author stated that in modern method of processing plantain into flour,

three steps are involved:

(1) Obtain the unripe or green plantain

A Peel and slice;

B Put in tray or cabinet drier and dry for days;

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C Mill to produce flour;

D Sieve to produce flour; and

E Package and sale

(2) Blanching to loosen the peel

A Fluidized bed drying ; and

B Repeat method 1

(3) Plantain is steamed and expressed

A Add water to homogenize the slurry;

B Dried using spray, votator, drum drier or extruder; and

C Milled to produce flour.

The author explained that the appropriate way of processing green plantain

into flour involved the steps below: Obtain green plantain and soaked in hot water

for about 10-15 minutes to soften the peel for easy peeling. Remove soaked plantain

and hand peel with a knife, peels can be dried and milled to produce animal feed.

Store the pulp in water to avoid browning before slicing or dicing. Slice plantain using

an automatic dicing machine or hand slice. Dehydrate plantain slice in a cabinet

dryer, Milled slice using end runner mill or hammer mill. Sieve to produce flour.

Residue used as animal feed and produced flour is graded according to particle size

and stored.

In the opinion of Ukhum and Ukpebor in Tchango et al (2010) unripe plantain

is traditionally processed into flour in Nigeria. According to the authors the

preparation method involves: Obtaining unripe plantain from farms or market;

Peeling the unripe plantain manually with knife; Cutting or slicing the pulp into small

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pieces and air dried for few days and Pounding of dried pulp in a wooden mortar or

in a corn grinder.

The flour produced is mixed with boiling water to prepare an elastic pastry

called amala in Nigeria which is eaten with various sauces. The authors stated that

the flour obtained is more or less dark due to the action of browning enzymes. The

improvement of the traditional method gave rise to the modern method with the

following steps: Green or unripe plantain bunches are obtained from farm or market,

Separate into individual fingers, washed and hand peeled, Blanch pulp for 5 minutes

at 80˚C, Slice into round pieces, Treat with antioxidant, Dry the slice for some days

in the sun 65˚C for 48 hours in an oven, Grind the dried slice, plantain flour is

obtained; and Package flour and store.

Plantain flour can be used in different ways. Ohenhen et al (2006) identified

pudding as another product derived from processed plantain material that can be

developed as an enterprise. According to the authors the following steps are involved

in processing pudding; Obtain raw unripe and ripe plantain from farm or market, Peel

the unripe plantain ,Wash the pulp ,Slice into flat sheet with sharp knife, sun dried

for 3-5 days, milled, mixed water to form a slurry, carryout similar process on the

ripe plantain ,Mix the resulted paste with the unripe slurry ,take two cooking spoons

of palm oil, season with salt, onion and ingredients to taste, stir vigorously to mix

uniformly, wrap the paste with sterilized plantain leaves and boil for 2-3 hours and

allow to cool to room temperature.

In the opinion of Medupin (2008) many edible products are obtained from the

processing of plantain into flour. The author stated that plantain fritters called “dodo

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Ikire” by the Yoruba, non alcoholic drink like sekete made in Ife, alcohol vinegar,

jam, juice are some products from plantain. The author explained that dodo Ikire is

processed by pounding plantain and mixed with spices and fried. Dodo Ikire in the

submission of Akinyemi (2005) is a snack made from ripe plantain. It is a business

that employs many rural people in the area. The author outlined the steps in

processing of dodo- Ikire to include: Obtaining raw material from the market (ripe

plantain); Peeling of the ripe plantain; Smarching of the pulp with mortar and pestle;

Frying and Packaging and storage.

The processing of dodo Ikire as stated by Philips and Lordbanjon (1995) are:

Sourcing for a ripened or over-ripened plantain; Peel; Mashed in a mortar into a

paste; Mixing with partially grinded pepper, and cut paste into lurd or slurry and fry

in palm oil.

According to Akinyemi, Starver, Aiyelaagbe, Kintomo and Babalola (2008)

dodo Ikire is a popular snack processed from plantain in Southwest Nigeria. The

authors explained that dodo is a Yoruba word for fried plantain while Ikire is the

name of the town where the technology originated. The authors outlined the steps in

processing plantain into dodo Ikire to include: Collect overripe plantain from the farm

or market; Hand peel with a knife; Chop the plantain into small pieces; Mix salt and

fry in a hot oil; place fried products in a sieve to drain the oil; Spread the fried

products with pepper and shape into a cone and Wrap the product in musa leaves

and sale.

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Processing of Plantain into Wine

The extraction of juice from plantain and fermentation to produce wine is an

important post harvest activity. In the view of Ferris (1997) the process of processing

plantain into wine involves the following: Harvest ripe plantain, peel with a knife,

extract soluble components of the plantain ,Boil and cool, ferment overnight using

culture of saochaomyce cevevisiae, terminate fermentation after 7 days, bottle the

liquid sieved out ,Pasteurize by immersing field bottles into water bath, store for sale.

Wine processing from plantain in the opinion of Davies (2009) involves: harvesting of

unripe plantain, accelerating ripening either by burying in pits or by heating over

kitchen fire, peel the ripened plantain after 3-7 days press under foot or worked by

hand in large wooden mortars to extract juice, apply selected grasses to assist juice

extraction, strain juice and ferment the wine with ingredients such as water or

sorghum between 1-3 days, after fermentation wine is drawn off, strained and

allowed to cool, bottle or can the wine and store and sale

Champion in Ohiokpehai (2010) described the steps in processing of plantain

into wine as: Harvest or purchase green plantain, Allow to ripe naturally or induce

ripening, hand peel ripe plantain with knife, marsh with hand and mix with grass to

extract juice, Add honey to the juice and allow to ferment for 1-2 days, Sieve the

fermented juice and bottle and Package bottle wine and store for sale

The author stated that in the Riverine Towns of Nigeria, a similar potent

beverage called ogogoro is made from ripe plantain while in towns and villages

around University of Ife a nonalcoholic drink called sekete is made from ripe

plantains.

81

The views of the authors reviewed will help the researcher in identifying

competencies in processing of plantain into various products, which could be used to

improve secondary school graduates in plantain production enterprises.

LITERATURE ON MARKETING OF PLANTAIN PRODUCTS

The processed plantain products like chips, flour, pudding, dodo-Ikire and

wine must pass through the process of marketing before it could get to the final

consumer. Watson and Cardwell (1995) viewed marketing as a means by which

exchange of goods and services take place as a result of buyers and sellers being in

contact with each other, either directly or through a mediating agents or institution.

Marketing as defined by Miller and Stafford (1997) is the sum of all transactions that

takes place between buyers and sellers of a particular type of product. The authors

stated that market exist between and among individuals, business, government and

other nations.

The American Marketing Association in Akwaji (2006) defined marketing as

the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from

producers to consumers. The report remarked that marketing involves a set of

activities which are performed to promote the flow of products and services between

companies and people. George and Robert (2007) defined marketing as the sum

total of all business activities which are performed to promote the flow of products

and services from the producer (farmer) to the consumers or end users.

Marketing is important as a result of the role it plays in the society. Olaitan

and Omomia (2006) outline the importance of marketing as follows: Increase in

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farmers’ income; exchange for cash or other goods that have monetary value; aids

the transfer of ownership of goods; enhances packaging and processing of goods;

ensures that goods get to the consumers; establishes both local and international

relationship with other communities and countries of the world; aids the assembling

and storage of goods and Farmers are able to get those crops and goods that cannot

be produced by them.

Importance’s of marketing as stated by Iwena in Asogwa (2009) are as

follows: Creating of job opportunities for many people who engage in marketing of

agricultural products; Helping to make agricultural products available throughout the

year; marketing enables the producers to know the taste of the consumers;

locating where there are surpluses to produce and bring them where there are

shortages; determining the price of agricultural produce and exporting of agricultural

products provides foreign exchange to the nation.

There are steps in marketing. Adiene (1997) enumerated these steps to

include: Finding buyers or searching for markets; Grading and standardization of

products; Storage of the products; Distribution and transportation of the products;

Risk management; Recording of financial transactions; Selling of the products and

pricing power

According to Ehiametalar (1999) the steps to adopt in marketing products

include: assembling of products; grading; identifying customers using sales

promotion as a tool; keeping products in secured and ventilated rooms for market

and fixing prices of various product.

83

In the report of National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) (2003) steps in

marketing of products are: assembling of products, grading, sorting, storage,

transportation, fixing prices, financing the activities and disposal of the commodity.

Onuka (2003) stated that marketing steps are as follows: Record the number

of products produced; Keep products produced secured and ventilated for market;

Fix prices for products produced; Identify suitable wholesalers and retail agents;

Inform customers on the arrival of products; Assist customers in handling and

transporting produce and Keep records of produce sold and care for the unsold

products.

George and Robert (2007) highlighted marketing steps to include: Processing

of products to attract customers ; Assembling and packaging of products; Grading;

Weighing and measurement of products to size; Sorting of products into groups;

Fixing of prices to products; Storage of unsold products and Keeping record of al

sales and finance transactions .

The view and submissions of the authors reviewed in marketing of plantain

will guide the researcher in identifying competencies in marketing of processed

plantain products.

REVIEW OF RELATED EMPIRICAL STUDIES

Some empirical studies related to the study were reviewed as follows. In a

study conducted by DImelu (2010) on competency improvement needs of teachers

of Home Economics in the use of ICT for effective teaching in Colleges of Education

in Southeastern Nigeria, three research questions guided the study. The design of

84

the study adopted was descriptive survey. The study was conducted in five states of

southeast comprising of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States. Population of

the study was one hundred and five (105) teachers of Home Economics. There was

no sampling because of the small size of the population.

The instrument for data collection was 44 structured questionnaire items. The

instruments were validated by three experts from the Department of Vocational

Teacher Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Split half techniques and Crombach

Alpha reliability were used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument

and a coefficient of 0.87 was obtained. One hundred and five (105) copies of

questionnaire were administered on the respondents with the help of three Research

Assistants. All the 105 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved and analyzed using

weighted mean and Improvement Needed Index (INI).

The findings from the study indicated that teachers of Home Economics were

deficient in 16 items in word processing, 13 items in internal usage and 15 in the use

of power point. Their deficiency could be traced to their training which resulted to

their poor usage of computer machine in teaching students. It is recommended that

teachers of Home Economics should be exposed to further training in ICT compliance

through short courses, in-services training, workshops and seminars to improve

teachers in areas of deficiency identified in the study. The study is relevant to this

study as it guides the researcher in selecting appropriate steps to be adopted to

achieve result in this study.

Olaitan, Amusa and Ellah (2010) carried out a study on competency

improvement needs of instructors for effective teaching of cocoa plantation

85

establishment and management to students of Schools of Agriculture in

Southwestern Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study and survey research

design was adopted for the study. The study was carried out in Southwestern Nigeria

specifically Ondo and Oyo States. Population for the study was ninety six (96)

instructors from the two schools of Agriculture. The sample was made up of 42

instructors purposively sampled from the department of crop production.

Data was collected using 49-competency cluster structured questionnaire

item. Instrument was validated by three expert from department of Vocational

Teacher Education and Crop Science all of University of Nigeria Nsukka. Split-half

techniques and Cronbach Alpha reliability was adopted to determine the internal

consistency and a coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. Forty two copies of the 49

competency cluster item questionnaire were administered by the researcher on the

instructors. The entire 42 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved and analyzed

using the weighted mean and Improvement Needed Index (INI).

The findings of this study revealed that the instructors in Schools of

Agriculture required improvement in teaching planning, pre-planting, planting,

harvesting and marketing of cocoa to student in Schools of Agriculture. The reviewed

is relevant to this study as it will guide the researcher in identifying the methodology

to be adopted for the study.

In a study carried out by Ogbuanya and Fakorede (2009) on Technical Skill

Improvement Needs of Metal Work Technology Teachers for Entrepreneurship in

Response to MDG for Quality Assurance; three research questions guided the study.

Survey research design was used for the study. The study was carried out at Lagos

86

and Ogun States as 110 teachers of metal work formed the population of the study.

No sampling was done because of the small size. The questionnaire was used as

instrument for data collection. Five experts validated the instrument from the

Department of Vocational Education of University of Nigeria Nsukka and University of

Benin city. Reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Apha

reliability technique and a coefficient of 0.98 was obtained.

Fifty five copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents at

their various locations with the help of four Research Assistants. All the fifty five

copies of the instrument were retrieved and analyzed using mean and standard

deviation to answer research question while t-test was used for testing the null

hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the result revealed that

Metalwork Technology Teachers training background lacked quality in terms of

technology skills required of them. Therefore, they need modern metalwork

technology skills for training of meta work students for occupation in metal industry

for productivity and self employment. Recommendations made on the basis of the

findings of this study are: extensive training should be organized for Metal Work

Technology Teachers in Technical Colleges to keep them abreast with the

cotemporary practices and update their skills in met work through in-service courses.

The relevance of the study to this study is that it will guide the researcher in

selecting pedagogical skills needed for improvement in this study.

In a study conducted by Amusa, Ukonze and Olaitan (2010) on Resources

Management Improvement Needs of Instructors in oil palm nursery for training

students of Schools of Agriculture for employment in oil palm nursery in

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Southwestern Nigeria, Four research questions guided the study. The study adopted

survey research design; and it was conducted at Southwestern Nigeria specifically

Ondo and Ogun States. Population for the study was 90 instructors from the two

Schools of Agriculture in the two States. The sample was 47 instructors purposively

sampled from the Department of Crop Production in the two schools. The instrument

for data collection was a 59 resource management structured questionnaire item.

Validation of instrument was done by three experts from the University of Nigeria

Nsukka. The instrument was tral-tested and Cronbach Alpha reliability method was

adopted to determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire and a coefficient

of 0.88 obtained.

Forty seven copies of the 59 resource management skill questionnaire were

administered by the researchers on the instructors in the two schools. The entire

forty seven copies of questionnaire were retrieved and analyzed using mean and

Improvement Needed Index (INI). The findings of the study revealed that the

instructors needed improvement as 50 out 59 resource management skills in oil palm

nursery establishment and management were identified as needed. It is

recommended that the required resource management skills in oil palm nursery

enterprise be packaged into teachable scheme and used for retraining the instructors

to enable them to meet the training needs of the students for future graduates. The

relevance of the study reviewed to this study is that it will guide the researcher in

selecting appropriate method in analyzing data to achieve good result in this study.

In a study carried out by Olaitan, Alaribe and Ellah (2010) on performance

improvement needs of instructors in teaching soil testing and analysis to students of

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crop production in Schools of Agriculture in Southeastern States of Nigeria. Four

research questions guided the study. The study made use of survey research design.

The study area was Southeastern States comprising of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi,

Enugu and Imo States. The population of the study was 26 instructors in soil testing

and analysis in the Schools of Agriculture in the study area. There was no sampling

because of the small size of the population. A 61 skills cluster item questionnaire on

soil testing and analysis was used for collecting data.

The instrument was validated by three experts from University of Nigeria

Nsukka. Split-half technique and Pearson product moment correlation method were

used to determine reliability that yielded a coefficient of 0.82. Twenty six copies of

the questionnaire were administered to the instructors at their various locations with

the help of four Research Assistants. All the 26 copies were retrieved and analyzed

using weighted mean and Improvement Needed Index (INI). Findings of the result

revealed that the instructors required improvement in the 10, 28 ad 10 skills items

formulated to test their performance. It is recommended that the instructors be

allowed to undergo retraining to improve their performance in teaching soil testing

and analysis to students.

The relevance of the study reviewed to this study is that it will guide the

researcher in selecting and using appropriate methodology in achieving good results.

SUMMARY OF RELATED LITERATURE REVIEWED

The review of related literature was on conceptual framework, theoretical

framework, competencies in plantain production and review of related empirical

89

studies. Conceptually literature was reviewed on competency based approach, job

analysis, task analysis, occupational area and modular approaches. This will guide

the researcher in selecting appropriate approaches relevant in different enterprise.

The theoretical framework of the study is based on occupational and production

theories. These theories will guide the researcher in identifying and selecting

appropriate relevant skills and materials for training.

Literature was reviewed on competencies in plantain production. These

competencies were on nursery establishment, plantain establishment and

management, processing and marketing. This review will guide the researcher in

identifying and selecting appropriate competency items that will be used to collect

data for the study. The questionnaire develop from the literature will be used to

collect data that will help the study to determine the competencies that are required

for effective plantain production and also those competencies possessed at the time

of study by secondary school graduates. The difference between these two will

provide information on the need gap necessary to be acquired by the secondary

school graduates. These need gap identified by this study will constitute

improvement to be acquired by secondary school graduates for success in any

plantain production enterprises.

Literature on review of related empirical was reviewed on improvement

methods. This will guide the researcher to select appropriate steps and methodology

in achieving good results in the study.

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CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

The procedure for carrying out this study was discussed under the following

headings: design of the study, area of the study, population and sample of the study,

instrument for data collection, validation of the instrument, reliability of the

instrument, method of data collection and method of data analysis.

Design of the Study

The study made use of descriptive research design. A survey research design

in the view of Anderson (2007) is a method of collecting data in which people are

requested to respond to a number of questions, through questionnaire or interview.

The author stated that reliability of a survey’s results depend on whether the sample

from which the information has been collected is free from bias and sufficiently large.

This design is appropriate for this study since it will make use of questionnaire to

collect data from the respondents on plantain production.

Area of the Study

The study was carried out in Cross River State of Nigeria, which is made up of

three senatorial educational zones namely: Northern Zone with head office at Ogoja,

central zone with head office at Ikom and Southern Zone with head office at Calabar.

The area is in the tropical rain forest belt with fertile soil high in organic matter

suitable for plantain production. The people of the State are interested in plantain

farming as a source of livelihood.

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Population of the Study

The population of the study was six hundred and nineteen (619) made up of

one hundred and fifty nine (159) Agricultural Science Teachers, three hundred and

sixty five (365) Secondary School Graduates and ninety five (95) Registered Plantain

Farmers (20 Nursery Farmers, 40 Plantain Plantation Management Farmers and 35

Plantain Processors).

A teacher of agriculture in this perspective is a person who had been trained

and is certified to teach Agricultural Science in Secondary School. A registered

plantain farmer in this context is an individual or person who engages in cultivating

plantain in order to make profit with documentary account of the size and progress

of his farm with the Ministry of Agriculture (Agricultural Development Programme

(ADP) of the State.

The information on the number of teachers was obtained from State

Secondary Education Board and Technical Education Board in Calabar in 2010/2011

academic year (see Appendix II), while that of secondary school graduates was

obtained from the result of the pilot study of page 11 (see Appendix I). The

information on the number of registered plantain farmers was obtained from the

State Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) in Calabar (see Appendix III).

Sample and Sampling Technique

The sample for this study was six hundred and nineteen (619), which is the

population of the study. There was no sampling from the population because of its

manageable size. Therefore, the entire population constituted the sample.

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Instrument for Data Collection

The instrument for data collection was three sets of questionnaire. The first

set of questionnaire was on nursery enterprise with forty eight (48) skill items to

collect information in nursery enterprise. The second set of questionnaire was on

plantain plantation management with eighty five (85) skill items to collect

information in plantain plantation establishment, while the third set of questionnaire

was on plantain processing and marketing enterprise with seventy six (76) skill

items, to collect information in plantain processing and marketing enterprise.

The questionnaire items for the Teachers of Agriculture and Registered

Plantain Farmers had a response option of required while that of the Secondary

School Graduates had two component response options of required and performance

(See Appendices VIII, IX and X). The required components had a four (4) point

response options of Highly Required (HR), Averagely Required (AR), Slightly

Required (SL), and Not Required (NR). The performance category had a four point

response options of High Performance (HP), Average Performance (AP), Little

Performance (LP), and NO Performance (NP) with a response options of 4, 3, 2, and

1 respectively.

The Teachers of Agricultural Science and Registered Plantain Farmers

responded to the required components, while Secondary School Graduates

responded to the required and performance components since they were the

respondent that required improvement.

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Validation of the Instrument

The three sets of the questionnaire were validated by three experts. These

experts were two lecturers from the Department of Vocational Teacher Education,

University of Nigeria, Nsukka and one lecturer from the Department of Agricultural

Education, Federal College of Education, Obudu. The experts were requested to

correct and restructure the items that were wrongly written and eliminate other

items that were irrelevant, see Appendix XII for errors noted by experts. The

contributions of the experts were used to develop the final copy of the questionnaire

(See Appendices VIII, IX and X).

Reliability of the Instrument

Cronbach Alpha Method was used to determine the internal consistency of the

questionnaire. Twenty (20) copies of the questionnaire were administered to 20

respondents made of eight (8) Teachers of Agricultural Science, five (5) Plantain

Farmers and seven (7) Secondary School Graduates in Akwa Ibom State. The data

was analyzed using Cronbach alpha formula (see Appendix IV). The alpha co-efficient

obtained were 0.903 for nursery enterprise, 0.856 for plantain plantation

management enterprise and 0.870 for plantain processing and marketing enterprise.

Method of Data Collection

The researcher made use of six (6) Research Assistants, two from each zone

to help in the administration of the questionnaire to the respondents. Six hundred

and nineteen (619) copies of the questionnaire were administered to the

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respondents by the Research Assistant and the researcher as follows: 159 copies to

Teachers of Agricultural science, 95 to Plantain Farmers and 365 to Secondary School

Graduates. All the 619 copies were retrieved for analysis.

Method of Data Analysis

The data collected were analyzed using weighted mean to answer research

question 1 and improvement needed index (INI) to answer the research questions 2-

4. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis of no

significance difference at 05.0≤ρ level of significance. In taking decision on

competences required in plantain production enterprise. The real limit of numbers

was utilized as follows:

3.5 - 4.0 highly required

2.5 - 3.49 averagely required

1.5 - 2.49 slightly required

1.0 - 1.49 not required

Therefore any item with a mean value within 1.5 – 4.0 was regarded as

required, and any item with a mean value of less than 1.5 was regarded as not

required.

In taking decision on the improvement required by Secondary School

Graduates, the improvement need index of 0,1,2,3 was as follows:

0 = No improvement.

1 = Little improvement required

2 = Average improvement required

3 = High improvement required (Ellah, 2007).

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In calculating the value of improvement the need gap was involved. The

calculation of the need gap was as follows:

The mean X R of the needed category was determined for each item.

The mean X P of the performance category was determined for each item.

The performance gap NG was determined by the difference between X R and

X P for each item i.e. NG = X R – X P.

Decision on the need gap value is as follows:

Where the value of NG was positive (+), it means that improvement was

needed because the level at which the Secondary School Graduates could

perform the skill was less than the level at which it was required.

Where NG was negative (-) it means improvement was not needed because

the level at which the Secondary School Graduates could perform the skill item

was greater than the level at which it was required.

Where NG was zero (0) it means improvement was not required because the

level at which the Secondary School Graduates could perform the skill item

was equal to the level at which it was required.

For testing the hypothesis, a hypothesis of no significance difference was

accepted for any item whose P value was equal to or greater than P≥0.05 and will be

rejected for any item whose P≤ 0.05.

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CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

This chapter presents the analysis of data collected for the study. The

analyzed data were presented based on the research questions answered and the

hypotheses tested.

Research Question 1

What are the competencies required by Secondary School Graduates in plantain

nursery, plantain plantation management and plantain processing and marketing

enterprise?

The data for answering research question 1 were presented in Table 1.

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Table 1: The Mean Ratings of the Responses of Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Farmers and Secondary School Graduates on Competencies Required by Secondary School Graduates in Plantain Nursery, Plantain Management and Processing and Marketing Enterprises.

N = (A=261); (B=362) & (C=314)

S/N Module Statements for Enterprises A, B & C X SD Remark

Ai Planning for plantain nursery enterprise (14) 3.47 0.77 Required

Aii Plantain nursery production (24 items) 3.50 0.74 Required

Aiii Marketing of plantain nursery (10) 3.54 0.72 Required

Bi Planning for plantain plantation enterprise (14) 3.55 0.87 Required

Bii Plantain plantation establishment (12 items) 3.44 0.74 Required

Biii Plantain planting operation (6 items) 3.52 0.73 Required

Biv Plantain thinning operation (5 items) 3.27 0.92 Required

Bv Plantain mulching operation (5 items) 3.26 0.82 Required

Bvi Plantain irrigation operation (4 items) 3.32 0.84 Required

Bvii Plantain fertilizer application (7 items) 3.46 0.88 Required

Bviii Plantain weed control (11 items) 3.37 0.79 Required

Bix Propping operation (5 items) 3.34 0.82 Required

Bx Plantain harvesting operation (6 items) 3.34 0.76 Required

Bxi Marketing of plantain (10 items) 3.54 0.80 Required

Ci Planning for plantain processing enterprise (14

items)

3.47 0.78 Required

Cii Processing of plantain into chips (11 items) 3.40 0.79 Required

Ciii Processing of plantain into flour (11 items) 3.36 0.811 Required

Civ Processing of plantain into pudding (11 items) 3.43 0.78 Required

Cv Processing of plantain into dodo ikire ((8 items) 3.43 0.78 Required

Cvi Processing of plantain into wine (11 items) 3.40 0.81 Required

Cvii Marketing processed plantain products (10 items) 3.43 0.74 Required

Key X = Mean SD = Standard Deviation N = Number of respondents

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The data in Table 1 showed that the three competency modules A – C had

their mean values ranged from 3.26 – 3.55 which were above the real limit of 1.50.

This indicated that the three modules were required by Secondary School Graduates

in plantain nursery, plantain plantation management and processing and marketing

enterprises. The three modules had their standard deviation ranged from 0.72 –

0.92. This showed that the respondents were not too far from the mean and they

were close to each other. The three modules had 209 corresponding competency

items (see Appendix E). The means of the 209 corresponding competency items

ranged from 2.73 – 3.71 which were above the real limit of 1.50 indicating that the

competency items were required for improvement in plantain production enterprise.

The standard deviation for the 209 competency module ranged from 0.60 – 1.23

which indicated that the respondents were not too far from the mean and they were

close to one another in their opinion. This result added value to the reliability of the

mean.

Research Question 2

What are the competencies in plantain nursery enterprise where Secondary School

Graduates require improvement for employment?

The data for answering research question 2 were analysed and presented in

Tables 2, 3, and 4.

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Table 2 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competency in Plantain Nursery Enterprise in Cross River State. Module A N= 261

SN Item Statement X R X P PG

X R- X P

Remarks

Ai Planning for Plantain Nursery Enterprise

1 Formulate specific objectives for plantain

nursery enterprise

3.65 3.11 0.54 IN Rrd

2 Review formulated objectives with change

in plantain nursery enterprise

3.62 3.09 0.53 Required

3 Identify site for plantain nursery enterprise 3.55 1.92 1.62 Required

4 Identify sources of credit for plantain

nursery enterprise

3.46 2.10 1.35 Required

5 Specify variety of sucker suitable for the

soil

3.45 3.15 0.29 Required

6 Draw up program for plantain nursery

enterprise

3.29 2.21 1.07 Required

7 Identify materials needed for plantain

nursery enterprise

3.38 2.26 1.12 Required

8 Identify the equipment needed for

plantain nursery enterprise

3.52 2.96 0.56 Required

9 Identify qualified personnel required for

nursery enterprise

3.40 3.01 0.38 Required

10 Implement activities in plantain nursery

enterprise

3.63 3.33 0.30 Required

11 Identify suitable market for plantain

nursery enterprise

3.30 2.20 o.35 Required

12 Make budget for plantain nursery

enterprise

3.42 2.94 0.48 Required

13 Draw up the evaluation technique 3.50 3.16 0.33 Required

14 Make room for any contingency needed 3.44 2.36 1.07 Required

100

The data in Table 2 revealed that the need gap values of 14 competency

items ranged from 0.33 – 1.62 and were all positive. This indicated that Secondary

School Graduates required improvement in the 14 competency item in planning for

plantain nursery enterprise.

Table 3 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competency in Nursery Enterprise in Cross River State

N= 261

S/N Item Statement X R X P PG

X R- X P

Remarks

Aii Nursery Multiplication

1 Identify the sword sucker for nursery

production

3.56 3.29 0.27 IN

Required

2 Dig round the sucker to remove it from

mother plant

3.35 2.92 0.43 Required

3 Wash out excess soil and prune dead

dried leave and root

3.41 2.37 1.04 Required

4 Dip the corm in a nematicide 3.47 2.36 1.11 Required

5 Identify the level of sucker attachment

and peel

3.56 2.28 1.28 Required

6 Locate the “V” point with a knife at 2mm 3.56 2.49 1.07 Required

7 At the edge of the “V” made a cut with

knife

3.62 2.21 1.40 Required

8 Repeat the operation until it become

difficult to see “V”

3.36 2.57 0.79 Required

9 Reduce the psueduo stem to 1-2cm 3.34 3.07 0.27 Required

10 Place the sucker in a location to receive

sunlight

3.39 2.30 1.09 Required

11 Take up the sucker again and reduce the

height

3.15 3.21 -0.05 Not

Required

12 Make a cross wise incision across the

width

3.24 2.31 0.93 Required

101

13 Repeat the incision to damage the optical 3.62 2.34 1.27 Required

14 Set the explant aside into a slode 3.45 3.12 0.32 Required

15 Place the explant in a germination bed 3.31 2.46 0.85 Required

16 Cover germination bed with plastic or

saw dust

3.54 2.93 0.60 Required

17 Make a shade over the bed 3.40 2.30 1.10 Required

18 Water the bed periodically to maintain

moisture

3.52 2.23 1.31 Required

19 Remove the explant from bed and gently

wash

3.56 2.20 1.35 Required

20 Cut off plant let, with 2.5 leaves and put

in polythene

3.27 1.89 1.37 Required

21 Return explants back to germination bed 3.41 2.35 1.05 Required

22 Continue harvesting plantlet until plant

deteriorate

3.34 2.15 1.18 Required

23 Keep harvest plantlets in a slate to wean

and

3.59 2.77 0.81 Required

24 Care for plantlet and prepare for

marketing

3.33 2.09 1.23 Required

The data in Table 3 revealed that the need gap values of 23 out of 24

competency items ranged from 0.27 – 1.40 were positive. While one (1)

competency item with -0.05 was negative. This indicated that the Secondary School

Graduates required improvement in 23 of the competency items, but did not require

improvement in 1 item.

Generally, the data in Table 3 indicated that Secondary School Graduates

required improvement in all the 24 competency item in plantain nursery enterprise

because the need gap value of one competency item was very small and the

102

Secondary School Graduates cannot do without the one competency item during

retraining.

Table 4 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competency in Marketing of Nursery in Nursery Enterprise in Cross River State. N= 261


X R- X P

Remarks

Aiii Competency in marketing plantain nursery

1 Assemble and record the number of

plantain nursery produced

3.56 2.18 1.36 IN Rrd

2 Keep nursery produced secured and

ventilated for marketing

3.56 2.00 1.56 Required

3 Grade the nursery according to quality 3.71 1.96 1.75 Required

4 Fix prices for the nursery/sucker

produced

3.53 2.02 1.51 Required

5 Advertise the nursery to attract buyers 3.49 2.54 0.95 Required

6 Find buyers and search for market 3.56 2.07 1.48 Required

7 Identify suitable wholesaler and retail

agent for nursery

3.34 3.45 -0.10 Not

Required

8 Inform customers on arrival of nursery

suckers

3.63 2.62 1.01 Required

9 Distribute and transport of nursery

products to market

3.43 3.26 0.16 Required

10 Record sales and store carefully the

unsold nursery

3.55 1.57 1.97 Required

KEY: X R = Mean Required

X P = Mean Performance, IN Rqd = Improvement Required PG = Performance gap Rmks = Remarks

103

The data in Table 4 revealed that the need gap value of 9 competency items

out of 10 ranged from 0.16-1.97 were positive while 1 competency item with -0.10

negative. This indicated that the Secondary School Graduate required improvement

in nine competency item but did not require improvement in one competency item

(7) in marketing of plantain nursery.

Generally, the data indicated that Secondary School Graduates required

improvement in all the ten competency items because the need gap value of the one

competency item was very small and the Secondary School Graduate cannot do

without the one competency item during retraining.

The data in Tables 2, 3, and 4 revealed that the need gap values of 46

competency items out of the 48 items ranged from 0.27 – 1.97 were positive and 2

competency items ranged from -0.10 to -0.05 were negative. This indicated that the

Secondary School Graduates required improvement in forty six (46) competency

items and did not require improvement in two competency items.

Generally the data in Table 2,3 and 4 indicated that Secondary School

Graduates required improvement in all the 48 competency items in plantain nursery

enterprise because the need gap value in the 2 competency items that were not

required were very small and the Secondary School Graduates cannot do without the

two competency item during retraining.

104

Research Question 3

What are the competencies in plantain plantations management where secondary

school graduates require improvement for employment?

The data for answering research questions 3 were presented in Tables 5, 6, 7,

and 8.

Table 5 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates in Planning for Plantain Plantation Management Enterprise in Cross Rivers State. N= 362

S/N Module Statement X R X P PG

X R- X P

Remarks

Bi Planning for Plantain Plantation Management Enterprise

1 Formulate specific objective for plantain

plantation management enterprise

3.62 3.50 0.11 IN Rrd

2 Review the formulated objectives with

change in market demand

3.52 3.09 0.43 Required

3 Identify site for plantain plantation 3.65 1.56 2.08 Required


plantation enterprise

3.55 2.98 0.57 Required

5 Specify variety of plantain suitable for

soil in plantain plantation

3.45 3.54 -0.09 Not

Required

6 Draw program for plantain plantation

enterprise

3.69 2.23 1.45 Required


plantation management

3.58 2.33 1.25 Required

8 Identify equipment needed for each

plantain plantation management

enterprise

3.62 2.96 0.66 Required


each operation

3.47 3.01 0.46 Required

105

10 Implement activities on plantain

plantation management enterprise

3.53 3.40 0.13 Required

11 Identify suitable markets for the plantain

production

3.50 2.22 1.28 Required

12 Make budget for the plantain plantation

management

3.58 2.95 0.63 Required

13 Draw up evaluation technique to be used 3.50 3.05 0.45 Required

14 Make room for any contingency needed

in plantain plantation enterprise

3.44 2.38 1.05 Required

The data in Table 5 revealed that the need gap value of 13 out of 14

competency items ranged from 0.11 – 2.08 and were positive. This indicated that the

Secondary School Graduates required improvement in the 13 competency items. One

(item 5) out of the 14 had a need gap value of -0.09 which was negative. This

indicated that Secondary School Graduates did not require improvement in the 1 (5)

competency item.

Generally, the data in Table 5 indicated that Secondary School Graduates

required improvement in all the fourteen competency items in planning for plantain

plantation establishment and management enterprise because the need gap value of

one competency item was small and the Secondary School Graduates cannot do

without it during their retraining.

106

Table 6 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratios of Secondary School Graduate on Competency in Plantain Plantation Establishment, Planting and Plantain Thinning Operations. N= 362


X R- X P

Remarks

Bii Competency in Plantain Plantation Establishment

1 Identify suitable site for plantain

plantation establishment

3.61 1.97 1.64 IN Rrd

2 Clear the identified site with machete or

tractor

3.44 2.92 0,51 Required

3 Fell trees and shrubs with machete 3.27 1.97 1.30 Required

4 Stump the tree stem with hoe and pick

axe

3.41 2.87 0.53 Required

5 Pack and burn trash 3.09 2.51 0.58 Required

6 Carryout field layout for plantain

establishment

3.15 3.18 -0.03 Not

Required

7 Dig out holes for the measured spacing 3.45 2.49 0.96 Required

8 Transfer mature healthy seedlings or

suckers for planting

3.20 2.83 0.37 Required

9 Place the seedling or sucker each per

hole

3.51 2.85 0.65 Required

10 Cover first with top soil containing

organic matter

3.30 2.97 0.32 Required

11 Press the base of the seedling and mulch 3.66 3.03 0.63 Required

12 Water the sucker or seedling if land is

dried

3.20 2.74 0.45 Required

Biii Competencies in plantain plantation

operation

X R X P X R- X P Remarks

13 Isolate mature and healthy suckers

according to size

3.45 2.53 0.91 Required

14 Trim off shoots that are too long to

stimulate growth

3.37 2.95 0.42 Required

107

15 Remove the polythene bag leaving the

ball of earth

3.69 1.99 1.69 Required

16 Place the seedling or sucker centrally in

the hole

3.44 2.61 0.82 Required

17 Cover first with topsoil containing organic

matter

3.33 3.27 0.06 Required

18 Press the base of the seedling firmly to

the ground

3.57 3.15 0.41 Required

Biv Competencies in Thinning Operation X R X P X R- X P Remarks

19 Identify sucker to be removed 3.44 1.92 1.51 Required

20 Cut off the sucker pseudo stem 3.30 2.69 0.60 Required

21 Thrust a chisel shaped crowbar and piece

through

3.57 2.40 1.16 Required

22 Pour in some of chemical such as

kerosene

3.10 2.77 0.33 Required

23 Apply a mixture or petrol oil and grease

on cut sucker

2.96 2.55 0.40 Required


competency items ranged from 0.05 – 1.69 and were positive. This indicates that the

Secondary School Graduates required improvement in twenty two (22) competency

items. One (1) out of the 23 had a need gap value of -0.03 which was negative,

indicating that the Secondary School Graduates did not require improvement in the

one (6) competency items.

Generally, the data in Table 6 revealed that the Secondary School Graduates

required improvement in all the twenty three (23) competency items in plantain

plantation establishment, planting operation and thinning operation in plantain

plantation management enterprise because the need gap value of one competency

108

item was too small and Secondary School Graduates cannot do without it during their

retraining.

Table 7 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competency Items in Mulching, Fertilizer, Irrigation, and Weed control. N= 362


X R- X P

Remarks

Bv Competency in Mulching Operation

1 Identify sources of mulching material 3.55 2.89 0.65 IN Rrd

2 Gather all grasses from cleared farm

land

3.25 3.36 -0.10 Not

Required

3 Chop the grasses or materials into bit 3.19 2.74 0.44 Required

4 Spread the chopped dried grasses

around the base plantain

3.04 2.89 0.15 Required

5 Water the plant 3.27 3.15 0.12 Required

Bvi Competencies in Fertilizer Application


6 Identify the fertilizer to apply or use 3.59 3.01 0.57 Required

7 Use band placement or ling method 3.39 2.84 0.54 Required

8 Make a circle roundabout the stem with

trowel

3.15 2.64 0.50 Required

9 Take a small tomato tin and measure out

fertilizer

3.66 2.78 0.87 Required

10 Apply it round along constructed circle 3.24 2.96 0.27 Required

11 Cover lightly with earth 3.30 2.51 0.79 Required

12 Place small tomato tin full of fertilizer on

top of the plant about 5cm away

2.93 3.39 -0.46 Not

Required

Bvii Competencies in Irrigation Application


13 Identify surges of water 3.42 2.31 1.11 Required

14 Fill the watering can with water 3.59 3.07 0.51 Required

109

15 Connect long plastic pipes to a tap

flowing

3.45 2.17 1.27 Required

16 Direct the pipe to the stem of each plant 3.37 2.66 0.70 Required

Bviii Competencies in Weed Controls Operation


17 Identify the herbicide to use 3.60 3.07 0.53 Required

18 Get a knapsack herbicide sprayer 3.47 1.96 1.50 Required

19 Measure 5ml and dilute with 10 litres of

water

3.36 2.80 0.55 Required

20 Carry the sprayer on back and apply

pressure with hand

3.34 2.90 0.43 Required

21 Direct the nozzle to the weeds and walk

round

3.53 3.03 0.49 Required

22 Weeding mechanically with hoe 3.36 2.65 0.70 Required

23 Handpicking 3.22 2.56 0.66 Required

24 Brush or slash with cutlasses 3.10 2.74 0.36 Required

25 Use tractor pulled mower 3.14 3.28 -0.14 Not

Required

26 Herbivorous animal driven into plantation 3.46 2.51 0.95 Required

27 Planting of leguminous cover crop 3.51 2.85 0.65 Required


competency items ranged from 0.12 – 1.50 and were positive. This indicated that

Secondary School Graduates required improvement in the 24 competency items.

Three (3) out of the 27 competency items had their need gap value ranged from -

0.46 to -0.10 and were negative. This indicated that the Secondary School Graduates

did not require improvement in the three (2, 12, and 28) competency items.

110

Generally, the data in Table 7 revealed that Secondary School Graduates

required improvement in all the 27 competency items in plantain mulching, fertilizer

application, irrigation and weed control operations in plantain plantation

management enterprise because the need gap of the 3 competency items were too

small and Secondary School Graduates cannot do without them during their

retraining.

Table 8 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates in Propping, Harvesting and Marketing. N= 362


X R- X P

Remarks

Bix Competencies in Plantain Propping

1 Identify the plantain with mature bunch 3.23 2.86 0.36 IN Rrd

2 Carry two or three long Indian bamboo 3.37 3.17 0.19 Required

3 Tie rope to the lateral pole against the

two

3.51 2.30 1.21 Required

4 Placed the bamboo on the side where

branch leans

3.15 2.95 0.20 Required

5 Ensure that the poles are placed properly

so that it cannot be blown away by storm

3.42 2.93 0.49 Required

Bx Competencies in Plantain

Harvesting


6 Identify the plantain plant with mature

bunch

3.47 3.05 0.42 Required

7 Place a forked stick or a helper to receive

it

3.51 2.71 0.79 Required

8 Take a machete and make a cut or

pseudo stem

3.40 1.94 1.46 Required

9 Shake the stem slightly by pushing at

direction of force

3.27 2.92 0.34 Required

111

10 Cut the bunch off with a machete 3.59 2.84 0.75 Required

11 Carry bunch on stretchers to store house

or market

3.37 3.14 0.22 Required

Bxi Competencies in Plantain Marketing X R X P X R- X P Remarks

12 Assemble and record number of plantain

harvested

3.57 2.90 0.67 Required

13 Keep harvested bunch of plantain secure

for market

3.46 1.32 2.14 Required

14 Grade the products according to quality 3.48 2.99 0.48 Required

15 Fix prices for the bunches 3.33 2.54 0.79 Required

16 Advertise the plantain bunch to attract

buyers

3.69 2.02 1.67 Required



agents

3.55 3.45 0.10 Required

19 Inform customers on the arrival of

plantain bunches

3.56 2.40 1.15 Required

20 Distribute and transport plantation

bunches

3.63 3.34 0.29 Required

21 Record sales and store carefully the

unsold bunch

3.59 2.57 1.01 Required


X P = Mean Performance, IN Rqd = Improvement Required PG = Performance gap

The data in Table 8 revealed that the need gap value of 21 competency items

ranged from 0.10 – 2.14 and were positive. This indicated that the Secondary School

Graduates required improvement in all the twenty one competency items in

propping, harvesting, and marketing of plantain in plantain plantation management

enterprise.

112

The data in Tables 5, 6, 7 and 8 showed the need gap values of 85

competency items. Eighty (80) of the competency items ranged from 0-.01 – 2.14

were positive. This indicated that the Secondary School Graduates required

improvement in the eighty competency items. Five (5) out of the 85 competency

items ranged from -0.46 to -0.03 were negative. This indicated that the Secondary

School Graduates did not require improvement in the five (5) competency items.

Generally, the data in Tables 5,6,7 and 8 indicated that the Secondary School

Graduates required improvement in all the eighty five competency items in plantain

plantation establishment and management enterprise because the need gap value of

the five (5) competency items were small and the Secondary School Graduates

cannot do without the five competency items during their retraining.

113

Research Question 4

What are the competencies in plantain processing enterprise where secondary school

graduates require improvement for employment?

The data for answering research question 4 were presented in Tables 9, 10,

11, and 12 respectively.

Table 9 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competencies in Plantain Plantation Processing Enterprise in Cross River State. N= 314 MODULE C

S/N Competency Item X R X P PG

X R- X P

Remarks

Ci Competency in Planning for Plantain

Processing

1 Formulate specific objective for plantain

plantation processing enterprise

3.56 2.29 1.27 IN Rrd

2 Review the formulated objectives in

processing plantation processing

enterprise

3.49 1.97 1.51 Required

3 Identify site for plantation processing

enterprise

3.62 3.42 0.19 Required

4 Identify sources of credit for processing

enterprise

3.55 2.43 1.12 Required

5 Specify variety of type of plantation

processing enterprise to adopt

3.49 3.07 0.42 Required

6 Draw program for plantain processing

enterprise

3.33 2.45 0.88 Required

7 Identify materials needed for plantation

processing enterprise

3.46 2.97 0.48 Required

8 Identify the equipment needed for

specific plantation processing enterprise

3.56 3.10 0.46 Required


each operation

3.50 2.91 0.58 Required

10 Implement the activities on plantation


3.40 3.29 0.11 Required

11 Identify suitable markets for the

plantation processing enterprise

3.54 2.20 1.34 Required

114

12 Make budget for the plantation


3.25 3.38 -0.13 Not

Required

13 Draw u the evaluation techniques to be

used in processing

3.40 3.00 0.39 Required

14 Make room for any contingency needed

in plantation processing enterprise

3.39 1.96 1.42 Required

The data in table 9 revealed that the need gap value of 13 out of 14


Secondary School Graduates required improvement in the 13 competency items. One

(1) out of the 14 competency items had a need gap of -0.13 which was negative,

indicating that the secondary school graduates did not require improvement in one

(12) competency item.

Generally, the data in Table 9 indicated that the Secondary School Graduates

required improvement in all the 14 competency items in planning for plantain

processing enterprise because the need gap value of one item was too small and the

Secondary School Graduate cannot do without it during their retraining.

115

Table 10 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competencies in Processing of Plantain into Chips and into Flour

N= 314


X R- X P

Remarks

Cii Companies in Processing Plantation

into Chips

1 Identify mature unripe plantain bunch 3.63 3.69 -0.05 Not

Required

2 Separate bunch into individual fingers 3.50 3.66 -0.15 Not

Required

3 Wash the fingers and peel with knife 3.35 3.15 0.19 Required

4 Slice to shape with knife or slicer 3.23 3.63 0.40 Not Required

5 Mix the slices with salt 3.43 3.05 0.38 Required

6 Put sliced plantain into frying pot

containing oil and heat

3.20 2.89 0.31 Required

7 Remove fried slice into a container with

drainage

3.60 3.59 0.01 Required

8 Grade the slices according to sizes 3.59 2.54 1.04 Required

9 Package chips into cellophane bags

according to sizes

3.38 3.11 0.26 Required

10 Label and fix prices 3.25 2.28 0.96 Required

11 Supply to stores or market 3.18 3.34 -0.16 Not Required

Ciii Processing of Plantain into Flour

12 Harvest or purchase unripe plantain

bunch

3.28 2.75 0.53 Required

13 Separate the bunch into individual fingers 3.55 3.64 -0.08 Not

Required

14 Wash the fingers and peel with knife 3.09 2.58 0.50 Required

15 Immerse the pulp into water to prevent 3.49 2.26 1.22 Required

116

browning

16 Slice to shape with knife or automatic

slicing machine

2.96 2.88 0.08 Required

17 Treat the slice with antioxidant 3.55 2.88 0.66 Required

18 Dehydrate the slice in a cabinet dryer or

sun dry

3.61 3.24 0.37 Required

19 Mill dried slice using runner mill, hammer

mill or pound in mortar

3.03 2.88 0.14 Required

20 Sieve to produce flour 3.48 2.98 0.50 Required

21 Package or bag the flour according to

sizes

3.51 3.00 0.51 Required

22 Fix prices and market 3.36 2.91 0.44 Required


competency items ranged from 0.01 to 1.22 and were positive. This indicated that

the Secondary School Graduate required improvement in the 17 competency items.

Five (5) out of the 22 competency items ranged from -0.40 to -0.05 and were

negative. This indicated that the Secondary School Graduates did not require

improvement in the five (1, 2, 4, 11, and 13) competency items.


required improvement in all the 22 competency items in processing of plantain into

chips and flour enterprise because the need gap value of 5 (1, 2, 4, 11, and 13) were

small and the Secondary School Graduates cannot do without it during their

retraining.

117

Table 11 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competency Items in Processing of Plantain into Pudding and Dodo (ikire) Enterprise. N= 314


X R- X P

Remarks

Civ Processing Planning into Pudding

1 Obtain unripe and ripe plantain for

processing into pudding

3.41 3.59 -0.18 Not

Required

2 Peel both plantain with knife 3.26 3.55 -0.28 Not

Required

3 Wash the pulp 3.55 1.95 1.59 Required

4 Slice the pulp into sheet with knife 3.35 3.46 -0.11 Not

Required

5 Sun dry for3-5 days or use forced air

moisture extraction oven

3.57 2.27 1.30 Required

6 Mill the unripe and ripe separately 3.48 2.54 0.93 Required

7 Mix water to the milled slice to form

slurry

3.27 2.84 0.43 Required

8 Mix the ripe paste with the unripe paste 3.10 3.26 -0.15 Not

Required

9 Take two cooking spoon of palm oil and

mix with other ingredients and stir

3.48 2.54 0.94 Required

10 Wrap the paste with sterilized plantain

leaves and cook

3.58 2.03 1.55 Required

11 Allow to cool and market 3.63 3.68 -0.04 Not

Required

Cv Processing of Plantain into Dodo

(Ikire)

12 Purchase or harvest ripe plantain 3.41 2.99 0.41 Required

13 Separate the bunch into individual fingers 3.61 3.58 0.02 Required

14 Take a knife and peel the plantain 3.36 2.84 0.51 Required

15 Put pulp in a mortar and mash with 3.45 2.28 1.16 Required

118

pestle

16 Mix partially grinded pepper with mashed

pulp

3.50 2.14 1.36 Required

17 Cut paste into slurry and fry in palm oil 3.47 3.62 -0.15 Not

Required

18 Remove fried paste into a drainage and

allow to drain

3.32 2.99 0.32 Required

19 Wrap the product in musa leaves and

sale

3.29 2.55 0.74 Required



Secondary School Graduate required improvement by the 13 competency items. Six

(6) out of 19 competency items ranged from -0.18 to -0.04 and were negative,

indicating that the Secondary School Graduates did not require improvement in the 6

(1, 2, 4, 8, 11, and 17) competency items.


required improvement in all the 19 competency items in processing of plantain into

pudding and dodo ikire in plantain processing enterprise.

119

Table 12 Need Gap Analysis of the Mean Ratings of Secondary School Graduates on Competencies in Processing of Plantain into Wine and Marketing of Processed Plantain Products. N= 314


X R- X P

Remarks

Cvi Processing Planning into Wine

1 Harvest or purchase green unripe

plantain

3.34 3.35 -0.00 Not

Required

2 Accelerate ripening by burying in pits or

by heating over fire

3.51 3.57 -0.05 Not

Required

3 Peel the ripped plantain with a knife 3.48 2.87 0.61 Required

4 Put the pulp in a large wooden mortar 3.41 2.70 0.70 Required

5 Press underfoot or worked by land to

extract juice

3.34 2.58 0.75 Required

6 Apply selected grasses to assist

extraction

3.39 3.54 -0.14 Not

Required

7 Strain juice and ferment with ingredients

such as water, sorghum or honey using

culture saccharomyce

3.31 1.96 1.34 Required

8 Sieve out wine after fermentation 3.35 2.85 0.49 Required

9 Bottle the sieved out liquid 3.54 2.91 0.63 Required

10 Pasteurize by immersing filed bottle into

water bath

3.54 3.01 0.53 Required

11 Package bottle wine and market 3.22 3.61 -0.38 Not Required

Cvii Marketing of Plantain Products

12 Assemble and record products produced 3.65 2.89 0.76 Required

13 Keep products produced secured 3.36 2.30 1.06 Required

14 Grade the products according to quality 3.41 1.96 1.45 Required

15 Fix prices for the products 3.23 2.02 1.21 Required

16 Advertise the products to attract buyers 3.47 2.54 0.92 Required


120


agents

3.31 3.16 0.15 Required

19 Inform customers on the arrival of

products

3.63 2.62 1.01 Required

20 Distribution and transportation of

processed products

3.23 3.36 -0.13 Not

Required

21 Record sales and store unsold item 3.45 2.55 0.89 Required


X P = Mean Performance, NR = Not Required PG = Performance gap Rmks = Remarks


competency items ranged from 0.15 – 1.48 and were positive indicating that

Secondary School Graduates require improvement in the 16 competency items. Five

(5) out of 21 competency items had their need gap value ranged from -0.38 to -0.00

and were negative. This indicated that the Secondary School Graduates did not

require improvement in the 5 (1, 2, 6, 11, and 20) competency items.

Generally, the data in Tables 9, 10, 11 and 12 indicated that the Secondary

School Graduates required improvement in all the 21 competency items in processing

of plantain into wine and marketing of processed plantain products.

The data in Tables 9,10,11 and 12 revealed that the need gap analysis values

of 59 competency item out of 76 competency item ranged from 0.01 – 1.55 were

positive. This indicated that the Secondary School Graduates required improvement

in the 59 competency items. Seventeen (17) competency items out of the 76

competency items ranged from -0.38 to -0.00 and were negative indicating that the

121

Secondary School Graduates did not require improvement in the 17 competency

item.

Generally, the data in Tables 9, 10, 11 and 12 indicated that the Secondary

School Graduates required improvement in all the 76 competency item in processing

and marketing of plantain products because the need gap value of the 17 items were

insignificant and the Secondary School Graduates cannot do without the 17

competency items during their retraining.

Hypotheses Tested

The following hypotheses were tested in the study.

Hypothesis 1

There is no significance difference in the mean ratings of the responses of

Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Nursery Farmers and Secondary School

Graduates on Competencies Needed by Secondary School Graduates for Employment

in plantain Nursery Enterprise.

The data for testing hypothesis one were presented in table 13.

122

Table 13 Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the Mean Ratings of Teachers of

Agricultural Science, Plantain Nursery Farmers, and Secondary School Graduates on Competencies in Plantain Nursery Enterprise in Cross River State.

A. Plantain Nursery Enterprise N = 261 S/N Module Statement Total Sum

Square Mean survey of square

F-cal

P-Value

F-tab

Rmks

Ai Planning for plantain

nursery (14 items)

191.136 0.177

0.739

0.239 0.789 3.00 NS

Aii Plantain nursery

production (24 items)

206.974 0.061

0.802

0.076 0.927 3.00 NS

Aiii Marketing of plantain

nursery (10 items)

106.334 0.027

0.412

0.065 0.937 3.00 NS

The analysis of variance (ANOVA) data presented in table 13 reveal that

modules (Ai – Aiii) had their F-calculated (F-cal) values ranged from 0.065 – 0.239,

which were less than the F-critical (F-tab) value of 3.00 and their P-value ranged

from 0.787 – 0.937, which were greater than ≤ρ 0.05 level of significance. This

indicated that there was no significance difference in the mean ratings of the three

groups of respondents on the three modules (Ai – Aiii) required by Secondary School

Graduates for employment in plantSain nursery enterprises in Cross River State. The

null hypothesis of no significant difference was accepted for the three modules.

The three modules (Ai – Aiii) had 48 corresponding competency items of

which 43 had their F-calculated (F-cal) value ranged from 0.002 – 2.238 which were

less than the F-critical (F-tab) value of 3.00 and their P-values ranged from 0.192 –

0.998 which were greater than ≤ρ 0.05 level of significance. This indicated that

there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural

123

Science, Plantain Nursery Farmers, and Secondary School Graduates on 43 out of 48

competency items required by Secondary School Graduates for employment in

plantain nursery enterprises. Therefore, the null hypothesis of no significant

difference was accepted for the 43 items required by Secondary School Graduates for

employment in plantain nursery enterprise (see Appendix XI page 251).

Five (5) competency items out of the 48, with their F-calculated (F-cal) values

ranged from 3.131 – 5.147, which were greater than the F-critical (F-tab) value of

3.00 and their P-value ranged from 0.009 – 0.045 which were less than ≤ρ 0.05

level of significance. This indicated that there was a significant difference in the

mean ratings of the three respondents of each of the 5 (items 9, 20, 21, 25 and 28)

competency items; the hypothesis of no significant difference was rejected for the 5

items (see Appendix XI page 251).

Hypothesis 2


Teachers in Agricultural Science, Plantain Plantation Management Farmers and

Secondary School Graduates on competencies needed by secondary school

graduates for employment in plantain plantation management enterprises.

The data for testing hypothesis two were presented in Table 14.

124


Agricultural Science, Plantain Plantation Management Farmers and Secondary School Graduates on Competencies in Plantain Plantation Management Enterprises. B. Plantain Plantation Enterprise N = 362

S/N Module Statement Total

Sum

Square

Mean

Sum of

Square

F-Cal

P-

Value

F-

Tab

RMK

Bi Planning for plantain


enterprise (14 items)

225.789 0.082

0.629

0.130 0.878 3.00 NS

Bii Plantain plantation

establishment (12 items)

164.602 0.108

0.458

0.237 0.789 3.00 NS

Biii Plantain planting operation

(6 items)

147.749 0.126

0.411

0.306 0.737 3.00 NS

Biv Thinning operation (5 items) 257.904 1.290

0.711

1.814 0.164 3.00 NS

Bv Mulching operation (5 items) 174.265 0.485

0.483

1.004 0.367 3.00 NS

Bvi Irrigation operation (4 items) 192.789 0.153

0.536

0.285 0.752 3.00 NS

Bvii Fertilizer operation (7 items) 203.497 0.256

0.565

0.454 0.636 3.00 NS

Bviii Weed control operation (11

items)

223.577 0.451

0.620

0.728 0.484 3.00 NS

Bix Propping operation (5 items) 183.320 0.400

0.508

0,787 0.456 3.00 NS

Bx Harvesting operation (6

items)

168.378 0.061

0.469

0.130 0.878 3.00 NS

Bxi Marketing of plantain (10

items)

120.076 0.028

0.334

0.085 0.918 3.00 NS

The analysis of variance (ANOVA) presented in Table 14 revealed that

modules (Bi – Bxi) had their F-calculated (F-cal) value ranged from 0.085 – 1.814

125

which were less than the F-critical (F-tab) value of 3.00 and their P-value ranged

from 0.164 – 0.918 which were greater than ≤ρ 0.05 level of significance. This

indicated that there was no significance difference in the mean ratings of Teachers of

Agricultural Science, Plantain Plantation Management Farmers and Secondary School

Graduates on the eleven modules (Bi–Bxi) required by Secondary School Graduates

for employment in plantain plantation management enterprise. The null hypothesis of

no significant difference was accepted for the eleven modules.

The eleven modules (Bi–Bxi) had 85 corresponding competency items of

which 79 had their F-calculated (F-cal) values ranged from 0.016 – 2.621 which

were less than the F-critical (F-tab) value of 3.00 and their P-value ranged from

0.067 – 0.984 which were greater than ≤ρ 0.05 level of significance. This indicated

that there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of the three groups of

respondents on 79 out of 85 competency items required by the Secondary School

Graduates for employment in plantain plantation management enterprise. Therefore,

the null hypothesis of no significant difference was accepted for the 79 competency

items in plantain plantation management enterprise (see Appendix XI page 255).

The data also revealed that 6 out of the 85 competency items with their F-

calculated (F-cal) values ranged from 3.458 – 6.401 which were greater than F-

critical (F-tab) value of 3.00 and were less than ≤ρ 0.05 level of significance. This

indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean ratings of the three

groups of respondents on each of the (2, 9, 36, 45, 52 and 68) competency items.

Therefore, the hypothesis of no significant difference was rejected for the 6 items

(see Appendix XI page 255).

126

Hypothesis 3


Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Processors and Marketers and Secondary

School Graduates on competencies needed by secondary school graduates for

employment in plantain processing enterprises.

The data for testing hypothesis three were presented in Table 15.


Agricultural Science, Plantain Processors and Marketers and Secondary School Graduates on Competencies Needed by Secondary School Graduates for Employment in Plantain Processing Enterprises. C. Plantain Processing/Marketing Enterprise N = 314

S/N Module Statement Total Sum Square

Mean Survey of Square

F-Cal

P-Value

F-Tab

RMK

Ci Planning for plantain

processing enterprise (14

items)

212.106 0.099

0.681

0.145 0.865 3.00 NS

Cii Processing of plantain into

chips (11 items)

171.856 0.063

0.552

0.114 0.893 3.00 NS

Ciii Processing of plantain into

flour (11 items)

167.910 0.046

0.540

0.085 0.918 3.00 NS

Civ Processing of plantain into

pudding (11 items)

162.622 0.136

0.522

0.260 0.771 3.00 NS

Cv Processing of plantain into

dodo (11 items)

174.049 0.097

0.559

0.174 0.840 3.00 NS

Cvi Processing of plantain into

wine (11 items)

165.552 0.103

0.532

0.193 0.824 3.00 NS

cvii Marketing of processed

plantain products (10 items)

115.853 0.026

0.372

0.070 0.932 3.00 NS

127

The data presented in Table 15 revealed that modules (Ci – Cvii) had their F-

calculated (F-cal) values ranged from 0.070 – 0.260 which were less than the F-

critical (F-tab) value of 3.00, and their P-value ranged from 0.824 – 0.932 which

were greater than ≤ρ 0.05 level of significance. This indicated that there was no

significance difference in the mean ratings of Agricultural Science Teachers, Plantain

Processors and Marketers and Secondary School Graduates on the seven modules

(Ci–Cvii) required by Secondary School Graduates for employment in plantain

processing and marketing enterprise. Therefore, the null hypothesis of no significant

difference was accepted for the seven modules.

The seven modules (Ci–Cvii) had the 76 corresponding competency items of

which 65 had their F-calculated (F-cal) value ranged from 0.008 – 0.804 which were

less than the F-critical (F-tab) value of 3.00 and their P-value ranged from 0.438 –

0.992 which were greater than ≤ρ 0.05 level of significance. This indicated that

there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of the three groups of

respondents on 65 out of 76 competency items required by secondary school

graduates for employment in plantain processing and marketing enterprises.

Therefore, the null hypothesis of no significant difference was accepted for the 65

items in plantain processing and marketing (see Appendix XI page 265).

Eleven(11) competency items out of 76 had their F-calculated (F-cal) values

ranged from 3.07 – 9.54 which were greater than F-critical (F-cal) value of 3.00 and

their P-value ranged from 0.001 – 0.047 which were less than ≤ρ 0.05 level of

significance. This indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean ratings

of the three groups of respondents on each of the eleven (9, 13, 17, 24, 38, 40, 43,

128

55, 60, and 65) competencies. Therefore, the hypothesis of no significant difference

was rejected for the eleven items (see Appendix XI page 265).

Major Findings of the Study

The following findings emerged from the study based on the research

questions answered and the hypotheses tested.

Competencies required by secondary school graduates in plantain nursery,

plantain plantation management, and plantain processing and marketing enterprises

in Cross River State.

It was found out from the study that 209 competencies were required by

Secondary School Graduates in plantain nursery, plantain plantation management

and plantain processing and marketing enterprises in Cross River State. The

competency items were arranged under the following modules (A – C):

Ai: Planning for Plantain Nursery Enterprise

Competency Elements;

1. Formulate specific objectives for plantain nursery enterprise;

2. Review formulated objective with change in market demand;

3. Identify site for plantain nursery enterprise ;

4. Identify sources of credit for plantain nursery enterprise;

5. Specify variety of plantain sucker suitable for the soil;

6. Draw program for plantain nursery enterprise ;

7. Identify materials needed for plantain nursery production;

8. Identify the equipment needed for plantain nursery;

129

9. Identify qualified personnel required for various operations;

10. Implement activities in plantain nursery production;

11. Identify suitable markets for the plantain nursery enterprise;

12. Make budget for the plantain nursery enterprise;

13. Draw up the evaluation techniques to be used in plantain nursery; and

14. Make room for any contingency needed in plantain nursery;

Aii: Plantain Nursery Production


1. Identify the sword sucker for production ;

2. Dig round the sucker to remove it from mother plant;

3. Wash out excess soil and prune dead dried leaves;

4. Dip the corm in a nematicide;

5. Identify the level of sucker attachment to soil and peel from top downward;

6. Locate the “V” point of leave sheat with a knife;

7. At the edge of the “V” formed, detach other attachment to the sucker and

make a cut around the stem;

8. Repeat step 7 above until it becomes difficult to see the “V” point;

9. Reduce the pseudostem to 1-2cm;

10. Place the sucker in a location that it will receive sun for 48 hours;

11. Take up the sucker again and reduce the height;

12. Make a crosswise incision 3cm deep across the sucker;

13. make a second incision perpendicular to the first to damage the apical

meristem to break dominance;

130

14. Set the explant aside for 2-3 hours in a shade;

15. Place the explants in a germination bed for plantain plantlets to develop and

make a shade above the bed;

16. Cover germination bed with plastic or saw dust;

17. Make a shade above the bed;

18. Water the germination bed periodically to maintain constant moisture;

19. Remove the explant from germination bed within 6-8 weeks and gently wash

the substrate;

20. Cut off plantlet with 2-5 leaves with sharp knife and put into a polythene bag;

21. Return the explant back to germination bed after removing the plantlet with 2-

5 leaves;

22. Continue harvesting plantlets until explant deteriorate;

23. Keep harvested plantlets in a shade house; and

24. Care for plantlets to avoid nematodes infesting it.

131

Aiii: Marketing of Plantain Nursery


1. Assemble and record the number of nursery produced;

2. Keep nursery produced secured and ventilated for marketing;

3. Grade the nursery seedling according to quality and size;

4. Fix prices for the nursery seedling produced;

5. Advertise the nursery seedling to attract buyers;

6. Identify appropriate market for plantain nursery;

7. Identify suitable buyers for plantain nursery seedlings;

8. Identify the locations of the buyers of plantain nursery seedlings;

9. Distribute and transport plantain nursery seedlings to buyers; and

10. Record sales and store carefully the unsold nursery seedlings.

Bi: Planning for Plantain Management Enterprise


1. Formulate specific objectives for plantain plantation management;

2. Review formulated objectives with change in market demand;

3. Identify site for plantain plantation;

4. Identify sources of Credit for plantain plantation enterprise;

5. Specify variety of plantain suitable for soil in the plantation;

6. Draw program for plantain plantation enterprise;

7. Identify materials needed for plantain plantation management;

8. Identify equipment needed for each specific plantain management enterprise;

132

9. Identify qualified personnel required for each operation in plantain plantation

management;

10. Implement activities in plantain plantation management;

11. Identify suitable markets for the plantain;

12. Make budget for the plantain plantation management;

13. Draw up the evaluation technique to be used; and

14. Make room for any contingency needed in plantain plantation enterprise.

Bii: Establishing Plantain Plantation


1. Identify a suitable site for plantain plantation establishment;

2. Clear the bush identified with machete or tractor;

3. Cut the threes and shrubs with appropriate implements;

4. Stump the tree stem with hoe and pick axe;

5. Pack and burn trash;

6. Carry out field layout for plantain establishment;

7. Dig holes for the measured spacing;

8. Transfer mature seedlings and healthy suckers to the plantation site for

planting;

9. Place seedlings or suckers each per hole centrally;

10. Fill first with top soil containing organic matter;

11. Press the base of the seedling and mulch; and

12. Water the plant if land is dried.

133

Biii: Planting Operation


1. Isolate mature and healthy plantain seedlings or suckers according to sizes;

2. Trim off shoots that are too long to stimulate growth;

3. Remove the polythene bag leaving the ball of earth to the roots;

4. Place the seedlings centrally in the hole at 7m apart;

5. Fill the hole first with top soil then with bottom soil; and

6. Press the base of the plantain seedling firmly to the ground.

Biv: Thinning Operation


1. Identify the weak sucker to be remove;

2. Remove or cut off the weak sucker with appropriate implements or tools;

3. Thrust a chisel-shaped crowbar and pierce through the growing tip and twist

many times;

4. Pour in some chemical such as kerosene on the cut sucker; and

5. Apply a mixture of petrol, oil, and grease on the cut sucker and allow to die.

Bv: Mulching Operation

Competency Elements ;

1. Identify sources of mulching material;

2. Collect grasses from cleared farm lands;

3. Chop the grasses or materials into bits with appropriate implement; and

4. Spread the chopped dried grasses around the base of the plantain plant.

134

Bvi: Fertilizer Application


1. Obtain the fertilizer to apply (urea, muriate, or patash, potassium, NPK, farm

yard manure);

2. Get a trowel and make a circile of about 4 to 8ft apart from the trunk;

3. Apply 300kg/ha/yr of nitrogen (as urea) and 550kg/ha/yr of potassium (a

muriate of potash) in six (6) split application;

4. Apply 450gm of urea, 225gm 1/2b of triple super phosphate, 225gm muriate

of potash per plant of plantain around the constructed circle;

5. Cover lightly with earth;

6. Take a small tomato tin of fertilizer (nitrogen phosphate, potassium); and

7. Apply the quantity in 6 above 5cm away from each stand of plantain for band

placement.

Bvii: Irrigation Application


1. Identify sources of water;

2. Determine the quantity of water required per plant or hectare;

3. Identify the method of irrigation to use (watering can, pipe channel, drip or

sprinkler); and

4. Supply water to the base of plantain plants using the selected method.

135

Bviii: Weed Control

Competency Elements:

a. Chemical Control -

1. Identify the type of herbicide to use to control weed (contact non selective

herbicide, long lasting systemic and total herbicides);

2. Get a knapsack herbicide sprayer;

3. measure 5ml of the identified herbicide in (1) above and dilute with 10 litres

of water;

4. Apply herbicide on weeds two to three months after planting; and

5. Repeat the application after four months of first application.

b. Mechanical Control -

6. Weeding with hoe;

7. Hand pulling or picking of weeds;

8. Brushing or slashing with cutlasses; and

9. Use tractor pulled mower.

c. Biological Control -

10. Drive herbivores animal into plantation to feed on weed; and

11. Plant leguminious cover crops such as centrosema pueraria and calapogonium

to suppress weed.

Bix: Plantain Propping


1. Identify the plantain stem with bunches that requires propping;

2. Carry two or three long Indian bamboo;

136

3. Tie a rope to the lateral pole against the two bamboo;

4. Place the bamboo on the side where the bunch leans over; and

5. Ensure that the poles are placed properly so that it may not be blow away by

storm.

Bx: Harvesting of Plantain


1. Identify matured bunch of plantain to be harvested;

2. Place a forked stick or a helper to receive the bunch as it comes down;

3. Take a machete and cut about 6-8cm on the pseudostem;

4. Shake the pseudostem slightly by pushing at direction of force;

5. Cut the bunch off the pseudostem with a machete; and

6. Carry bunch on stretcher to store house or market.

Bxi: Marketing of Plantain


1. Assemble and record the number of plantain bunches harvested from

plantation;

2. Keep harvested bunches of plantain secured and ventilated for market;

3. Grade the produce according to quality;

4. Fix prices for the plantain bunches;

5. Advertise the plantain bunches to attract buyers;

6. Identify appropriate market for sales of plantain bunches;

7. Identify suitable buyers for plantain bunches;

8. Identify the location of the buyers of plantain bunches;

137

9. Distribute and transport plantain bunches to buyers; and

10. Record sales and store carefully the unsold plantain bunches.

Ci: Planning for Plantain Processing/Marketing Enterprise


1. Formulate specific objectives for plantain processing enterprise;

2. Review formulated objectives with changes in market demand;

3. Identify site for plantain processing enterprise;

4. Identify sources of credit for plantain processing enterprise;

5. Specify variety of plantain processing enterprise to adopt;

6. Draw program for plantain processing enterprise;

7. Identify materials needed for plantain processing enterprise;

8. Identify the equipment needed for each plantain processing enterprise;

9. Identify qualified personnel required for operation in each plantain processing

enterprise;

10. Implement activities on plantain processing enterprises;

11. Identify suitable market for the plantain processed products;

12. Make budget for the plantain processing enterprise;


14. make room for any contingency needed in plantain processing enterprise.

Cii: Processing of Plantain into Chips


1. Identify mature unripe plantain bunch;

138

2. Separate the bunch into individual fingers;

3. Wash the fingers and peel with knife;

4. Slice to shape with knife or plantain slicer;

5. Mix slices with salt;

6. Put the sliced into a frying pot containing oil and heat;

7. Remove fried slices into a container with drainage and allow to cool;

8. Grade the chips according to sizes;

9. Package chips into cellophane or polythene bags according to sizes;

10. Label and fix prices; and

11. Supply to stores or sent to market.

Ciii: Processing of Plantain into flour

Competency Elements:-

1. Harvest or purchase unripe plantain bunch from farm or market;


3. Wash fingers and peel with a knife;

4. Immerse the pulp into a bowl of water to prevent browning;

5. Slice to shape with a knife or automatic dicing machines;

6. Treat the slice with antioxidant;

7. Dehydrate the slice in a cabinet dryer or sun dryer;

8. Mill dry slice using runner mill, hammer mill or pound in a mortar;

9. Sieve to produce fine flour;

10. Package or bag the flour according to sizes; and

11. Fix prices and market.

139

Civ: Processing of Plantain into Pudding


1. Obtain unripe and ripe plantain;

2. Peel both plantain with knife;

3. Wash pulp with water;

4. Slice the pulp into sheet with knife;

5. Sun dry the sliced pulp for 3-5 days or use a forced air moisture extraction

oven;

6. Mill the unripe and ripe slice separately;

7. Mix water to the milled slice to form slurry;

8. Mix the ripe slurry with the unripe slurry;

9. Mix two cooking spoonful of palm oil with other ingredients and stir

vigorously;

10. Wrap the mix slurry with sterilized plantain leaves and cook for one hour; and

11. Air it to cool and market.

Cv: Processing of Plantain into Dodo (Ikire)


1. Purchase ripe plantain from market;


3. Peel each finger with a knife to obtain pulp;

4. Put the pulp in a mortar and mash with a pestle;

5. Mix partially grinded pepper with the mashed pulp;

6. Cut paste into slurry and fry in palm oil;

140

7. Remove fried paste into a sieve to drain; and

8. Wrap products in musa leave and sale.

Cvi: Processing of Plantain into Wine


1. Purchase green unripe plantain;

2. Accelerate ripening either by burying in pits or by heating over kitchen fire;

3. Peel the ripped plantain with knife;

4. Put the pulp in a large wooden mortar;

5. Press underfoot or worked by hand to extract juice;

6. Apply selected grasses to aid extraction of juice;

7. Strain juice and ferment the wine with ingredient such as water, sorghum or

honey using culture scochorohnycee cervevisiae;

8. Sieve out wine after fermentation;

9. Bottle sieve out liquid;

10. Pasteurize by immersing filed bottles into water bath; and

11. Package bottle wine and market.

Cvii: Marketing of Processed Plantain Products


1. Assemble and record the number of processed products;

2. Keep processed products secured and ventilated for marketing;

3. Grade processed products according to quality;

4. Fix prices for processed products;

141

5. Advertise processed products to attract buyers;

6. Identify appropriate market for sales of processed products;

7. Identify suitable buyers for the processed products;

8. Identify the location of buyers of plantain processed products;

9. Transport and distribute processed products to buyers; and

10. Record sales and store carefully the unsold processed products.

Competencies Required by Secondary School Graduates in Plantain

Nursery Enterprise for Employment

It was found out from the study that 48 competencies were required by

Secondary School Graduates in plantain nursery enterprise in Cross River State. The

competency items were arranged from module Ai – Aiii as:

Ai: Planning for Plantain Nursery Enterprise


1. Formulate specific objectives for plantain nursery enterprise;


3. Identify site for plantain nursery enterprise;

4. Identify sources of credit for plantain nursery enterprise;

5. Specify variety of plantain sucker suitable for the soil;

6. Draw program for plantain nursery enterprise ;

7. Identify materials needed for plantain nursery production;

8. Identify the equipment needed for plantain nursery;

9. Identify the qualified personnel required for various operation;

142

10. Implement activities in plantain nursery production ;

11. Identify suitable markets for the plantain nursery enterprise;

12. Make budget for the plantain nursery enterprise ;

13. Draw up the evaluation techniques to be used in plantain nursery; and

14. Make room for any contingency needed in plantain nursery.

Aii: Plantain Nursery Production

Competency Elements :

1. Identify the sword sucker for production ;

2. Dig round the sucker to remove it from mother plant;

3. Wash out excess soil and prune dead dried leaves;

4. Dip the corm in a nematicide;

5. Identify the level of sucker attachment to soil and peal from top downward;

6. Locate the “V” point of leave sheat with a knife;

7. At the edge of the “V” formed, detach other attachment to the sucker and

make a cut around the stem;

8. Repeat step 7 above until it becomes difficult to see the “V” point;

9. Reduce the pseudostem to 1-2mcm;

10. Place the sucker in a location that it will receive sun for 48 hours;

11. Take up the sucker again and reduce the height;

12. Make a crosswise incision 3cm deep across the sucker;

13. make a second incision perpendicular to the first to damage the apical

meristem to break dominance;

143

14. Set the explant aside for 2-3 hours in a shade;

15. Place the explants in a germination bed for plantain plantlets to develop and

make a shade above the bed;

16. Cover germination bed with plastic or saw dust;

17. Make a shade above the bed;

18. Water the germination bed periodically to maintain constant moisture;

19. Remove the explant from germination bed within 6-8 weeks and gently wash

the substrate;

20. Cut off plantlet with 2-5 leaves with sharp knife and put into a polythene bag;

21. Return the explant back to germination bed after removing the plantlet with 2-

5 leaves;

22. Continue harvesting plantlets until explant deteriorate;

23. Keep harvested plantlets in a shade house. and

24. care for plantlets to avoid nematodes infesting it.

Aiii: Marketing of Plantain Nursery


1. Assemble and record the number of nursery produced ;

2. Keep nursery produced secured and ventilated for marketing;

3. Grade the nursery seedling according to quality and size;

4. Fix prices for the nursery seedling produced;

5. Advertise the nursery seedling to attract buyers;

6. Identify appropriate market for plantain nursery;

7. Identify suitable buyers for plantain nursery seedlings;

144

8. Identify the locations of the buyers or plantain nursery seedlings;

9. Distribute and transport plantain nursery seedlings to buyers; and

10. Record sales and store carefully the unsold nursery.


Plantation Establishment and Management Enterprise for Employment in

Cross River State

Bi: Planning for Plantain Management Enterprise


1. Formulate specific objectives for plantain plantation management enterprise;


3. Identify site for plantain plantation;

4. Identify sources of Credit for plantain plantation enterprise;

5. Specify variety of plantain suitable for soil in the plantation;

6. ]Draw program for plantain plantation enterprise;

7. Identify materials needed for plantain plantation management operation;

8. Identify equipment needed for each specific plantain management enterprise;

9. Identify qualified personnel required for each operation in plantain plantation

management;

10. Implement activities in plantain plantation management;

11. Identify suitable markets for the plantain;

12. Make budget for the plantain plantation management;


145

14. Make room for any contingency needed in plantain plantation enterprise.

Bii: Establishing Plantain Plantation


1. Identify a suitable site for plantain plantation establishment;

2. Clear the bush identified with machete or tractor;

3. Cut the threes and shrubs with appropriate implements;

4. Stump the tree stem with hoe and pick axe;

5. Pack and burn trash;

6. Carry out field layout for plantain establishment;

7. Dig holes for the measured spacing;

8. Transfer mature seedlings and healthy suckers to the plantation for planting;

9. Place seedlings or suckers each per hole centrally;

10. Cover first with top soil containing organic matter;

11. Press the base of the seedling and mulch; and

12. Water the plant if land is dried.

Biii: Planting Operation


1. Isolate mature and healthy plantain seedlings or suckers according to sizes;

2. Trim off shoots that are too long to stimulate growth;

3. Remove the polythene bag leaving the ball of earth to the roots;

4. Place the seedlings centrally in the hole at 7m apart;

5. Fill the hole first with top soil then with bottom soil; and

6. Press the base of the plantain seedling firmly to the ground.

146

Biv: Thinning Operation


1. Identify the weak sucker to be removed;

2. Remove or cut off the weak sucker with appropriate implements or tools;

3. Thrust a chisel-shaped crowbar and pierce through the growing tip and twist

many times;

4. Pour in some chemical such as kerosene on the cut sucker; and

5. Apply a mixture of petrol, oil, and grease on the cut sucker and allow to die.

Bv: Mulching Operation


1. Identify sources of mulching material;

2. Collect grasses from cleared farm lands;

3. Chop the grasses or materials into bits with appropriate implement; and

4. Spread the chopped dried grasses around the base of the plantain plant.

Bvi: Fertilizer Application


1. Obtain the fertilizer to apply (urea, muriate of potash, potassium, NPK, farm

yard manure);

2. Get a trowel and make a circle of about 4 to 8ft apart from the trunk;

3. Apply 300kg/ha/yr of nitrogen (as urea) and 550kg/ha/yr of potassium (a

muriate of potash) in six (6) split application;

147

4. Apply 450gm of urea, 225gm 1/2b of triple super phosphate, 225gm muriate

of potash per plant of plantain around the constructed circle;

5. Cover lightly with earth;

6. Take a small tomato tin of fertilizer (nitrogen phosphate, potassium); and

7. Apply the quantity in 6 above 5cm away from each stand of plantain for band

placement.

Bvii: Irrigation Application


1. Identify sources of water;

2. Determine the quantity of water required per plant or hectare;

3. Identify the method of irrigation to use (watering can, pipe or channel); and

4. Supply water to the base of plantain plants using the selected method.

Bviii: Weed Control


a. Chemical Control:-

1. Identify the type of herbicide to use to control weed (contact non selective

herbicide, long lasting systemic and total herbicides);

2. Get a knapsack herbicide sprayer;

3. measure 5ml of the identified herbicide in (1) above and dilute with 10 litres

of water;

4. Apply herbicide on weeds two to three months after planting; and

5. Repeat the application after four months of first application.

b. Mechanical Control:-

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6. Weeding with hoe;

7. Hand pulling or picking of weeds;

8. Brushing or slashing with cutlasses; and

9. Use tractor pulled mower.

c. Biological Control:-

10 Drive herbivores animal into plantation to feed on weed;

11 Plant leguminious cover crops such as centrosema pueraria and calapogonium

to suppress weed.

Bix: Plantain Propping


1. Identify the plantain stem with bunches that requires propping;

2. Carry two or three long Indian bamboo;

3. Tie a rope to the lateral pole against the two bamboo;

4. Place the bamboo on the side where the bunch leans over; and

5. Ensure that the poles are placed properly so that it may not be blown away by

storm.

Bx: Harvesting of Plantain


1. Identify matured bunch of plantain to be harvested;

2. Place a forked stick or a helper to receive the bunch as it comes down;

3. Take a machete and cut about 6-8cm on the pseudostem;

4. Shake the pseudostem slightly by pushing at direction of force;

5. Cut the bunch off the pseudostem with a machete; and

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6. Carry bunch on stretcher to store house or market.

Bxi: Marketing of Plantain


1. Assemble and record the number of plantain bunches harvested from

plantation;

2. Keep harvested bunches of plantain secured and ventilated for market;

3. Grade the produce according to quality;

4. Fix prices for the plantain bunches;

5. Advertise the plantain bunches to attract buyers;

6. Identify appropriate market for sales of plantain bunches;

7. Identify suitable buyers for plantain bunches;

8. Identify the location of the buyers of plantain bunches;

9. Distribute and transport plantain bunches to buyers; and

10. Record sales and store carefully the unsold bunches.


Processing and Marketing Enterprise for Employment in Cross River State

It was found out from the study that 76 competency items were required by

secondary school graduates in plantain processing and marketing enterprise. The

competency items were arranged from Ci–Cvii as:

Ci: Planning for Plantain Processing and Marketing Enterprise


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1. Formulate specific objectives for plantain processing enterprise;

2. Review formulated objectives with changes in market demand;

3. Identify site for plantain processing enterprise;

4. Identify sources of credit for plantain processing enterprise;

5. Specify variety of plantain processing enterprise to adopt;

6. Draw program for plantain processing enterprise;

7. Identify materials needed for plantain processing enterprise;

8. Identify the equipment needed for each plantain processing enterprise;

9. Identify qualified personnel required for operation in each plantain processing

enterprise;

10. Implement activities on plantain processing enterprises;

11. Identify suitable market for the plantain processed products;

12. Make budget for the plantain processing enterprise;


14. make room for any contingency needed in plantain processing enterprise.

Cii: Processing of Plantain into Chips


1. Identify mature unripe plantain bunch;


3. Wash the fingers and peel with knife;

4. Slice to shape with knife or plantain slicer;

5. Mix slices with salt;

6. Put the sliced into a frying pot containing oil and heat;

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7. Remove fried slices into a container with drainage and allow to cool;

8. Grade the chips according to sizes;

9. Package chips into cellophane or polythene bags according to sizes;

10. Label and fix prices; and

11. Supply to stores or sent to market.

Ciii: Processing of Plantain into flour


1. Harvest or purchase unripe plantain bunch from farm or market;


3. Wash fingers and peel with a knife;

4. Immerse the pulp into a bowl of water to prevent browning;

5. Slice to shape with a knife or automatic dicing machines;

6. Treat the slice with antioxidant;

7. Dehydrate the slice in a cabinet dryer or sun dryer;

8. Mill dry slice using runner mill, hammer mill or pound in a mortar;

9. Sieve to produce fine flour;

10. Package or bag the flour according to sizes; and

11. Fix prices and market.

Civ: Processing of Plantain into Pudding


1. Obtain unripe and ripe plantain;

2. Peel both plantain with knife;

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3. Wash pulp with water;

4. Slice the pulp into sheet with knife;

5. Sun dry the sliced pulp for 3-5 days or use a forced air moisture extraction

oven;

6. Mill the unripe and ripe slice separately;

7. Mix water to the milled slice to form slurry;

8. Mix the ripe slurry with the unripe slurry;

9. Mix two cooking spoonful of palm oil with other ingredients and stir

vigorously;

10. Wrap the mix slurry with sterilized plantain leaves and cook for one hour; and

11. Air it to cool and market.

Cv: Processing of Plantain into Dodo (Ikire)


1. Purchase ripe plantain from market;


3. Peel each finger with a knife to obtain pulp;

4. Put the pulp in a mortar and mash with a pestle;

5. Mix partially grinded pepper with the mashed pulp;

6. Cut paste into slurry and fry in palm oil;

7. Remove fried paste into a sieve to drain; and

8. Wrap products in musa leave and sale.

Cvi: Processing of Plantain into Wine


1. Purchase green unripe plantain;

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2. Accelerate ripening either by burying in pits r by heating over kitchen fire;

3. Peel the ripped plantain with knife;

4. Put the pulp in a large wooden mortar;

5. Press underfoot or worked by hand to extract juice;

6. Apply selected grasses to aid extraction of juice;

7. Strain juice and ferment the wine with ingredient such as water, sorghum or

honey using culture scocharomycee cervevisice;

8. Sieve out wine after fermentation;

9. Bottle sieve out liquid;

10. Pasteurize by immersing filed bottles into water bath; and

11. Package bottle wine and market.

Cvii: Marketing of Processed Plantain Products


1. Assemble and record the number of processed products;

2. Keep processed products secured and ventilated for marketing;

3. Grade processed products according to quality;

4. Fix prices for processed products;

5. Advertise processed products to attract buyers;

6. Identify appropriate market for sales of processed products;

7. Identify suitable buyers for the processed products;

8. Identify the location of buyers of plantain processed products;

9. Transport and distribute processed products to buyers; and

10. Record sales and store carefully the unsold processed products.

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Major Findings on the Hypotheses

The following findings emerged from the hypotheses tested

HO1: It was found out from the hypothesis tested that there was no significant

difference in the mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, plantain

nursery farmers, and secondary school graduates on the three modules (Ai –

Aiiii) and 43 out of the 48 competency items were required by secondary

school graduates for employment in plantain nursery enterprise. It was also

found out that there was significant difference in five (5) competency items

required by secondary school graduates for improvement in plantain nursery

enterprises.



plantation management farmers and secondary school graduates on the

eleven (11) modules (Bi – Bxi) and 79 out of 85 competency items were

required by secondary school graduates for employment in plantain plantation

managements enterprise. It was also found out that there was significant

difference in six (6) competency items required by secondary school graduates

for improvement in plantain plantation management enterprise.



processors and marketers and secondary school graduates on the seven

modules (Ci – Cvii) and 65 out of 76 competency items were required by

secondary school graduates for employment in plantain processing and

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marketing enterprises. It was also found out that there was significant

difference in eleven (11) competency items required by secondary school

graduates for improvement in plantain processing/marketing enterprises.

Discussion of Findings

Enterprise I: Plantain Nursery Enterprise

The study found out that the competencies required by secondary school

graduates in plantain nursery enterprises were:

Ai: Competencies in planning for plantain nursery (14 items)

Aii: Competencies in plantain nursery production (24 items)

Aiii: Competencies in marketing of plantain nursery (10 items)

In summary, it was found out that 48 competency were required by secondary

school graduates for employment in plantain nursery enterprise.

The findings on competencies in planning for nursery were in agreement with

the view of Olaitan and Mama (2001) that steps in planning school farm are as

follows: formulate specific objectives for the farm, revise the objectives periodically,

and draw up programme plan for the farm operation among others. The findings also

agreed with the submission of Nkoli in Asogwa (2009) that steps in planning are as

follows: choose a farm of sufficient size to support the objectives of the farm, draw

programme for the farm as long as possible, outline farming strategies around the

existing market, allow enough space in the plan for changes among others.

The findings on competencies in nursery production were in consonance with

the view of Faturoti and Tenkonono (2006) that steps in nursery production as:

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obtain sword sucker from an actively growing plant, locate the level of sucker

attachment to the soil then peel from top downward, locate the “V” junction, reduce

the pseudostem to 1-2cm among others. The findings were also in conformity with

the views of Darven (2007) who stated steps in nursery production as follows:

identify a swird sucker for production, dig round the sucker to remove it from mother

plant, wash excess soil, remove any dead dried leaves, reduce the length of corm to

10cm, identify the transition zone of the outermost sheath, locate “V” form of the

corm among others.

The findings on competencies in marketing of plantain nursery were in

consonance with the opinion of Ehiametalor (1999) who outline steps in marketing of

agricultural products as: assembling of the product, grading of products according to

quality, identifying customers using sales promotion as a tool, fixing prices among

others. The findings of the study was also in agreement with the opinion of George

and Robert (2007) who stated steps in marketing as: processing of products to

attract customers, assembling and packaging of products, grading, fixing prices on

products among others.

The views and submissions of the authors cited above on nursery production

helped to increase the reliability of the findings of this study on plantain production

enterprise.

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Enterprise II: Plantain Plantation Establishment and Management Enterprise

The study found out as follows:

Bi: Competencies in planning for plantain plantation management (14 items)

Bii: Competencies in plantain plantation establishment (12 items)

Biii: Competencies in planting operation (6 items)

Biv: Competencies in thinning operation (5 items)

Bv: Competencies in mulching operation (5 items)

Bvi: Competencies in fertilizer application (7 items)

Bvii: Competencies in irrigation application (4 items)

Bviii: Competencies in weed control (11 items)

Bix: Competencies in propping operation (5 items)

Bx: Competencies in harvesting of plantain (6 items)

Bxi: Competencies in marketing of plantain bunches (10 items)

In summary, it was found from the study that 85 competency items were

required by Secondary School Graduates for employment in plantain plantation

establishment and management enterprise.

The findings on competencies in planning for plantain plantation management

were in conformity with the opinion of Yalokwu (2002) that steps in planning for an

enterprise are as follows: identification of farming opportunities, determination of

goals, mission and objectives of the farm, evaluation of the plan, reviewing the plan

with new planning activities among others.

The findings on competencies in plantain plantation establishment were in

agreement with the opinion of Udo et al in Uko (2010) that steps in plantation

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establishment are as follows: selecting a suitable site for plantation, clear the bush

with appropriate implements, fell and pack trash, burn trash to pave way for pegging

among others. The findings also conformed with the view of Philip and Lordbanjo

(1995) that steps in plantain establishment involves: identifying site for the plantain,

clear the bush with machete, pack and burn forest residue among others.

The findings on competencies in plantain operation were in conformity with

the opinion of Alvarado-ortiz et al (2005) that steps in plantain operation are as

follows: isolate seedlings according to size (large, medium, and small), dig hole

according to size of seedling, place seedlings centrally in the hole according to size

among others. The findings were also inline with the views of Fatuorti et al (2006)

that steps in plantain operation are as follows: dig plantain holes with a minimum

size of 30cm x 30cm x 30cm with appropriate implement, isolate mature and healthy

seedling, place seedling centrally in the hole, fill the hole first with top soil containing

organic matter among others.

The findings on competency items in thinning operation were in agreement

with the opinion of Philip and Lordbanjo (1995) that steps in thinning are as follows:

identify the sucker to be thinned, cut off the sucker pseudostem with a machete, use

the tip of the machete to piece through the growing tip and twist many times among

others.

The findings of the study was also in conformity with the views of Madhava

Rao (2010) that steps in thinning are as follows: identify the sucker to thinned, cut

off the seedling pseudostem, pour in some quantity of kerosene or a mixture of 2.4D

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fuel, oil and grease on the cut seedling, thrust a crowbar between the sucker and

parent with a twisting motion among others.

The findings on competencies in mulching operation were in consonance with

the view of Robinson (1995) that steps in mulching are as follows: identify the

source of mulching material (which may come from elephant grass, dried weed from

cleared farm land, kitchen refuse, etc), chop the grasses identified into bits, spread

chopped grasses around the base of each stem among others. The findings of the

study were also in agreement with the views of INIBAP (2003) that steps in mulching

are as follows: harvest grasses such as panicum maximum, elephant grass etc,

gather all dried grasses from cleared farm land, chop the grasses into bits using

appropriate implement among others.

The findings on competencies in fertilizer application corresponded with the

opinion of Madhava Rao (2010) that steps in fertilizer application are as follows:

identify the type of fertilizer to apply (NPK, urea, farm yard manure), get a trowel

and make a circle of about 4-8 feet apart, measure a small tomato tin of fertilizer

and pour round along constructed circle, cover lightly with soil among others. The

findings were in agreement with the view of Steward (2006) that steps in fertilizer

application are as follows: identify the type of fertilizer to apply, apply 300kg/ha/yr of

nitrogen (as urea), 550kg/ha/yr of potassium (as muriate of potash), apply 450gm of

urea, 225gm ½b of triple super phosphate, 225gm muraite of potash per plant,

cover lightly with soil among others. The findings also agreed with the opinion of

Mighty Garden (2010) that steps in fertilizer application as: obtain the fertilizer to be

used, measure two palms of your fingers away from the track, use hand trowel and

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construct a circle round the plant. Apply a small tomato tin full of fertilizer among

others.

The findings on competencies in irrigation application were in agreement with

the opinion of Alvarado et al (2005) steps for irrigation are: identify sources of water,

choice of irrigation system to adopt, size of the farm among others. The findings

were also in agreement with the opinion of Softech (2010) that steps in irrigation

are: choose irrigating system to use, supply water to the plant, through the selected

method such as surface, irrigation, furrow irrigation, border irrigation, sprinkle

irrigation, pipe system, watering can among others.

The findings on competencies in weed control were in consonance with the

opinion of Tenkoueno et al (2006) that steps in weed control are: identify herbicide

to use, get a knapsack sprayer, dilute 5ml of herbicide with 20 litres of water, and

apply diluted solution on weeds among others. The findings of the study were also in

conformity with the report of FAO (2006) that outline steps in weed control as: fow

weed with hoe, apply herbicides in plantain field, ring weed around the base of each

seedling, total weeding with cutlass among others.

The findings on competencies in propping were in agreement with the views

of Udosen (1996) that steps in propping are: identify the plantain plant with bunch to

propped, carry two or three long Indian bamboo, place the bamboo against the

plantain stem on the side where the bunch leans over among others. The findings of

the study also agreed with the opinion of Adewole and Duniji (2010) that steps in

propping are as follows: identify the plant to be propped, get two long poles of

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Indian bamboo with lateral branch at the top, tie the lateral branch to the poles,

place the poles along the side of the plant bearing the bunch among others.

The findings on competencies in harvesting of plantain were in agreement

with the view of Adopo (2010) that steps in harvesting: identify matured bunch to

harvest, cut the pseudostem 6-8cm, shake slightly by pushing, place a fork under to

monitor the bunch as it falls, carry bunch on stretchers to store house among others.

The findings of the study were also in line with the report of FAO (2006) that steps in

harvesting include: take a cutlass or machete, identify matured bunch to harvest,

hack the pseudostem until the top comes down among others.

The findings on competencies in marketing of plantain bunch were in

conformity with the opinion of Onuka (2003) that steps in marketing are as follows:

record the number of product harvested, keep products harvested secured and

ventilated, fix prices for products harvested, keep record of products sold and care

for the unsold products among others. The findings of the study also agreed with the

opinion of Adiene (1999) that steps in marketing are as follows: finding buyers and

searching for markets, grading and standardization of product, distribute and

transport products to buyers among others. The views and opinion of the authors

cited above helped to affirm and strengthened the reliability of the findings of the

study on plantain plantation management enterprise.

Enterprise III: Plantain Processing and Marketing Enterprise

The study found that competencies required by Secondary School Graduates

in plantain processing and marketing were as follows:

Ci: Competencies in planning for plantain processing (14 items)

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Cii: Competencies in processing plantain into chips (11 items)

Ciii: Competencies in processing plantain into flour (11 items)

Civ: Competencies in processing plantain into pudding (11 items)

Cv: Competencies in processing plantain into dodo (8 items)

Cvi: Competencies in processing plantain into wine (11 items)

Cvii: Competencies in marketing of processed plantain products (10 items)

In summary, it with found out from the study that 76 competency items were

required by secondary school graduates for employment in plantain processing

marketing enterprises.

The findings on competencies in planning for plantain processing were in

agreement with the opinion of Nkoli in Asogwa (2009) that steps in planning for an

enterprise are: choose a farm of sufficient size to support the objective of the

enterprise, fit in the capabilities interest and knowledge of the processor to the type

of enterprise operation, draw programmes for the farm as long as possible, keep a

complete set of farm record necessary to make sound improvement and high profit

among others. The findings were also in conformity with the opinion of Yalokwu

(2002) that steps in planning are: identify farming opportunities, formulate policy

plan, implement the plan, identify alternative cause of action, and evaluate the plan

among others.

The findings on competencies in processing of plantain into chips, flour,

pudding, dodo ikire and wine were in consonance with the views of onyejegbu and

Olorundo in Tchango et al (2010) that steps in processing are as follows: identify

mature unripe plantain bunches, separate the bunch into individual fingers, wash and

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carry out manual peeling with knife, slice pulp into piece of about 2cm thick among

others. The findings were also in agreement with the opinion of Ekunwe and Ajayi

(2010) that steps in processing are as follows: purchase gren/semi-ripe plantain, peel

with knife, wash pulp water, slice pulp to shape with knife, apply salt and try with

vegetable oil for about 10 minutes among others.

The findings were in consonance with the opinion of Ogazi (1996) that steps

in processing are: purchase unripe plantain bunch from market, peel with sharp

knife, slice the pulp and sun dry for 1-2 days, soak pulp in water for 2-3 days,

ground dried chips to powder with power mill or pound in a mortar to produce flour

among others.

The findings were in agreement with the opinion of Ohenhen et al (2006) that

steps in processing are as follows: purchase raw unripe and ripe plantain from

market, peel the ripe and unripe plantain separately, wash the pulp, slice into flat

sheet with knife, sun dry for 3-5 days, mill, mixed water to form slurry among others.

The findings were inline with the submission of Akinyemi (2005) that steps in

processing are as follows: purchase raw ripe plantain from the market, peel the ripe

plantain with knife, smash the pulp with mortar and pestle among others.

The findings also agreed with the opinion of Champion in Ohiokpeha (2001)

that steps in processing are as follows: purchase green plantain, allow to ripe

naturally or induce ripening, hand peel with knife, smash with hand and mix grasses

to extract juice, add honey to the juice and allow to ferment for 1-2 days among

others.

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The findings on competence in marketing of processed plantain products were

in agreement with the report of NARI (2003) that steps in marketing are as follows:

assessing of products, grading, sorting, storing, transportation, fixing prices among

others. The views and opinion of the authors cited above helped to give credence to

the findings of the study on plantain processing and marketing enterprise.

Discussion of the Hypotheses

HO1: It was found from the study that there was no significant difference in the

mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, plantain nursery farmers and

secondary school graduates on 43 out of 48 competency items required by

secondary school graduates for employment in plantain nursery enterprise.

The implication of the findings is that the occupational experience of the

three groups of respondents did not significantly influence the opinion of the

respondents in the 43 competency items.

It was also revealed that there was a significant difference in the mean ratings

of the 3 groups of respondents on 5 out of 48 competency items in plantain nursery

enterprise. This showed that the occupational experience of the three groups of

respondents significantly influenced the responses on the 5 competency items.

HO2: It was found out from the study that there was no significant difference in the

mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Plantation

Management Farmers and Secondary School Graduates on 79 out of 85

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competency items required by secondary school graduates for employment in

plantain plantation management enterprise.

The implication of the finding is that the occupational experience of the 3

groups of respondents did not significantly influence the opinion of the respondents

in the 79 competency items.

It was found out that there was significant difference in 6 out of the 85

competency items in plantain plantation management enterprise. The implication is

that the occupational experience of the 3 groups of respondents significantly

influenced the opinions of the respondents on the 6 competency items.

HO3: It was found from the study that there was no significant difference in the

mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Processors and

Marketers and Secondary School graduates on 65 out of 76 competency items

required by secondary school Graduates for employment in plantain

processing and marketing enterprise.

The implication of the finding is that the occupational experience of the 3

groups of respondents did not significantly influence the opinion of the respondents

in the 65 competency items.

It was also revealed that there was significant difference in the mean ratings

of the 3 groups of respondents in the mean ratings of the 3 groups of respondents

on 11 out of 76 competency items required by Teachers of Agricultural Science,

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Plantain Processors and Marketers and Secondary School Graduates for employment

in plantain processing and marketing enterprise. The implication is that the

knowledge level and occupational experience of the 3 groups of respondents affected

significantly the opinion of the respondents on the 11 competency items.

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CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presented the summary of the problem, purpose of the study,

procedure used for the study, major findings of the study, conclusion based on the

findings, implications of the study, limitations of the study, recommendation and

suggestion for further study.

Restatement of the Problem

In Cross River State, plantain is produced by farmers who are mostly peasant

in nature, through intercrop; which results to low yields of production. Despite

plantain delicacy, medicinal function and steady flow of income, the production in the

State is still low due to lack of manpower, yet, many unemployed Secondary School

Graduates roam the streets looking for white collar jobs. When they fail to secure

jobs, they resorted into unacceptable behaviours like prostituting, drug addiction,

stealing and to some extent kidnapping. These unemployed Secondary School

Graduates could be helped to live a more meaningful and acceptable life through skill

development in plantain production enterprises and help increase the low level of

plantain production by farmers.

The investment practices where farmers favoured other crops to plantain

production calls for alternative way of production and Cross River State Government

considered involving secondary school graduates in plantain production and directed

skill acquisition centres to accommodate the training of interested secondary school

graduates with rudimentary knowledge in plantain production. The research

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observed through a visit to some of the Skill Acquisition Centres in plantain

production areas of the State that there were no programmes in the step by step

skills in plantain production. Hence, this study was carried out to identify the

competencies required in each plantain production enterprises and to determine the

retraining needs of the unemployed Secondary School Graduates in Cross River

State.

Purpose of the Study

The study specifically sought to:

• Identify competency needed by Secondary School Graduates for employment

in plantain nursery, plantain plantation management and plantain processing

and marketing in plantain production.

• Identify competency in plantain nursery enterprise where Secondary School

Graduates required improvement for employment.

• Identify competency in plantain plantation management where Secondary


• Identify competency in plantain processing and marketing where Secondary


Summary of the Procedure used for the Study

In carrying out the study, the researcher adopted descriptive survey research

design. The study was carried out in Cross River State. The population for the study

was 619 made up of 159 Teachers of Agricultural Science, 365 Secondary School

169

Graduates and 95 Registered Plantain Farmers. There was no sampling since the

population was manageable. The entire population constitutes the sample. Three

sets of questionnaire were used to obtain data from respondents in the three

enterprises in plantain production for the study. Three experts validated the

questionnaire items, two lecturers from the Department of Vocational Teacher

Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka and one lecturer from the Department of

Vocational Education, Federal College of Education, and Obudu. Cronbach alpha

method was used to determine reliability co-efficient of the questionnaire item. Co-

efficient of 0.90, 0.85 and 0.87 were obtained for the three enterprises respectively.

Six hundred and nineteen (619) copies of the questionnaire were administered to the

respondents by the researcher with the help of six (6) research assistant across the

three educational zones of the State. All the copies administered were retrieved for

analysis.

The data collected from the respondents were analyzed using weighted mean

to answer research question 1 and improvement needed index (INI) to answer

research questions 2-4, while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the

three hypothesis of no significance difference at 05.0≤ρ level of significance.

Major Findings of the Study

It was found from the study as follows:

A. 209 competence were required by Secondary School Graduates in the three

plantain enterprises, that is;

i. Plantain nursery enterprise (48 competency items).

170

ii. Plantain plantation management enterprise (85 competency items).

iii. Plantain processing and marketing enterprise (76 competency items).

B. 48 competencies were required by Secondary School Graduates for

improvement in plantain nursery enterprises.

C. 85 competencies were required by Secondary School Graduates for

improvement in plantain plantation management enterprises.

D. 76 competencies were required by Secondary School Graduates for

improvement in plantain processing and marketing enterprises.

(1) It was found from the study that there was no significant difference in the

mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Nursery Farmers

and secondary school graduates on 43 out of 48 competency items required

by secondary school graduates for employment in plantain nursery

enterprises; while there was a significant difference in 5 out of the 48

competency items.


mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Plantation

Management Farmers and Secondary School Graduates on 79 out of 85

competency items required by secondary school graduates for employment in

plantain plantation management enterprise, while there was a significant

difference in 6 out of the 85 competency items.


mean ratings of Teachers of Agricultural Science, Plantain Processors and

Marketers and Secondary School Graduates on 65 out of 76 competency items

171

required by secondary school graduates for employment in plantain processing

and marketing enterprises, while there was a significant difference in 11 out of

76 competency items.

Conclusion

The Government of Cross River State had the intention of expanding plantain

production and to create employment opportunities for the unemployed secondary

school graduates in plantain production in order to equip them occupationally to earn

a living and become self-reliant and to end their activities in prostitution, drug

addiction, political assistant and other vices in the State. The Government then

directed Skill Acquisition Centres to accommodate the training of interested

secondary school graduates in plantain production but the Skill Acquisition Centres

had no programme that could train the secondary school graduates in the step-by-

step skills in plantain production for employment. This led the researcher to identify

competencies required in plantain production for retraining of interested secondary

school graduates.

The study had therefore made the following contributions to knowledge and

competency improvement needs of Secondary School Graduates for employment in

plantain production enterprise:

(1) The study provided information to the Government of Cross River State on

competency needed in plantain production. The government could request the

curriculum planners to package the identified competency into production

programmes for training of Secondary School Graduates in Skill Acquisition

Centres in order to create employment opportunities.

172

(2) The study provided the administrators of Skill Acquisition Centres with

competency needed in plantain production by secondary school graduates.

These Centres could develop the competency into programme for training and

retraining of unemployed youths in plantain production enterprise.

(3) The study provided information to Secondary School Graduates on

competency needed by them for employment in plantain production

enterprise. They could use this information to select any of the enterprise in

plantain, seek for opportunities in Skill Acquisition Centres for retraining for

competency in plantain production enterprise.

(4) The study provided information to Teachers of Agricultural Science on

competency needed by Secondary Schools Graduates for employment in

plantain production enterprises. The Teachers of Agricultural Science could

use the information from the study in plantain production if packaged into

curriculum to train youth in and outside the school community.

(5) The study provided information to Plantain Farmers and Marketers on

competency needed by Secondary School Graduates for employment in

plantain production enterprises. The farmers could use this information as an

aid when employing secondary school graduates into the various enterprises

as workers.

Implications of the Study

The findings of the study have implications for the Government of Cross River

State, administrators of Skill Acquisition Centres, Secondary School Graduates and

Teachers of Agricultural Science. From the outcome of the study it implies that:

173

(1) If the competencies identified by this study were made available to the

government officials they could direct the skill acquisition centres to package

the identified competency into production programmes for retraining of

secondary school graduates.

(2) If the competencies identified by this study were made available to

administrators of skill acquisition centres, they could use the competencies in

developing programmes for training and retraining secondary school

graduates in plantain production for employment.

(3) If the competencies identified by this study were made available to secondary

school graduates they could use it to select an enterprise in plantain

production that will enable them to be self-employed and gainfully employed

in any plantain production enterprise after retraining.

(4) If the competencies identified by this study were made available to teachers

of Agricultural Science, they could use the information if packaged in training

students in the school who are members of young farmers club and retraining

of youths outside the school community in form of workshop.

Limitations of the Study

The study did not consider the following:

(1) The competency in training that could be used to prepare trainers for the

retraining of secondary school graduates in skill acquisition centres.

174

(2) It did not look into the attitudes of secondary school graduates towards

plantain production other than their experiences in secondary school

agricultural science.

(3) It did not look into the motivational strategies that could be used to sustain

the interest of secondary school graduates in plantain production enterprises.

The above were not considered because of time and financial constraint on

the researcher.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were

made by the researcher:

(1) The Cross River State Government officials should direct the skill acquisition

centres to integrate the identified competencies in plantain production into

their training programmes and use it to retrain secondary school graduates

and other interested individuals in plantain production enterprises.

(2) The administrators of Skill Acquisition Centres should develop the

competencies identified in plantain production enterprises into programmes in

retraining secondary school graduates in the skill acquisition centres.

(3) The Cross River State Government should direct Teachers of Agricultural

Science to use the identified competencies in training Secondary School

students through these young farmers club.

175

Suggestions for Further Study

The following were suggested for further research:

(1) Identification of competency in training that could be used to prepare trainers

in plantain production enterprises in skill acquisition centres in the state.

(2) Motivational strategies needed by secondary school graduates for

sustainability in plantain production enterprises.

176

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Simmonds, N.W. (1987) Classification and breeding of bananas. In Persley G. and

Delanghe E. (Eds) Banana and plantain breeding strategies pp. 69-73 AGAR

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Purpose and Irrigation Types. File: //c:/Documents and

settings/Duke/Desktop/Irrigation and water resources. Html. Retrieve

2/24/2011.

Ssebuliba, R. (2002) Fertility in east african bananas. Ph.D Thesis Submitted to the

Department of Crop Science, Makerere University Uganda.

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Tchango.J.T, Bikoi,A.R,Achard,J.V,Escalant& Ngalani,J.A(2010) Plantain postharvest operation. Retrieved on 22/4/2011 from http:// www.fao.org/inpho/.

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191

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I

Distribution of Secondary School Graduates in Plantain Production Areas of

Cross River State from a Pilot Study

S/N Name of L.G.A No. interested in plantain nursery

No. interested Plantain plantation

No. interested in plantain Processing

Total

1 Akamkpa 15 30 18 63

2 Ikom 14 32 24 70

3 Biase 13 27 16 56

4 Obudu 12 24 18 54

5 Ogoja 10 17 20 47

6 Boki 18 32 24 75

Total 82 163 120 365

192

APPENDIX II

The Distribution of Teachers of Agricultural Science in Cross River State

Educational

Zones

Number of

Schools

Number of Agric.

Teachers

No. of Rep.

Used

Calabar 97 60 60

Ikom 91 54 54

Ogoja 77 45 45

Total 265 159 159

193

APPENDIX III

(a). Distribution of Plantain Farmers in Cross River State

Agric Zones No. of Plantain Farmers No. Used

1. Obudu 16 16

2. Ogoja 15 15

3. Ikom 20 20

4. Obubra 15 15

5. Akamkpa 15 15

6. Calabar 13 13

Total 95 95

(b). Distribution of Plantain Farmers on Enterprise Basis

A. Plantain Nursery Enterprise. 20

B. Plantation Mgmt Enterprise. 40

C. Plantain Processing Enterprise. 35

Total 95

194

APPENDIX IV

The Cronbach Alpha Reliability Co-Efficient Formula

∑=

1

2

1

1

1S

S

K

Kα

α = Cronbach Alpha Coefficient

K = Individual number of items in the instrument

K1 = Total number of items in the instrument

2

1S = Variance of each item in the instrument

S1 = Variance of the entire population

Σ = Summation sign

195

APPENDIX V

Results of Reliability Test

A. Plantain Nursery Enterprise

N %

Cases Valid 20 100.0

Excludeda 0 .0

Total 20 100.0

Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's

Alpha N of Items

.903 48

B. Plantain Plantation Management Enterprise.

N %


Excludeda 0 .0

Total 20 100.0


Cronbach's

Alpha N of Items

.856 85

C. Plantain Processing Enterprise

N %


Excludeda 0 .0

Total 20 100.0


Cronbach's

Alpha N of Items

.870 76

196

APPENDIX VI

Department of vocational Teacher Education University of Nigeria Nsukka.

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ Dear Sir/Madam

REQUEST FOR VALIDATION OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

I am a postgraduate student of the above department and university currently

undertaken a research project entitled competency improvement needs of secondary

school graduates for employment in plantain production enterprise in cross river state.

The study aim at identifying competencies that could be used in improving and

equipping secondary school graduates with knowledge and skills in relevant plantain

production enterprise such as: plantain nursery, plantation establishment and

management, processing and marketing for the purpose of self employment towards

alleviating poverty among youth in Cross River state.

The research question to be answer by this questionnaire is: what are the

competencies required by secondary school graduates in plantain nursery, plantation

management, processing and marketing enterprise. The hypothesis to be tested is; there

is no significance difference in the mean rating of the responses of teachers of

agricultural science and plantain farmers on competencies needed by secondary school

graduates for employment in nursery, plantation, processing and marketing.

Please help validate the instrument for content, clarity and suitability for use in

collecting data for the study. You are also requested to proffer suggestions for improving

the quality of the instrument.

Thanks for your co-operation

Yours faithfully

Ugbem, Emmanuel Agiopu

PG/M.ED/08/49004

(Researcher)

197

APPENDIX VII


_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

Dear Sir/Madam

REQUEST TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONNAIRE


undertaking a research project on competency improvement needs of secondary

school graduate for employment in plantain production enterprise in Cross River

State.

The attached questionnaire schedule is designed to elicit the necessary

information for the study. You are please requested to respond to the questionnaire

items as objectively as possible. The information supplied will be used strictly for the

study and will be treated confidentially.

Thanks

Yours faithfully Professor S. O. Olaitan

Ugbem, Emmanuel Agiopu Supervisor

PG/M.ED/08/49004

(Researcher)

198

APPENDIX VIII

SECTION A: QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS ON

COMPETENCY IN PLANNING FOR PLANTAIN NURSERY ENTERPRISE

S/N ITEM STATEMENT HR AR SR NR HP AP LP NP


nursery enterprise

2 Review the formulated objective with change

in market demand for plantain nursery

enterprise

3 Identify site for plantain nursery enterprise

4 Identify sources of credit for plantain nursery

enterprise

5 Specify variety of plantain sucker suitable for

the soil.

6 Draw program for plantain nursery enterprise

7 Identify materials needed for plantain nursery

production

8 Identify the equipment needed for plantain

nursery enterprise.


operation in plantain nursery enterprise

10. 10 Implement activities in plantain nursery

production

11. 11 Identify suitable markets for the plantain

nursery enterprise.

12. 12 Make budget for the plantain nursery

enterprise

13. 13 Draw up the evaluation technique to be used

in the plantain nursery enterprise

14. 14 Make room for any contingency needed in

plantain nursery enterprise

Teachers and Farmers Secondary School

Graduates Only

199

ACTIVITIES IN PLANTAIN NURSERY PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE


1 Identify the sword sucker for production

2 Dig round the sucker to remove it from

mother plant.

3 Wash out excess soil and prune dead dried

leaves and roots.

4 Dip the corm in a nematicide

5 Identify the level of sucker attachment to soil

and peel from top down ward.

6 Locate the “v” point of leave sheath with a

knife at a point 2mm.

7 At the edge the “v” formed detach other

attachment to the sucker and make a cut

around the circumference of the stem at 2mm

8 Carry out step 7 above until it becomes

difficult to see “v” point formed leaf.

9 Reduce the pseudo stem to 1-2cm.

10 Place the sucker in a location that it will

receive filtered sun for 48hours.

11 Take up the sucker again and reduce the

height to 2mm.

12 Make a crosswise incision 3cm deep across the

width of the sucker.

13 Make a second incision perpendicular to the

first to damage the apical meristem which will

break dominance.

14 Set the ex-plant aside for 2-3 hrs in a shade.

15 Place the explants in a germination bed for

plantain plantlets to develop, make a shade

above the bed

16 Cover germination bed with plastic or saw

dust.

17 Make a shade above the bed


Graduates Only

200

18 Water the germination bed periodically to

maintain constant moisture

19 Remove the explants from germination bed

within 6-8 weeks and gently wash substrate

attracted

20 Cut off plant lets with 2-5 leaves with sharp

knife and ensure that the corm is attached.

Put the cut off plantlet into a polythene bag.

21 Return the explants back to germination bed

after removing the plantlet with 2-5 leaves.

22 Continue harvesting plantlets until explants

deteriorate

23 Keep harvested plantlets in a shade house

with light and sun rays to wean or harden for

4-5 weeks before planting on the field.

24 Care for the plantlet to avoid nematodes and

other pathogens from infesting the plantlets.

SKILLS IN MARKETING OF PLANTAIN NURSERY


1 Assemble and record the number of nursery

produced.

2 Keep nursery produced secured and ventilated

for marketing

3 Grade the nursery seedling according to

quality

4 Fix prices for the nursery seedling produced

5 Advertise the nursery seedling to attract

buyers

6 Identify appropriate market for plantain


Graduates Only

201

nursery

7 Identify suitable buyers for plantain nursery

seedling

8 Identify the locations of the buyers of plantain

nursery products.

9 Distribute and transport plantain nursery

seedlings to buyers or site..

10 Record sales and store carefully the unsold

nursery.

202

APPENDIX IX

SECTION B: QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS ON

PLANNING FOR PLANTAIN PLANTATION MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISE



plantation management enterprise.


in market demand for plantain plantation

management enterprise.

3 Identify site for plantain plantation



5 Specify variety of plantain suitable for the soil

in the plantation.

6 Draw program for plantain plantation

enterprise



8 Identify the equipment needed for each

specific plantain plantation management

enterprise.

9 Identify qualified personnel required for each

operation in plantain plantation management

enterprise

10 Implement activités in plantain plantation

management.

11 Identify suitable markets for the plantain.

12 Make budget for the plantain plantation

management

13 Draw up the evaluation technique to be used

in the plantain plantation enterprise

14 Make room for any contingency needed in

plantain plantation enterprise


Graduates Only

203

ESTABLISHING PLANTAIN PLANTATION


1 Identify a suitable site for plantain plantation

establishment

2 Clear the bush identified with machete or

tractor

3 Cut the trees and shrubs with appropriate

implement

4 Stump the tree stem with hoe and pick axe.

5 Pack and burn trash

6 Carry out field layout for plantain

establishment

7 Dig holes for the measured spacing

8 Transfer mature seedlings and healthy suckers

to the plantation for planting

9 Place the seedling or sucker each per hole

centrally

10 Fill first with top soil containing organic matter

and humus and then later with bottom soil

11 Press the base of the seeding and mulch

12 Water the plant if land is tried.

SKILLS IN PLANTING OPERATION


1 Isolate mature and healthy suckers according

to their sizes in the nursery.

2 Trim off shoots that are too long to stimulate

the growth of new ones.

Teachers and Farmers Secondary School Graduates Only


Graduates Only

204

3 Remove the polythene bag leaving the ball of

earth on the roots.

4 Place the seedling or sucker centrally in the

role at a planting distance of 7m apart.

5 Fill first with topsoil containing organic matter

and humus and then with bottom soil

6 Press the base of the seedling firmly to the

ground.

SKILLS IN THINNING PLANTAIN


1 Identify the weak sucker to be removed

2 Remove the weak seedling with appropriate

implement or tool

3 Thrust a chisel shaped crobar and pierce

through the growing tip and twist many times

4 Pour in some of chemical such a kerosene on

the cut pseudo stem above

5 Apply a mixture of petrol, oil and grease on

the cut sucker and allow to die.

SKILLS IN MULCHING PLANTAIN


1 Identify sources of mulching material

2 Gather all grasses from cleared farm land

3 Chop the grasses or materials into bit

4 Spread the chopped dried grasses around the

base of the plantain plant

5 Water the plant


Graduates Only


Graduates Only

205

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN FERTILIZER APPLICATION


1 Identify the fertilizer to apply :urea,muriate of

potash,NPK,farm yard manure

2 Get a trowel and make a circle of about 4 to

8ft apart from the plantain trunck.

3 Apply 300jg/ha/yr of nitrogen (as urea) and

550kg/ha/yrs of potassium (a muriate of

potash in six split application

4 Apply 450gm of urea, 225gm 1/2b of triple

super phosphate,225gm muriate of potash per

plant of plantain around the constructed circle

5 Cover lightly with earth

6 Take a small tomato tin of fertilizer(NPK)

7 Apply the quantity measured in step 6 above

5cm away from each stand of plantain for

band placement method

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN PLANTATION IRRIGATION APPLICATION


1 Identify sources of water

2 Determine the quantity of water required per

plant or hectre

3 Identify the method of irrigation to

use(watering can, pipe, channel, drip or

sprinkler)

4 Supply water to the base of plant using

selected method.



Graduates Only

206

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN PLANTATION WEED CONTROL


1 CHEMICAL CONTROL:

Identify the herbicide to use to control

weed(contact non selective herbicide, long

lasting systemic and total herbicide

2 Get a knapsack herbicide sprayer.

3 Measure 5ml of the identified herbicide and

dilute with 10 liters of water

4 Apply herbicide on weeds two or three months

after planting

5 Repeat the application after four months of

first application

6 MECHANICAL CONTROL :

Weeding with hoe

7 Hand picking or pulling of weed

8 Brushing or slashing with cutlasses

9 Tractor pulled mower

10 BIOLOGICAL CONTROL:

Drive Herbivores animal into plantation to

feed on weed

11 Planting of leguminous cover crop such as

centrosema, pueraria and calopogonium

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN PROPPING


1 Identify the plantain stem with bunch that required propping

2 Carry two or three long Indian bamboo 3 Tie rope to the lateral pole against the two

bamboo

4 Placed the bamboo on the side where the bunch leans over.

5 Ensure that the poles are placed properly so that it may not be blow away by storm.



207

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN HARVESTING


1 Identify matured bunch of plantain

2 Place a forked stick or a helper to receive the

bunch as it comes down

3 Take a machete and make a cut about 6-8cm

on the pseudo stem

4 Shake the pseudo stem slightly by pushing at

direction of the force.

5 Cut the bunch off the pseudo stem with a

machete

6 Carry bunch on stretchers to store house or

market.

SKILLS IN MARKETING OF PLANTAIN


1 Assemble and record the number of plantain

bunch harvested from plantation

2 Keep harvested bunch of plantain secured and


3 Grade the products according to quality

4 Fix prices for the bunches

5 Advertise the plantain bunch to attract buyers

6 Identify appropriate market for plantain

bunches

7 Identify suitable buyers for plantain bunch

8 Identify the location of the buyers of plantain

bunches

9 Distribute and transport plantain bunches to

buyers


bunches.



Graduates Only

208

APPENDIX X

SECTION C: QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS ON

COMPETENCY IN PLANNING FOR PLANTAIN PROCESSING/MARKETING

ENTERPRISE





in market demand for plantain processed

products enterprise

3 Identify site for plantain processing enterprise



5 Specify variety of plantain processing

enterprise to adopt

6 Draw program for plantain processing

enterprise



8 Identify the equipment needed for each

specific plantain processing enterprise.


operation in each plantain processing

enterprise

10 Implement activités on plantain processing

enterprise production

11 Identify suitable markets for the plantain

processed products.

12 Make budget for the plantain processing

enterprise

13 Draw up the evaluation technique to be used

in the plantain processing enterprise

14 Make room for any contingency needed in

plantain processing enterprise


209

SKILLS IN PROCESSING OF PLANTAIN INTO CHIPS


1 Identify mature unripe plantain bunch.

2 Separate the bunch into individual finger

3 Wash the fingers and peel with knife.

4 Slice to shape with knife or plantain slicer

5 Mix the slices with salt

6 Put the sliced into a frying pot containing

vegetable oil or refined palm oil and heat to

about 2 to 3 minutes.

7 Remove field slices into a container with

drainage and allow draining, and cooling.

8 Grade the chips according to sizes

9 Package chips into cellophane or polyethylene

bags according to their size

10 Label and fix prices

11 Supply to stores or sent to market

SKILLS IN PROCESSING OF PLANTAIN INTO FLOUR


1 Harvest or purchase unripe plantain bunch

from the farm or sellers


3 Wash the fingers and peel with a knife

4 Immersed the pulp into a bowl water to

prevent browning

5 Slice to shape with a knife or automatic dicing

machine

6 Treat the slice with antioxidant



Graduates Only

210

7 Dehydrate the slice in a cabinet dryer or sun

dry for some days

8 Mill dried slice using runner mill, hammer mill

or pound in a mortar with pestle

9 Sieve to produce fine flour

10 Package or bag the flour according to sizes

11 Fix prices and market

SKILLS IN PROCESSING OF PLANTAIN INTO PUDDING


1 Obtain unripe and ripe plantain

2 Peel both plantain with knife

3 Wash the pulp with water

4 Slice the pulp into sheet with knife

5 Sun dry the slice pulp for 3-5 days or use a

forced air moisture extraction plus II oven or

Sango Galenkamp Plc at 65˚C for about 48

hours

6 Mill the unripe and ripe slice separately

7 Mix water to the milled slice to form slurry

8 Mix the ripe slurry with the unripe slurry

9 Mix two cooking spoon of palm oil with other

ingredients and stir vigorously

10 Wrap the slurry with sterilized plantain leaves

and cook for 2-3 hours

11 Air it to cool and market


211

SKILLS IN PROCESSING PLANTAIN INTO DODO (IKIRE)


1 Purchase ripe plantain from market.

2 Separate the bunch into individual fingers

3 Peel each finger with a knife to obtain the pulp

4 Put the pulp in a mortar and mash with a

pestle

5 Mix partially grinded pepper with the mashed

pulp

6 Cut paste into slurry and fry in palm oil.

7 Remove fried paste into a sieve and allow to

drain.

8 Wrap the product in musa leaves and sale.

SKILLS IN PROCESSING PLANTAIN INTO WINE


1 Harvest or purchase green unripe plantain

2 Accelerate ripening either burying in pits or by

heating over kitchen fire.

3 Peel the ripped plantain with a knife

4 Put the pulp in a large wooden mortar.

5 Press under foot or worked by hand to extract

juice

6 Apply selected grasses to assist extraction of

juice

7 Strain juice and ferment the wine with

ingredients such as water, sorghum or honey

using culture saccharomyce cevevisiae

8 Sieve out wine after fermentation

9 Bottle the sieved out liquid



212

10 Pasteurize by immersing filed bottles into

water bath

11 Package bottle wine and market

SKILLS IN MARKETING OF PROCESSED PLANTAIN PRODUCTS


1 Assemble and record the number of processed

products

2 Keep processed products secured and


3 Grade the processed products according to

quality

4 Fix prices for the processed product

5 Advertise the processed products to attract

buyers

6 Identify appropriate market for the processed

products

7 Identify suitable buyers for the processed

plantain products

8 Identify the locations of the buyers of

processed plantain product

9 Distribute and transport processed plantain

products to buyers.


processed products


Graduates Only

213


_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ Dear Sir/Madam

REQUEST FOR VALIDATION OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENT


undertaken a research project entitled competency improvement needs of secondary

school graduates for employment in plantain production enterprise in cross river state.

The study aim at identifying competencies that could be used in improving and

equipping secondary school graduates with knowledge and skills in relevant plantain

production enterprise such as: plantain nursery, plantation establishment and

management, processing and marketing for the purpose of self employment towards

alleviating poverty among youth in Cross River state.

The research question to be answer by this questionnaire is: what are the

competencies required by secondary school graduates in plantain nursery, plantation

management, processing and marketing enterprise. The hypothesis to be tested is; there

is no significance difference in the mean rating of the responses of teachers of

agricultural science and plantain farmers on competencies needed by secondary school

graduates for employment in nursery, plantation, processing and marketing.

Please help validate the instrument for content, clarity and suitability for use in

collecting data for the study. You are also requested to proffer suggestions for improving

the quality of the instrument.

Thanks for your co-operation

Yours faithfully

Ugbem, Emmanuel Agiopu

PG/M.ED/08/49004

(Researcher)

214


_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

Dear Sir/Madam

REQUEST TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONNAIRE


undertaking a research project on competency improvement needs of secondary

school graduate for employment in plantain production enterprise in Cross River

State.

The attached questionnaire schedule is designed to elicit the necessary

information for the study. You are please requested to respond to the questionnaire

items as objectively as possible. The information supplied will be used strictly for the

study and will be treated confidentially.

Thanks

Yours faithfully Professor S. O. Olaitan

Ugbem, Emmanuel Agiopu Supervisor

PG/M.ED/08/49004

(Researcher)

215

SECTION A

COMPETENCY IN PLANNING FOR PLANTAIN NURSERY ENTERPRISE

S/N ITEM STATEMENT HR AR SR NR

15. Formulate specific objectives for plantain nursery enterprise

16. Review the formulated objective with change in market demand

for plantain nursery enterprise

17. Identify site for plantain nursery enterprise

18. Identify sources of credit for plantain nursery enterprise

19. Specify variety of plantain sucker suitable for the soil.

20. Draw program for plantain nursery enterprise

21. Identify materials needed for plantain nursery production

22. Identify the equipment needed for plantain nursery enterprise.

23. Identify qualified personnel required for operation in plantain

nursery enterprise

24. Implement activities in plantain nursery production

25. Identify suitable markets for the plantain nursery enterprise.

26. Make budget for the plantain nursery enterprise

27. Draw up the evaluation technique to be used in the plantain

nursery enterprise

28. Make room for any contingency needed in plantain nursery

enterprise

ACTIVITIES IN PLANTAIN NURSERY PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE


1 Identify the sword sucker for production

2 Dig round the sucker to remove it from mother plant.

3 Wash out excess soil and prune dead dried leaves and roots.

4 Dip the corm in a nematicide

5 Identify the level of sucker attachment to soil and peel from

top down ward.

Teachers and Farmers


216

6 Locate the “v” point of leave sheath with a knife at a point

2mm.

7 At the edge of the “v” formed detach other attachment to

the sucker and make a cut around the the stem at 2mm

above the transition zone.

8 Carry out step 7 above until it becomes difficult to see the “v”

point.

9 Reduce the pseudo stem to 1-2cm.

10 Place the sucker in a location that it will receive filtered sun

for 48hours.

11 Take up the sucker again and reduce the height to 2mm.

12 Make a crosswise incision 3cm deep across the width of the

sucker.

13 Make a second incision perpendicular to the first to damage

the apical meristem which will break dominance.

14 Set the ex-plant aside for 2-3 hrs in a shade.

15 Place the explants in a germination bed for plantain plan lets

to develop, make a shade above the bed

16 Cover germination bed with plastic or saw dust.

17 Make a shade above the bed

18 Water the germination bed periodically to maintain constant

moisture

19 Remove the explants from germination bed within 6-8 weeks

and gently wash substrate attracted

20 Cut off plant lets with 2-5 leaves with sharp knife and ensure

that the corm is attached. Put the cut off plantlet into a

polythene bag.

21 Return the explants back to germination bed after removing

the plantlet with 2-5 leaves.

22 Continue harvesting plantlets until explants deteriorate

23 Keep harvested plantlets in a shade house with light and sun

rays to wean or harden for 4-5 weeks before planting on the

field.

24 Care for the plantlet to avoid nematodes and other pathogens

from infesting the plantlets.

217

SKILLS IN MARKETING OF PLANTAIN NURSERY


1 Assemble and record the number of nursery produced.

2 Keep nursery produced secured and ventilated for marketing

3 Grade the nursery seedling according to quality

4 Fix prices for the nursery seedling produced

5 Advertise the nursery seedling to attract buyers

6 Identify appropriate market for plantain nursery

7 Identify suitable buyers for plantain nursery seedling

8 Identify the locations of the buyers of plantain nursery

products.

9 Distribute and transport plantain nursery seedling to buyers or

site.

10 Record sales and store carefully the unsold nursery.


218

SECTION B

PLANNING FOR PLANTAIN PLANTATION MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISE


1 Formulate specific objectives for plantain plantation management

enterprise.

2 Review the formulated objective with change in market demand

for plantain plantation management enterprise.

3 Identify site for plantain plantation

4 Identify sources of credit for plantain plantation enterprise

5 Specify variety of plantain suitable for the soil in the plantation.

6 Draw program for plantain plantation enterprise

7 Identify materials needed for plantain plantation management

8 Identify the equipment needed for each specific plantain

plantation management enterprise.

9 Identify qualified personnel required for each operation in

plantain plantation management enterprise

10 Implement activités in plantain plantation management.

11 Identify suitable markets for the plantain.

12 Make budget for the plantain plantation management

13 Draw up the evaluation technique to be used in the plantain


14 Make room for any contingency needed in plantain plantation

enterprise

ESTABLISHING PLANTAIN PLANTATION


1 Identify a suitable site for plantain plantation

establishment

2 Clear the bush identified with machete or tractor

3 Cut the trees and shrubs with appropriate implement

4 Stump the tree stem with hoe and pick axe.



219

SKILLS IN PLANTING OPERATION

5 Pack and burn trash

6 Carry out field layout for plantain establishment

7 Dig holes for the measured spacing

8 Transfer mature seedlings and healthy suckers to the

plantation for planting

9 Place the seedling or sucker each per hole centrally

10 Cover first with top soil containing organic matter

and humus and then later with bottom soil

11 Press the base of the seeding and mulch

12 Water the plant if land is tried.


1 Isolate mature and healthy suckers according to their

sizes in the nursery.

2 Trim off shoots that are too long to stimulate the

growth of new ones.

3 Remove the polythene bag leaving the ball of earth

on the roots.

4 Place the seedling or sucker centrally in the role at a

planting distance of 7m apart.

5 Fell first with topsoil containing organic matter and

humus and then with bottom soil

6 Press the base of the seedling firmly to the ground.


220

SKILLS IN THINNING PLANTAIN

SKILLS IN MULCHING PLANTAIN


1 Identify the weak sucker to be removed

2 Remove the weak seedling with appropriate implement or tool

3 Thrust a chisel shaped crowbar and pierce through the

growing tip and twist many times

4 Pour in some of chemical such a kerosene on the cut pseudo

stem

5 Apply a mixture of petrol, oil and grease on the cut sucker

and allow die.


1 Identify sources of mulching material

2 Gather all grasses from cleared farm land

3 Chop the grasses or materials into bit

4 Spread the chopped dried grasses around the base of the

plantain plant

5 Water the plant



221

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN FERTILIZER APPLICATION

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN PLANTATION IRRIGATION APPLICATION


1 Identify the fertilizer to apply:(urea,muriate of potash ,NPK,

farm yard manure)

2 Get a trowel and make a circle of about 4 to 8ft apart from

the plantain trunck.

3 Apply 300kg/ha/yr of nitrogen (as urea) and 550kg/ha/yrs of

potassium (a muriate of potash) in six split application

4 Apply 450gm of urea, 225gm 1/2b of triple super phosphate,

225gm muriate of potash per plant of plantain around the

constructed circle.

5 Cover lightly with earth

6 Take a small tomato tin of fertilizer(NPK)

7 Apply the quantity measured in step 6 above 5cm away from

each stand for band placement method


1 Identify sources of water

2 Determine the quantity of water required per plant or hectre

3 Identify the method of irrigation to use(watering

can,pipe,channel,drip or sprinkler).

4 Supply water to the base of the plant using selected method.



222

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN PLANTATION WEED CONTROL


1 CHEMICAL CONTROL:

Identify the herbicide to use to control weed(contact

non selective herbicide, long lasting systemic and total

herbicide)

2 Get a knapsack herbicide sprayer.

3 Measure 5ml of the identified herbicide and dilute with

10 liters of water

4 Apply herbicide on weed two or three months after

planting

5 Repeat the application after four months of first

application

6 MECHANICAL CONTROL:

Weeding with hoe

7 Hand picking or pulling of weeds

8 Brushing or slashing with cutlasses

9 Tractor pulled mower

10 BIOLOGICAL CONTROL:

Drive Herbivores animal into plantation to feed on

weed

11 Planting of leguminous cover crop such as

centrosema, pueraria and calopogonium

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN PROPPING


1 Identify the plantain plant with bunch that required propping

2 Carry two or three long Indian bamboo

3 Tie rope to the lateral pole against the two bamboo

4 Placed the bamboo on the side where the bunch leans over.

5 Ensure that the poles are placed properly so that it may not

be blow away by storm.



223

SKILLS IN PLANTAIN HARVESTING


1 Identify matured bunch of plantain

2 Place a forked stick or a helper to receive the bunch as it

comes down

3 Take a machete and make a cut about 6-8cm on the pseudo

stem

4 Shake the pseudo stem slightly by pushing at direction of the

force.

5 Cut the bunch off the pseudo stem with a machete

6 Carry bunch on stretchers to store house or market.

SKILLS IN MARKETING OF PLANTAIN


1 Assemble and record the number of plantain bunch harvested

from plantation

2 Keep harvested bunches of plantain secured and ventilated

for marketing

3 Grade the products according to quality

4 Fix prices for the plantain bunches

5 Advertise the plantain bunch to attract buyers

6 Identify appropriate market for plantain bunches

7 Identify suitable buyers for plantain bunches

8 Identify the locations of the buyers of plantain bunches

9 Distribute and transport of plantain bunches to buyers

10 Record sales and store carefully the unsold bunches.



224

SECTION C

COMPETENCY IN PLANNING FOR PLANTAIN PROCESSING/

MARKETING ENTERPRISE


1 Formulate specific objectives for plantain processing enterprise

2 Review the formulated objective with change in market demand

for plantain processed products enterprise

3 Identify site for plantain processing enterprise

4 Identify sources of credit for plantain processing enterprise

5 Specify variety of plantain processing enterprise to adopt

6 Draw program for plantain processing enterprise

7 Identify materials needed for plantain processing enterprise

8 Identify the equipment needed for each specific plantain

processing enterprise.

9 Identify qualified personnel required for operation in each

plantain processing enterprise

10 Implement activités in plantain processing Enterprise production

11 Identify suitable markets for the plantain processed products.

12 Make budget for the plantain processing enterprise

13 Draw up the evaluation technique to be used in the plantain


14 Make room for any contingency needed in plantain processing

enterprise

SKILLS IN PROCESSING OF PLANTAIN INTO CHIPS


1 Identify mature unripe plantain bunch.


3 Wash the fingers and peel with knife.



225

4 Slice to shape with knife or plantain slicer

5 Mix the slices with salt

6 Put the sliced into a frying pot containing vegetable oil or refined palm oil and heat to about 2 to 3 minutes.

7 Remove field slices into a container with drainage and allow

draining, and cooling.

8 Grade the chips according to sizes

9 Package chips into cellophane or polyethylene bags according

to their size

10 Label and fix prices

11 Supply to stores or sent to market

SKILLS IN PROCESSING OF PLANTAIN INTO FLOUR


1 Harvest or purchase unripe plantain bunch from the farm or

sellers


3 Wash the fingers and peel with a knife

4 Immersed the pulp into a bowl water to prevent browning

5 Slice to shape with a knife or automatic dicing machine

6 Treat the slice with antioxidant

7 Dehydrate the slice in a cabinet dryer or sun dry for some

days

8 Mill dried slice using runner mill, hammer mill or pound in a

mortar with pestle

9 Sieve to produce fine flour

10 Package or bag the flour according to sizes

11 Fix prices and market


226

SKILLS IN PROCESSING OF PLANTAIN INTO PUDDING


1 Obtain unripe and ripe plantain

2 Peel both plantain with knife

3 Wash the pulp

4 Slice the pulp into sheet with knife

5 Sun dry the slice pulp for 3-5 days or use a forced air moisture extraction plus II oven or Sango Galenkamp Plc at 65˚C for about 48 hours

6 Mill the unripe and ripe slice separately

7 Mix water to the milled slice to form slurry

8 Mix the ripe slurry with the unripe slurry

9 Mix two cooking spoon of palm oil and with other ingredients and stir vigorously

10 Wrap the mix slurry with sterilized plantain leaves and cook for 2-3 hours

11 Air it to cool and market

SKILLS IN PROCESSING PLANTAIN INTO DODO (IKIRE)


1 Purchase ripe plantain from market.

2 Separate the bunch into individual fingers

3 Peel each finger with knife to obtain pulp

4 Put the pulp in a mortar and mash with a pestle

5 Mix partially grinded pepper with the mashed pulp

6 Cut paste into slurry and fry in palm oil.

7 Remove fried paste into a seive to drain.

8 Wrap the product in musa leaves and sale.



227

SKILLS IN PROCESSING PLANTAIN INTO WINE


1 purchase green unripe plantain

2 Accelerate ripening either burying in pits or by heating over

kitchen fire.

3 Peel the ripped plantain with a knife

4 Put the pulp in a large wooden mortar.

5 Press under foot or worked by hand to extract juice

6 Apply selected grasses to assist extraction of juice

7 Strain juice and ferment the wine with ingredients such as

water, sorghum or honey using culture saccharomyce

cevevisiae

8 Sieve out wine after fermentation

9 Bottle the sieved out liquid

10 Pasteurize by immersing filed bottles into water bath

11 Package bottle wine and market

SKILLS IN MARKETING OF PROCESSED PLANTAIN PRODUCTS


1 Assemble and record the number of processed products

2 Keep processed products secured and ventilated for

marketing

3 Grade the processed products according to quality

4 Fix prices for the processed product

5 Advertise the processed products to attract buyers

6 Identify appropriate for market for the processed products

7 Identify suitable buyers for the processed plantain products

8 Identify the location of the buyers of processed plantain

product

9 Distribute and transport processed plantain products to

buyers

10 Record sales and store carefully the unsold processed

products



228

APPENDIX XI

Results of Data Analyzed

(A): Plantain Nursery Enterprise

(A)i: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Planning Plantain Nursery

enterprise

Descriptive Statistics

N Mean Std. Deviation

SecAiItem1 261 3.6529 .63998

SecAiItem2 261 3.6270 .70675

SecAiItem3 261 3.5526 .82580

SecAiItem4 261 3.4554 .86228

SecAiItem5 261 3.4518 .72047

SecAiItem6 261 3.2920 .88737

SecAiItem7 261 3.3893 .84851

SecAiItem8 261 3.5251 .84035

SecAiItem9 261 3.4022 .69584

SecAiItem10 261 3.6388 .86574

SecAiItem11 261 3.3030 .92639

SecAiItem12 261 3.4270 .80540

SecAiItem13 261 3.5077 .75006

SecAiItem14 261 3.4416 .85340

SummaryAi 261 3.4762 .77047

Valid N (listwise) 261

229

(A)ii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Plantain Nursery Production



SecAiiItem1 261 3.5647 .69970

SecAiiItem2 261 3.3554 .78866

SecAiiItem3 261 3.4132 .77248

SecAiiItem4 261 3.4711 .72151

SecAiiItem5 261 3.5620 .66348

SecAiiItem6 261 3.5647 .62461

SecAiiItem7 261 3.6226 .60681

SecAiiItem8 261 3.3691 .64056

SecAiiItem9 261 3.3471 .60901

SecAiiItem10 261 3.3939 .82212

SecAiiItem11 261 3.1570 .88581

SecAiiItem12 261 3.2479 .98003

SecAiiItem13 261 3.6226 .79933

SecAiiItem14 261 3.4545 .81424

SecAiiItem15 261 3.3196 .91176

SecAiiItem16 261 3.5427 .88275

SecAiiItem17 261 3.4077 1.02410

SecAiiItem18 261 3.5234 .69041

SecAiiItem19 261 3.5653 .80414

SecAiiItem20 261 3.2700 .88502

SecAiiItem21 261 3.4132 .78666

SecAiiItem22 261 3.3416 .89449

SecAiiItem23 261 3.5928 .92016

SecAiiItem24 261 3.3333 .77721

SummaryAii 261 3.5023 .74255


230

iii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Plantain Nursery Marketing



SecAiiiItem1 261 3.5529 .68773

SecAiiiItem2 261 3.5691 .68608

SecAiiiItem3 261 3.7187 .86875

SecAiiiItem4 261 3.5342 .78745

SecAiiiItem5 261 3.4981 .70036

SecAiiiItem6 261 3.5620 .65763

SecAiiiItem7 261 3.3468 .70839

SecAiiiItem8 261 3.6336 .60756

SecAiiiItem9 261 3.4342 .80897

SecAiiiItem10 261 3.5518 .73068

SummaryAiii 261 3.5434 .72447


231

(B): Plantain Management Enterprise

(B)i: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Planning Plantain Plantation

Mgmt Enterprise Descriptive Statistics


SecBiItem1 362 3.6200 .63398

SecBiItem2 362 3.5270 .85475

SecBiItem3 362 3.6526 .78980

SecBiItem4 362 3.5554 .76228

SecBiItem5 362 3.4518 .86047

SecBiItem6 362 3.6943 .82737

SecBiItem7 362 3.5893 .78451

SecBiItem8 362 3.6251 .87635

SecBiItem9 362 3.4762 .79864

SecBiItem10 362 3.5328 .87764

SecBiItem11 362 3.5030 .89709

SecBiItem12 362 3.5876 .80540

SecBiItem13 362 3.5077 .79806

SecBiItem14 362 3.4416 .79842

SummaryBi 362 3.5576 .87647


(B)ii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Plantain Plantation

Establishment Descriptive Statistics


SecBiiItem1 362 3.6171 .65176

SecBiiItem2 362 3.4416 .71996

SecBiiItem3 362 3.2755 .83839

SecBiiItem4 362 3.4132 .78666

SecBiiItem5 362 3.0977 .79208

SecBiiItem6 362 3.1515 .79825

SecBiiItem7 362 3.4545 .89813

SecBiiItem8 362 3.2066 .94241

SecBiiItem9 362 3.5160 .73992

232

SecCiiItem10 362 3.3003 .75119

SecBiiItem11 362 3.6612 .65080

SecBiiItem12 362 3.2039 .93566

SummaryBii 362 3.4483 .74421


(B) iii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain planting operation



SecBiiiItem1 362 3.4573 .63960

SecBiiiItem2 362 3.3747 .75992

SecBiiiItem3 362 3.6915 .75334

SecBiiiItem4 362 3.4463 .72008

SecBiiiItem5 362 3.3361 .84585

SecBiiiItem6 362 3.5727 .87948

SummaryBiii 362 3.5298 .73030


(B) iv: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain thinning operation



SecBivItem1 362 3.4435 .77885

SecBivItem2 362 3.3003 .81130

SecBivItem3 362 3.5727 .87948

SecBivItem4 362 3.1047 1.15632

SecBivItem5 362 2.9614 1.23201

SummaryBiv 362 3.2765 .92489


233

(B) v: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain mulching operation



SecBvItem1 362 3.5565 .65560

SecBvItem2 362 3.2562 .89067

SecBvItem3 362 3.1928 .84830

SecBvItem4 362 3.0468 1.04881

SecBvItem5 362 3.2782 .82919

SummaryBv 362 3.2661 .82223


(B) vi: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain irrigation operation



SecBviItem1 362 3.5923 .69262

SecBviItem2 362 3.3939 .75192

SecBviItem3 362 3.1543 .86261

SecBviItem4 362 3.6606 1.02546

SecBviItem5 362 3.2433 .89281

SecBviItem6 362 3.3085 .86594

SecBviItem7 362 2.9366 1.08422

SummaryBvi 362 3.3271 .84221


(B) vii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain fertilizer application



SecBviiItem1 362 3.4215 .78753

SecBviiItem2 362 3.5983 .85028

SecBviiItem3 362 3.4545 1.00276

SecBviiItem4 362 3.3700 1.07655

SummaryBvii 362 3.4611 .88846


234

(B) viii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain weed control



SecBviiiItem1 362 3.6033 .74120

SecBviiiItem2 362 3.4793 .84192

SecBviiiItem3 362 3.3609 .78262

SecBviiiItem4 362 3.3444 .82428

SecBviiiItem5 362 3.5317 .79776

SecBviiiItem6 362 3.3609 .79662

SecBviiiItem7 362 3.2259 .91561

SecBviiiItem8 362 3.1047 .91944

SecBviiiItem9 362 3.1433 .96421

SecBviiiItem10 362 3.4683 .92597

SecBviiiItem11 362 3.5152 .74081

SummaryBviii 362 3.3762 .79994


(B) ix: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain propping



SecBixItem1 362 3.2369 .87258

SecBixItem2 362 3.3719 .90851

SecBixItem3 362 3.5152 .95285

SecBixItem4 362 3.1543 .82663

SecBixItem5 362 3.4298 .77059

SummaryBix 362 3.3416 .82281


235

(B) x: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in plantain harvesting



SecBxItem1 362 3.4793 .74810

SecBxItem2 362 3.5160 .72863

SecBxItem3 362 3.4050 .74231

SecBxItem4 362 3.2727 .87000

SecBxItem5 362 3.5948 .84005

SecBxItem6 362 3.3747 .79196

SummaryBx 362 3.3404 .76490


(A) xi: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Plantain Marketing



SecBxiItem1 362 3.5769 .67653

SecBxiItem2 362 3.4691 .78078

SecBxiItem3 362 3.4809 .75540

SecBxiItem4 362 3.3342 .87745

SecBxiItem5 362 3.6981 .76544

SecBxiItem6 362 3.5040 .68763

SecBxiItem7 362 3.5550 .86539

SecBxiItem8 362 3.5646 .80056

SecBxiItem9 362 3.6363 .84897

SecBxiItem10 362 3.5918 .56868

SummaryBxi 362 3.5434 .80687


236

(C): Plantain Processing Enterprise

(C) i: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Planning Plantain Processing

Enterprise Descriptive Statistics


SecCiItem1 314 3.5669 .87098

SecCiItem2 314 3.4980 .70875

SecCiItem3 314 3.6226 .87680

SecCiItem4 314 3.5554 .70228

SecCiItem5 314 3.4987 .77707

SecCiItem6 314 3.3398 .76837

SecCiItem7 314 3.4653 .84851

SecCiItem8 314 3.5652 .70965

SecCiItem9 314 3.5022 .79809

SecCiItem10 314 3.4098 .86574

SecCiItem11 314 3.5473 .80639

SecCiItem12 314 3.2540 .70090

SecCiItem13 314 3.4077 .69786

SecCiItem14 314 3.3987 .78965

SummaryCi 314 3.4737 .78007


237

(C) ii: Competencies Required by Sec SchlGrads in Processing Plantain into chips



SecCiiItem1 314 3.6391 .60322

SecCiiItem2 314 3.5096 .85190

SecCiiItem3 314 3.3554 .86866

SecCiiItem4 314 3.2314 .87090

SecCiiItem5 314 3.4380 .90937

SecCiiItem6 314 3.2094 .95491

SecCiiItem7 314 3.6088 .74041

SecCiiItem8 314 3.5923 .77184

SecCiiItem9 314 3.3857 .81763

SecCiiItem10 314 3.2562 .85910

SecCiiItem11 314 3.1818 .96914

SummaryCii 314 3.4007 .79537


(C) iii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Processing Plantain into flour Descriptive Statistics


SecCiiiItem1 314 3.2893 .67026

SecCiiiItem2 314 3.5570 .83111

SecCiiiItem3 314 3.0909 1.05380

SecCiiiItem4 314 3.4904 .70655

SecCiiiItem5 314 2.9673 1.0259

SecCiiiItem6 314 3.5534 .87741

SecCiiiItem7 314 3.6149 .62003

SecCiiiItem8 314 3.0322 .89759

SecCiiiItem9 314 3.4857 .84095

SecCiiiItem10 314 3.5160 .89224

SecCiiiItem11 314 3.3664 .83148

SummaryCiii 314 3.3603 .81171


238

(C) iv: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Processing Plantain into pudding Descriptive Statistics


SecCivItem1 314 3.5116 .67356

SecCivItem2 314 3.2672 .80927

SecCivItem3 314 3.5543 .85618

SecCivItem4 314 3.3581 .77859

SecCivItem5 314 3.5755 .77683

SecCivItem6 314 3.4821 .90522

SecCivItem7 314 3.2782 .77762

SecCivItem8 314 3.1074 .91157

SecCivItem9 314 3.4893 .84525

SecCivItem10 314 3.5895 .86657

SecCivItem11 314 3.6369 .91583

SummaryCiv 314 3.4318 .78291


(C) v: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Processing Plantain into dodo Descriptive Statistics


SecCvItem1 314 3.4132 .77960

SecCvItem2 314 3.6170 .88269

SecCvItem3 314 3.3617 .81447

SecCvItem4 314 3.4534 .78431

SecCvItem5 314 3.5096 .66215

SecCvItem6 314 3.4711 .94671

SecCvItem7 314 3.3251 .78600

SecCvItem8 314 3.2975 .91620

SummaryCv 314 3.4310 .78134


239

(C) vi: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Processing Plantain into wine



SecCviItem1 314 3.3471 .91075

SecCviItem2 314 3.5179 .84852

SecCviItem3 314 3.4876 .80175

SecCviItem4 314 3.4105 .99701

SecCviItem5 314 3.3424 .69859

SecCviItem6 314 3.3912 .98392

SecCviItem7 314 3.3140 .84454

SecCviItem8 314 3.3526 .78463

SecCviItem9 314 3.5408 .77865

SecCviItem10 314 3.5499 .91121

SecCviItem11 314 3.2287 .89199

SummaryCvi 314 3.4075 .81176


(C) vii: Competencies Required by Sec Sch Grads in Marketing Processed Plantain



SecCviiItem1 314 3.6529 .61353

SecCviiItem2 314 3.3691 .67418

SecCviiItem3 314 3.4187 .96105

SecCviiItem4 314 3.2342 .88745

SecCviiItem5 314 3.4711 .78036

SecCviiItem6 314 3.5620 .66763

SecCviiItem7 314 3.3168 .80839

SecCviiItem8 314 3.6336 .79756

SecCviiItem9 314 3.2342 .90897

SecCviiItem10 314 3.4518 .81068

SummaryCvii 314 3.4344 .74087


240

Performance of Sec Sch Graduates in Plantain Production Enterprises

(A) . Plantain Nursery Enterprise (A)i: Performance of graduates in planning plantain nursery enterprise



SecAiItem1 82 3.1129 .79773

SecAiItem2 82 3.0964 .86941

SecAiItem3 82 1.9284 .95498

SecAiItem4 82 2.1019 .86240

SecAiItem5 82 3.1570 .90738

SecAiItem6 82 2.2121 1.04150

SecAiItem7 82 2.2617 1.01934

SecAiItem8 82 2.9614 1.03457

SecAiItem9 82 3.0138 .94450

SecAiItem10 82 3.3322 .91888

SecAiItem11 82 2.2039 1.06283

SecAiItem12 82 2.9433 1.01719

SecAiItem13 82 3.1680 1.06780

SecAiItem14 82 2.3636 1.07714

SummaryAi 82 2.6717 .91850


(A)ii: Performance of graduates in plantain nursery prodduction



SecAiiItem1 82 3.2945 .93133

SecAiiItem2 82 2.9229 .96605

SecAiiItem3 82 2.3719 1.03635

SecAiiItem4 82 2.3609 1.15835

SecAiiItem5 82 2.2810 .96819

SecAiiItem6 82 2.4904 1.13303

SecAiiItem7 82 2.2176 .94285

SecAiiItem8 82 2.5730 1.25352

241

SecAiiItem9 82 3.0755 .98952

SecAiiItem10 82 2.3030 1.03083

SecAiiItem11 82 3.2124 1.19008

SecAiiItem12 82 2.3113 1.11224

SecAiiItem13 82 2.3499 1.07273

SecAiiItem14 82 3.1259 .97408

SecAiiItem15 82 2.4683 1.00604

SecAiiItem16 82 2.9353 1.07871

SecAiiItem17 82 2.3030 1.05467

SecAiiItem18 82 2.2314 1.00902

SecAiiItem19 82 2.2066 .99099

SecAiiItem20 82 1.8928 1.15450

SecAiiItem21 82 2.3554 1.03949

SecAiiItem22 82 2.1598 1.03627

SecAiiItem23 82 2.7796 .98940

SecAiiItem24 82 2.0964 1.08687

SummaryAii 82 2.4841 1.01213


(A) iii: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in Plantain Nursery Marketing



SecAiiiItem1 82 2.1835 .91759

SecAiiiItem2 82 2.0065 .90499

SecAiiiItem3 82 1.9669 1.95710

SecAiiiItem4 82 2.0220 .92811

SecAiiiItem5 82 2.5427 .65781

SecAiiiItem6 82 2.0771 .99701

SecAiiiItem7 82 3.4525 .92377

SecAiiiItem8 82 2.6220 .71075

SecAiiiItem9 82 3.2679 .93974

SecAiiiItem10 82 1.5786 1.05904

SummaryAiii 82 2.3719 .63299


242

(B). Plantain Establishment and Management Enterprise

(B)i: Performance of graduates in planning plantain estab and mgmt enterprise



SecBiItem1 163 3.5029 .79773

SecBiItem2 163 3.0964 .86941

SecBiItem3 163 1.5684 1.05498

SecBiItem4 163 2.9819 .86240

SecBiItem5 163 3.5470 .90738

SecBiItem6 163 2.2387 .94150

SecBiItem7 163 2.3317 .91934

SecBiItem8 163 2.9614 .93457

SecBiItem9 163 3.0138 .74450

SecBiItem10 163 3.4005 .71888

SecBiItem11 163 2.2201 .96283

SecBiItem12 163 2.9509 .81719

SecBiItem13 163 3.0574 .66780

SecBiItem14 163 2.3896 1.07714

SummaryBi 163 2.8043 .91850


(B)ii: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in Plantain Plantation Establishment Descriptive Statistics


SecBiiItem1 163 1.9752 .93250

SecBiiItem2 163 2.9295 1.00677

SecBiiItem3 163 1.9752 .92357

SecBiiItem4 163 2.8760 .96259

SecBiiItem5 163 2.5121 1.02815

SecBiiItem6 163 3.1846 .94698

SecBiiItem7 163 2.4937 .98723

SecBiiItem8 163 2.8322 1.06118

SecBiiItem9 163 2.8579 1.00796

SecBiiItem10 163 2.9708 1.11669

SecBiiItem11 163 3.0303 .96151

243

SecBiiItem12 163 2.7488 1.14425

SummaryBii 163 2.6988 .97613


(B) iii: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain planting operation



SecBiiiItem1 163 2.5377 .95349

SecBiiiItem2 163 2.9543 1.09161

SecBiiiItem3 163 1.9917 .93575

SecBiiiItem4 163 2.6193 1.04441

SecBiiiItem5 163 3.2744 .99584

SecBiiiItem6 163 3.1541 .88804

SummaryBiii 163 2.7553 .95400


(B) iv: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain thinning operation



SecBivItem1 163 1.9256 .81592

SecBivItem2 163 2.6956 1.16239

SecBivItem3 163 2.4050 1.04521

SecBivItem4 163 2.7719 1.14041

SecBivItem5 163 2.5537 1.16546

SummaryBiv 163 2.4704 1.02854


244

(B) v: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain mulching operation Descriptive Statistics


SecBvItem1 163 2.8981 1.01811

SecBvItem2 163 3.3606 1.02276

SecBvItem3 163 2.7460 1.03963

SecBvItem4 163 2.8948 1.06353

SecBvItem5 163 3.1515 1.08819

SummaryBv 163 2.9502 1.01882


(B) vi: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain irrigation operation



SecBviItem1 163 3.0146 .97532

SecBviItem2 163 2.8441 .97382

SecBviItem3 163 2.6496 1.08621

SecBviItem4 163 2.7846 1.01185

SecBviItem5 163 2.9669 1.04538

SecBviItem6 163 2.5102 1.01043

SecBviItem7 163 3.3994 1.06564

SummaryBvi 163 2.8813 .97708


(B) vii: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain fertilizer application Descriptive Statistics


SecBviiItem1 163 2.3110 .92234

SecBviiItem2 163 3.0799 1.03620

SecBviiItem3 163 2.1763 1.05736

SecBviiItem4 163 2.6606 1.06250

SummaryBvii 163 2.5569 1.00069


245

(B) viii: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain weed control



SecBviiiItem1 163 3.0705 .86509

SecBviiiItem2 163 1.9697 1.18072

SecBviiiItem3 163 2.8017 .85353

SecBviiiItem4 163 2.9074 1.00662

SecBviiiItem5 163 3.0358 1.05712

SecBviiiItem6 163 2.6556 1.18689

SecBviiiItem7 163 2.5636 1.05642

SecBviiiItem8 163 2.7410 1.01598

SecBviiiItem9 163 3.2884 1.12754

SecBviiiItem10 163 2.5152 1.23783

SecBviiiItem11 163 2.8592 1.16282

SummaryBviii 163 2.7643 1.02087


(B) ix: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain propping



SecBxiItem1 163 2.8680 .93246

SecBxiItem2 163 3.1791 .91543

SecBxiItem3 163 2.3030 1.02276

SecBxiItem4 163 2.9507 1.14451

SecBxiItem5 163 2.9311 1.04231

SummaryBxi 163 2.8463 .97588


246

(B) x: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in plantain harvesting Descriptive Statistics


SecBxItem1 163 3.0559 .90318

SecBxItem2 163 2.7165 .95752

SecBxItem3 163 1.9449 .95608

SecBxItem4 163 2.9256 .91789

SecBxItem5 163 2.8402 1.07551

SecBxItem6 163 3.1466 1.08057

SummaryBx 163 2.7716 .94269


(B) xi: Performance of Sec Sch Grads in Plantain Marketing



SecBxiItem1 163 2.9005 .91759

SecBxiItem2 163 1.3265 .80499

SecBxiItem3 163 2.9987 .95710

SecBxiItem4 163 2.5420 .92811

SecBxiItem5 163 2.0217 .65781

SecBxiItem6 163 3.0774 .89431

SecBxiItem7 163 3.4525 .92377

SecBxiItem8 163 2.4090 .75545

SecBxiItem9 163 3.3439 .93974

SecBxiItem10 163 2.5786 .65904

SummaryBxi 163 2.6650 .83299


247

(C). Plantain Processing Enterprise

(D)i: Performance of sec sch graduates in planning plantain processing enterprise Descriptive Statistics


SecDiItem1 120 2.2969 .86773

SecDiItem2 120 1.9784 1.14561

SecDiItem3 120 3.4294 .70987

SecDiItem4 120 2.4319 .89240

SecDiItem5 120 3.0765 .67738

SecDiItem6 120 2.4521 .84150

SecDiItem7 120 2.9798 .99769

SecDiItem8 120 3.1004 .73457

SecDiItem9 120 2.9138 .94450

SecDiItem10 120 3.2987 .61888

SecDiItem11 120 2.2039 .96283

SecDiItem12 120 3.3876 .81719

SecDiItem13 120 3.0084 .76780

SecDiItem14 120 1.9688 1.07714

SummaryDi 120 2.7519 .86107


(D)ii: Performance of sec schl graduates in processing plantain into chips



SecDiiItem1 120 3.6908 .86751

SecDiiItem2 120 3.6654 .89250

SecDiiItem3 120 3.1570 1.08232

SecDiiItem4 120 3.6350 1.05168

SecDiiItem5 120 3.0523 .90731

SecDiiItem6 120 2.8981 .96518

SecDiiItem7 120 3.5941 1.01548

SecDiiItem8 120 2.5479 .95143

SecDiiItem9 120 3.1185 1.02713

SecDiiItem10 120 2.2893 1.05200

248

SecDiiItem11 120 3.3441 1.03167

SummaryDii 120 3.1811 .94902


(D)iii: Performance of sec schl graduates in processing plantain into flour



SecDiiiItem1 120 2.7534 1.22439

SecDiiiItem2 120 3.6428 .88729

SecDiiiItem3 120 2.5826 .90962

SecDiiiItem4 120 2.2625 1.16748

SecDiiiItem5 120 2.8818 .99168

SecDiiiItem6 120 2.8893 .78417

SecDiiiItem7 120 3.2405 .97742

SecDiiiItem8 120 2.8898 .86630

SecDiiiItem9 120 2.9814 .73809

SecDiiiItem10 120 3.0055 .99166

SecDiiiItem11 120 2.9174 .88811

SummaryDiii 120 2.9134 .95862


(D)iv: Performance of sec schl graduates in processing plantain into pudding



SecDivItem1 120 3.5974 .91868

SecDivItem2 120 3.5504 .91505

SecDivItem3 120 1.9559 1.00179

SecDivItem4 120 3.4697 .92639

SecDivItem5 120 2.2755 .99509

SecDivItem6 120 2.5460 .98786

SecDivItem7 120 2.8433 .91118

SecDivItem8 120 3.2606 1.12317

SecDivItem9 120 2.5455 1.00825

SecDivItem10 120 2.0358 .90812

249

SecDivItem11 120 3.6844 1.02859

SummaryDiv 120 2.8877 .93656


(D)v: Performance of sec schl graduates in processing plantain into dodo (ikire) Descriptive Statistics


SecDvItem1 120 2.9945 .91033

SecDvItem2 120 3.5888 1.04757

SecDvItem3 120 2.8457 .84317

SecDvItem4 120 2.2837 1.02695

SecDvItem5 120 2.1405 .91009

SecDvItem6 120 3.6270 1.20406

SecDvItem7 120 2.9972 .94751

SecDvItem8 120 2.5543 1.08144

SummaryDv 120 2.8789 .95171


(D)vi: Performance of sec schl graduates in processing plantain into wine Descriptive Statistics


SecDviItem1 120 3.3525 1.02419

SecDviItem2 120 3.5736 .99177

SecDviItem3 120 2.8716 .95787

SecDviItem4 120 2.7052 .95400

SecDviItem5 120 2.5868 .92243

SecDviItem6 120 3.5402 1.12816

SecDviItem7 120 1.9669 .94548

SecDviItem8 120 2.8567 .93216

SecDviItem9 120 2.9102 .90669

SecDviItem10 120 3.0193 .90252

SecDviItem11 120 3.6107 1.04145

SummaryDvi 120 2.9994 .92757


250

(D)vii: Performance of sec schl graduates in marketing processed plantain products



SecviiItem1 120 2.8926 .90854

SecviiItem2 120 2.3058 .92099

SecviiItem3 120 1.9669 .95710

SecviiItem4 120 2.0220 .92811

SecviiItem5 120 2.5427 1.20781

SecviiItem6 120 2.0771 .99701

SecviiItem7 120 3.1625 1.02377

SecviiItem8 120 2.6220 1.01075

SecviiItem9 120 3.3679 .93974

SecviiItem10 120 2.5523 1.05904

Summaryvii 120 2.5512 .93299


251

Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis One: A. (Plantain Nursery Enterprise)

Ai. Planning Plantain Nursery enterprise

ANOVA

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

SecAiItem1 Between Groups .122 2 .061 .103 .902

Within Groups 153.050 258 .593

Total 153.172 260



Total 222.238 260



Total 187.226 260



Total 210.207 260



Total 226.284 260



Total 229.241 260

SecAiItem7 Between Groups 1.094 2 .547 .970 .213


Total 211.862 260



Total 251.410 260

SecAiItem9 Between Groups 7.793 2 1.197 3.277 .018


Total 238.651 260



Total 201.801 260



Total 210.966 260

252



Total 193.318 260



Total 181.686 260



Total 223.241 260

SummaryAi Between Groups .354 2 .177 .239 .787


Total 191.136 260

Aii. Plantain Nursery Production ANOVA


SecAiiItem1 Between Groups .241 2 .120 .261 .770


Total 119.034 260



Total 199.310 260


Within Groups 307.280 258 1.191

Total 307.663 260



Total 252.536 260


Within Groups 264.619 258 1.026

Total 264.996 260

SecAiiItem6 Between Groups 11.010 2 1.175 3.816 .034


Total 211.241 260

SecAiiItem7 Between Groups 9.306 2 .853 4.185 .011


Total 213.617 260

253


Within Groups 263.277 258 1.020

Total 263.617 260



Total 221.617 260



Total 242.146 260



Total 252.077 260

SecAiiItem12 Between Groups 7.004 2 .882 .002 .998


Total 229.448 260


Within Groups 275.177 258 1.067

Total 275.310 260



Total 212.904 260



Total 246.812 260



Total 248.966 260

SecAiiItem17 Between Groups 2.081 2 1.040 .957 .385

Within Groups 280.387 258 1.087

Total 282.467 260



Total 158.559 260



Total 192.307 260



Total 255.019 260

SecAiiItem21 Between Groups 1.283 2 .642 .625 .536

254

Within Groups 264.701 258 1.026

Total 265.985 260

SecAiiItem22 Between Groups 2.843 2 1.421 2.238 .192

Within Groups 296.269 258 1.148

Total 299.111 260


Within Groups 259.092 258 1.004

Total 260.077 260



Total 172.904 260

SummaryAii Between Groups .121 2 .061 .076 .927


Total 206.974 260

Aiii. Plantain Nursery Marketing

ANOVA


SecAiiiItem1 Between Groups .187 2 .094 .188 .829


Total 128.651 260



Total 110.950 260



Total 151.249 260



Total 189.249 260



Total 155.939 260



Total 107.134 260



Total 146.352 260


255


Total 139.203 260



Total 94.950 260



Total 120.284 260

SummaryAiii Between Groups .054 2 .027 .065 .937


Total 106.334 260

Hypothesis Two: B. (Plantain Plantation Estab & Mgmt Enterprise)

Bi: Planning Plantain Plantation Mgmt Enterprise ANOVA


SecBiItem1 Between Groups .077 2 .038 .081 .922


Total 170.144 361

SecBiItem2 Between Groups 6.368 2 .984 5.258 .003


Total 256.489 361



Total 206.135 361



Total 253.395 361



Total 262.475 361



Total 279.116 361



Total 246.497 361


256


Total 296.773 361

SecBiItem9 Between Groups 7.894 2 .747 4.595 .012


Total 270.276 361



Total 242.033 361



Total 244.456 361



Total 226.431 361



Total 209.395 361



Total 273.116 361

SummaryBi Between Groups .163 2 .082 .130 .878


Total 225.799 361

Bii: Plantain Plantation Establishment ANOVA


SecBiiItem1 Between Groups .108 2 .054 .176 .839


Total 110.873 361



Total 159.030 361



Total 272.080 361


257


Total 239.702 361

SecBiiItem5 Between Groups 2.125 2 1.063 1.176 .310


Total 326.555 361



Total 262.276 361



Total 206.633 361



Total 104.464 361



Total 123.260 361



Total 107.041 361

SecBiiItem11 Between Groups 1.241 2 .620 .769 .464


Total 290.773 361



Total 238.033 361

SummaryBii Between Groups .217 2 .108 .237 .789


Total 164.602 361

258

Biii: Plantain planting operation

ANOVA


SecBiiiItem1 Between Groups .659 2 .329 .858 .425


Total 138.467 361



Total 116.467 361



Total 164.398 361



Total 194.080 361



Total 169.163 361



Total 206.224 361

SummaryBiii Between Groups .251 2 .126 .306 .737


Total 147.749 361

Biv: Plantain thinning operation

ANOVA


SecBivItem1 Between Groups .040 2 .020 .047 .954


Total 151.727 361

SecBivItem2 Between Groups .625 2 .312 .631 .533


Total 178.276 361

SecBivItem3 Between Groups 3.028 2 1.514 1.852 .158


Total 296.467 361

259


Within Groups 434.234 359 1.210

Total 442.599 361


Within Groups 542.907 359 1.501

Total 546.776 361

SummaryBiv Between Groups 2.580 2 1.290 1.814 .164


Total 257.904 361

Bv: Plantain mulching operation ANOVA


SecBvItem1 Between Groups .154 2 .077 .188 .828


Total 146.575 361

SecBvItem2 Between Groups 1.025 2 .512 .887 .413


Total 208.456 361

SecBvItem3 Between Groups 2.011 2 1.006 1.743 .177


Total 209.163 361

SecBvItem4 Between Groups .952 2 .476 1.133 .323


Total 151.837 361

SecBvItem5 Between Groups 1.554 2 .777 1.077 .342


Total 260.431 361

SummaryBv Between Groups .970 2 .485 1.004 .367


Total 174.265 361

Bvi: Plantain irrigation operation

ANOVA


SecBviItem1 Between Groups .082 2 .041 .100 .905


Total 147.760 361

260



Total 230.500 361

SecBviItem3 Between Groups 7.280 2 1.140 4.203 .017


Total 248.102 361



Total 228.033 361



Total 183.307 361



Total 189.627 361

SecBviItem7 Between Groups 5.120 2 2.560 2.243 .108

Within Groups 409.753 359 1.141

Total 414.873 361

SummaryBvi Between Groups .306 2 .153 .285 .752


Total 192.789 361

Bvii: Plantain fertilizer application ANOVA


SecBviiItem1 Between Groups .017 2 .009 .020 .980


Total 151.727 361

SecBviiItem2 Between Groups 2.074 2 1.037 1.347 .261


Total 278.489 361

SecBviiItem3 Between Groups 6.639 2 .820 3.491 .013


Total 234.365 361

SecBviiItem4 Between Groups .481 2 .240 .357 .700


Total 242.431 361

261

SummaryBvii Between Groups .513 2 .256 .454 .636


Total 203.497 361

Biii: Plantain weed control ANOVA


SecBviiiItem1 Between Groups .230 2 .115 .320 .727


Total 129.569 361



Total 118.884 361



Total 259.671 361



Total 114.961 361



Total 249.605 361

SecBviiiItem6 Between Groups 2.636 2 1.318 .936 .393

Within Groups 505.497 359 1.408

Total 508.133 361

SecBviiiItem7 Between Groups 2.123 2 1.062 1.085 .339


Total 353.337 361



Total 344.884 361



Total 263.315 361


Within Groups 575.915 359 1.604

Total 584.666 361

262



Total 343.925 361

SummaryBviii Between Groups .903 2 .451 .728 .484


Total 223.577 361

Bix: Plantain propping ANOVA


SecBixItem1 Between Groups .087 2 .044 .114 .893


Total 137.373 361

SecBixItem2 Between Groups 1.716 2 .858 1.268 .283


Total 244.773 361



Total 240.497 361

SecBixItem4 Between Groups 8.960 2 1.980 6.401 .002


Total 299.959 361



Total 175.594 361

SummaryBix Between Groups .800 2 .400 .787 .456


Total 183.320 361

Bx: Plantain harvesting ANOVA


SecBxItem1 Between Groups .357 2 .178 .388 .679


Total 165.260 361

263



Total 183.867 361



Total 167.671 361



Total 173.702 361



Total 185.793 361



Total 282.014 361

SummaryBx Between Groups .122 2 .061 .130 .878


Total 168.378 361

Bxi: Plantain Marketing

ANOVA


SecBxiItem1 Between Groups .008 2 .004 .016 .985


Total 91.384 361



Total 115.624 361



Total 131.470 361



Total 207.315 361



Total 169.348 361

264



Total 119.373 361



Total 157.693 361



Total 156.445 361



Total 105.008 361



Total 126.622 361

SummaryBxi Between Groups .057 2 .028 .085 .918


Total 120.076 361

265

(C): Hypothesis Three: C. (Plantain Processing Enterprise)

Ci: Planning Plantain Processing Enterprise


SecCiItem1 Between Groups .079 2 .039 .075 .928


Total 163.439 313



Total 242.959 313



Total 198.666 313



Total 236.334 313



Total 248.178 313



Total 259.414 313



Total 232.815 313



Total 278.854 313

SecCiItem9 Between Groups 8.174 2 .987 3.411 .012


Total 257.783 313



Total 226.140 313



Total 231.226 313



Total 213.350 313

266

SecCiItem13 Between Groups 6.254 2 .727 3.099 .020


Total 198.449 313



Total 253.414 313

SummaryCi Between Groups .198 2 .099 .145 .865


Total 212.106 313

Cii: Processing Plantain into chips ANOVA


SecCii1Item1 Between Groups 1.035 2 .518 .804 .448


Total 201.162 313

SecCii1Item2 Between Groups .148 2 .074 .127 .881


Total 181.580 313

SecCii1Item3 Between Groups 7.567 2 2.683 6.522 .004


Total 169.350 313



Total 214.497 313



Total 249.554 313



Total 188.815 313



Total 192.420 313



Total 205.962 313

267



Total 151.962 313

SecCii1Item10 Between Groups 8.509 2 .955 3.451 .037


Total 175.962 313



Total 200.959 313

SummaryCii Between Groups .125 2 .063 .114 .893


Total 171.856 313

Ciii: Processing Plantain into flour ANOVA


SecCiiiItem1 Between Groups .176 2 .088 .186 .830


Total 147.455 313



Total 196.497 313



Total 235.580 313



Total 217.032 313



Total 202.242 313

SecCiiiItem6 Between Groups 6.080 2 .840 3.927 .037


Total 182.242 313



Total 170.500 313

268



Total 193.783 313



Total 173.761 313



Total 209.096 313



Total 170.242 313

SummaryCiii Between Groups .092 2 .046 .085 .918


Total 167.910 313

Civ: Processing Plantain into pudding ANOVA


SecCivItem1 Between Groups 1.074 2 .537 .737 .479


Total 227.685 313

SecCivItem2 Between Groups 10.554 2 1.277 9.545 .001


Total 158.818 313

SecCivItem3 Between Groups .153 2 .077 .217 .805


Total 110.051 313



Total 146.051 313



Total 164.296 313



Total 213.096 313

269



Total 198.296 313



Total 201.162 313



Total 214.115 313



Total 219.876 313



Total 230.140 313

SummaryCiv Between Groups .271 2 .136 .260 .771


Total 162.622 313

Cv: Processing Plantain into dodo


SecCvItem1 Between Groups .448 2 .224 .345 .708


Total 202.051 313



Total 170.178 313



Total 176.420 313



Total 237.239 313



Total 187.580 313



Total 190.242 313

270



Total 238.296 313

SecCvItem8 Between Groups 5.395 2 1.198 3.106 .047


Total 267.226 313

SummaryCv Between Groups .195 2 .097 .174 .840


Total 174.049 313

Cvi: Processing Plantain into wine ANOVA


SecCviItem1 Between Groups .196 2 .098 .162 .850


Total 188.051 313



Total 158.242 313



Total 94.538 313

SecCviItem4 Between Groups 1.000 2 .500 .617 .540


Total 252.959 313

SecCviItem5 Between Groups 8.238 2 1.619 3.273 .046


Total 250.347 313

SecCviItem6 Between Groups 1.258 2 .629 .661 .517


Total 297.035 313



Total 185.783 313



Total 218.385 313

271



Total 153.350 313

SecCviItem10 Between Groups 6.097 2 1.048 3.074 .028


Total 202.178 313



Total 165.213 313

SummaryCvi Between Groups .206 2 .103 .193 .824


Total 165.552 313

Cvii: Marketing Processed Plantain ANOVA


SecCviiItem1 Between Groups .005 2 .002 .008 .992


Total 89.914 313



Total 112.204 313



Total 127.414 313



Total 200.178 313



Total 164.051 313



Total 114.538 313



Total 153.213 313

272



Total 149.634 313



Total 101.035 313



Total 124.118 313

SummaryCvii Between Groups .052 2 .026 .070 .932


Total 115.853 313

273

APPENDIX XII

Evidence of Validation of Research Instrument

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