CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Taking a look at the animal husbandry, breeding, feeding and management of

animal or livestock for the production of food, fibre work, and pleasure. Modern

methods concentrated one type of animals’ products at the highest rate of return for

investment. Intensive husbandry conditions include large numbers of animals in

small lots, means and vaccination against disease. Most of the world’s domestic

animals, however, are raised in small units under less efficient conditions and at

lower rates of returns. Animal furnish more than one-fourth of the world’s total

value of agricultural products. They supply a much higher proportion of human

food in the developed countries than elsewhere. In the United States, animal

products accounts for more than one-half of the total agricultural income.

Traditional husbandry practices are closely associated with the degree of control

needed over the animals have multiple uses; for example, animals are kept

primarily, for work also supply milk, meat and nothing materials. The animal, and

their uses, however, are closely associated with the culture and experience of the

people who care for them.

In some regions of the world, cattle are not considered for use in the production of

food. Studies have shown that the work power, fertilizers, milk and the fuel from

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dung that the cattle provide. In these regions are more efficient animal products

than meats. Analysis of other cultural practices has often revealed unexpected

efficiency of use fitted to local circumstances.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is being used widely for the

study and improvement of various aspects of livestock production, research and

education. Mainly the ICT also play a greater role in livestock disease control,

dairy herd management, livestock production and for marketing of livestock and

livestock produce (Jinu et’al., 2021). In the present study, the relationship between

frequency of ICT based information used in livestock decision-making and socio-

demographic profiles of livestock farmers is analyzed using Spearman Rank

Correlations (Ali, 2015). While in agriculture, extension officers are responsible in

conveying knowledge and scientific findings to rural areas for the purpose of

improving the lives of rural livestock keepers.

In delivering extension services (animal husbandry), extension officers also need

information from farmers, such as animal profile information to give informed

advice, hence farmers’ recording keeping is crucial aspect in delivering extension

services. In Nigeria, most farmers do not attach a great importance to record

keeping in their farming operations (Dudafa, 2015). Farmers often talk of profit

and loss not on the basis of facts and figures derived from record books, but from

intuition or guessing. This failure to keep record results part from the subsistent

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nature of production and the educational background. Collected data from farmers

is used as a management tool to undertake extension services, performance

evaluation, keep proper health records, accurately measure production and

reproduction, and perform other important management functions required to run

an effective and efficient farm enterprise. But in keeping records it is very

important to consider how data will be extracted later on. Computer is among the

tool which facilitate easily storage and retrieve of information compare to paper

based (Frank Hartwichet al., 2012).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It is very unfortunate that the technology potentials have not been fully or even

adequately realized in the field of farm management information. Very little farm

managers has grabbed this powerful it opportunities. This has put managers and

researchers behind. Some of the problems militating against high decision

performance and achievement of management goals are as follows:

 Lack of quality information tool like a computerized database system for

proper information management.

 Lack of experts or professionals in the field.

 Lack of technical – know how.

 Lack of sufficient fund

 Poor service rendered by the government

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  Poor perception of economic benefit.

 Immobility etc.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The objective of this research work is basically to provide the Nigeria farmers in

general and especially Federal Ministry of Agriculture farm manager with the

effective, efficient, accurate and timely form of management information system.

That is to replace manual management information system with computerized

management information system. To achieve this aim, the following objectives are

to be followed:

• To provide the management and users of the system with high-quality

information about livestock.

• To completely automate the management information system's operations.

• To stop the use of manual method of livestock management.

• To develop/create an information system for the management.

1.4 Significance of the Study

In the event of the above mentioned faults and errors discovered in the manual

system. It is believed that the introduction of a computerized system of

Management Information System (MIS) will change the whole the operation of

Federal Ministry of Agriculture livestock farm positively. It will totally eliminate

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the inherent problem which will in turn bring about immense cash value to the

college farm.

It will definitely expose and enlighten the staff and managers of farm in FMA on

what they supposed to know about their management. In addition, it will bring

about more noticeable contribution and improvements to livestock farmers

nationwide to be able to defined their problems and find out the solution to their

farm management issues.

Though the researcher restricted the study to FMA livestock farm, the result of the

findings will be of immense benefits to all Nigeria farm managers and as well to

students conducting similar research work on the same or related topics.

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study

In the study of this nature, one would like to accumulate information from many

areas, but, in the view of the time given for this research such a wide range could

not be reached. Therefore, on this project research, I concentrated on the

management information of livestock in Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Zuru.

1.6 Definition of Terms

Terms used in this research are defined below:

Database – A collection of interrelated data stared with controlled redundancy to

serve one or more application.

Information – Information is a data that has been evaluated. It is a processed data.

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Information Overload – A situation in which the sheer amount of information in

a system is simply too great to be coped with by the information management

available. It is overflow of information which slows down decision performance.

Information system- A systematic way of organizing the handling of

information, from information gathering to information retrieval and use.

Management - The process of procuring, allocating, combing and utilizing or

organizational resources expressed usually as 3ms (men, materials and money)

through planning organizing directing and controlling activities of work of the

organization member to reach certain stated objectives.

Management Information System – is an integrated and holistic reporting

network system in an organization that provides planning and controlling

information for effective decision making.

Farm: A place where agricultural and similar activities take place, especially the

growing of crops or the raising of livestock.

Farming: The business or act of cultivating land, or raising livestock.

Agro-ICT: The use of Information and communication technology to carry out

agricultural activities.

Livestock are domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce

labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is

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sometimes used to refer solely to those that are bred for consumption, while other

times it refers only to farmed ruminants, such as cattle and goats.