AGRICULTURE

Post-harvest losses remain a major challenge for fish and agricultural product processors in developing countries due to limited access to efficient drying and preservation technologies. Traditional methods such as open-sun drying expose products to contamination, weather variability, and non-uniform drying, resulting in significant quality degradation and economic loss. This project addresses these challenges through the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a hybrid gas and charcoal oven capable of drying fish and selected agricultural produce efficiently and hygienically. The hybrid system integrates two energy sources—liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and charcoal—to provide operational flexibility, continuous heat supply, and improved temperature control. Locally available materials including mild steel, galvanized sheet metal, wire mesh trays, and glass wool insulation were used to ensure cost effectiveness, durability, and maintainability. The oven was tested with products such as catfish, pepper, and cassava chips. Performance parameters evaluated include temperature distribution, moisture reduction, drying efficiency, fuel consumption, and final product quality. Results revealed that the oven achieved a drying temperature range of 60–65°C with uniform heat distribution across trays. Moisture reduction from 72% to 12% for fish was attained within 6–7 hours under hybrid mode, compared to 10–12 hours in traditional charcoal dryers. A drying efficiency of approximately 60.7% was recorded, demonstrating significant improvement over conventional drying systems. The dried products showed enhanced sensory and hygienic quality with minimized contamination and discoloration. The study concludes that the hybrid oven is a practical, reliable, and sustainable technology for small- and medium-scale food processors, contributing to food security, reduction of postharvest losses, and socio-economic development. Further improvements such as automation of temperature control and incorporation of forced convection are recommended to enhance performance and commercial viability. Keywords: Hybrid oven, drying efficiency, fish preservation, agricultural products, gas and charcoal heating, post-harvest losses, food safety.

The increasing demand for efficiency and transparency in Nigeria’s livestock sector has highlighted the need for digital solutions that connect farmers, buyers, and agricultural experts in real time. This project, titled “Design and Development of a Web-Based Livestock Management and Sales Platform” focuses on creating a functional and user-friendly online platform that digitises livestock management, marketing, and consultancy services. The system was developed using a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the frontend design, while Django (Python) served as the backend framework and PostgreSQL as the database management system. The platform allows farmers (administrators) to list available livestock, manage bookings, update records, and provide consultancy advice, while buyers (users) can browse livestock listings, add animals to cart, view detailed information, and request consultations. Additional modules, such as a blog for farming guides and a testimonial section, were integrated to enhance engagement and credibility. An Agile development methodology was adopted to ensure iterative design, testing, and improvement throughout the development cycle. The system was deployed on the Render cloud hosting platform, providing online accessibility and scalability for real-world application. Testing results confirmed that the system effectively supports livestock transactions, simplifies communication between stakeholders, and provides a reliable database for record management. Overall, the project demonstrates how information and communication technology (ICT) can enhance market access, transparency, and knowledge sharing in Nigeria’s livestock industry. It contributes to digital agriculture research and provides a scalable model for future integration of payment gateways, analytics, and mobile platforms. Keywords: Web-based system, Livestock management, Digital agriculture, Django, ICT, E-commerce, Render hosting.

This study focused on the uses and abuses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools among final year students in Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: describe the socioeconomic characteristics of final year students in faculty of agriculture; identify the AI tools that the respondents were aware of; identify the interest in the use of AI tools among the respondents; ascertain the use and frequency of use of AI tools among the respondents; identify the purpose of use of AI tools by the respondents; identify the perceived abuses of AI tools by the respondents and examine the constraints in the use of AI tools by the respondents. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used for a simple random sampling of 145 final year students in faculty of agriculture for the study. Primary data were collected through the use of structured questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as: frequency counts, simple percentages and mean scores, as well as inferential statistics such as Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Results showed that more than half (64.1%) of the respondents were female with a mean 23 years. Most (99.3%) of the students were single. The result showed that most (90.3%) of the final year students were aware of ChatGPT, with more than half (61.4%) of the students showing interest in using it (ChatGPT). Most (99.3%) of the final-year students used ChatGPT and also indicated daily usage. The result showed that most 14 (89.7%) of the final-year students used artificial intelligence (AI) tools for writing assignments. The results also showed that the most significant perceived abuse of artificial intelligence tools by final year students was use of AI tools to answer test or examination questions (x̄=3.46) and the most significant constraints encountered was the requirement for paid subscriptions for most AI tools (x̄= 3.75). It was concluded that most widely used AI tool by the final year students was ChatGPT, while the use of AI tools to answer test or examination questions was identified as the most significant perceived abuse of AI tools by the respondents. The study therefore recommends that the faculty strengthen academic integrity measures and sensitize students on the ethical use of AI tools, especially discouraging their use for tests and examinations.