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Effect of Agricultural Extension on Livestock Farmers’ Adoption of New-Animal Isolation Practices

Abstract

Perishable agricultural produce inventory management is an important aspect of postharvest handling because fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and other farm produce can deteriorate rapidly when they are not properly stored, monitored, and distributed. Effective inventory management helps farmers keep track of available produce, control storage duration, reduce unnecessary losses, and improve the timing of sales and distribution. However, limited knowledge of inventory management practices may contribute to spoilage, overstocking, understocking, and avoidable postharvest losses among farmers. This study will assess farmers’ knowledge of perishable agricultural produce inventory management. The study will determine farmers’ level of knowledge of inventory management practices and assess their understanding of produce recording, quantity monitoring, storage duration, stock rotation, spoilage identification, inventory updating, and timely marketing of perishable farm produce. It will also identify areas where farmers may have inadequate knowledge of effective inventory management practices. The study will focus on farmers’ knowledge of perishable produce inventory management, inventory recording, stock monitoring, quantity estimation, storage duration, stock rotation, spoilage monitoring, produce classification, storage conditions, sales planning, inventory updating, and postharvest loss management. Information will be obtained from farmers involved in the production and handling of perishable agricultural produce to determine their understanding and application of appropriate inventory management practices. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from selected farmers using structured questionnaires and appropriate observation methods. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, percentages, means, and standard deviations will be used to summarize the data. Knowledge scores will be used to determine farmers’ levels of knowledge, while relevant inferential statistical methods may be applied to examine associations between farmers’ characteristics and their knowledge of perishable produce inventory management. The study is expected to reveal varying levels of knowledge among farmers regarding inventory management for perishable agricultural produce. Some farmers may demonstrate adequate knowledge of produce recording, stock monitoring, and spoilage identification, while others may have limited knowledge of stock rotation, storage duration tracking, inventory updating, and timely disposal or marketing of deteriorating produce. The study may also identify knowledge gaps that contribute to avoidable postharvest losses. The study will be useful to farmers, agricultural extension agents, agricultural development agencies, researchers, agricultural cooperatives, produce marketers, storage operators, and policymakers. It may provide useful information for developing farmer education programmes on inventory management and postharvest handling. The findings may also assist stakeholders in promoting simple and practical inventory management techniques that can help farmers improve produce monitoring, reduce spoilage, and improve the economic value of perishable agricultural produce. The study concludes that adequate knowledge of inventory management is important for effective handling and preservation of perishable agricultural produce. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension agencies and relevant agricultural organizations strengthen farmer education on inventory recording, stock monitoring, stock rotation, spoilage detection, storage duration management, and timely marketing. Practical demonstrations and accessible record-keeping tools should also be promoted to improve farmers’ knowledge and reduce postharvest losses.

Keywords: Perishable agricultural produce, inventory management, farmers’ knowledge, postharvest management, inventory recording, stock monitoring, stock rotation, produce storage, spoilage management, storage duration, produce handling, postharvest losses, agricultural extension, produce marketing, farm management.