Factors Influencing Risk Management Practices Among Snail Practitioners in Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the level of risk management among 114 snail practitioners in Plateau State, Nigeria, focusing on Jos North, Shendam, and Mangu as the study areas. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, fuzzy logic, and ordered probit models. The results revealed that 85.1.0% of snail practitioners had access to credit, but only 2.0% insured their farms. The key elements of snail risk management were biosecurity (72.1%), medication (22.8%), and mitigation (5.1%) in terms of relative contribution. The majority (73.5%) of practitioners operated at a low level of risk management, with Jos North recording the highest proportion (95.5%) of practitioners at low risk management levels, while Shendam had the lowest (66.9%) among the three areas. Factors influencing the level of risk management included years of education (p ≤ 0.05), household size (p ≤ 0.01), years of experience in snail farming (p ≤ 0.01), and mortality rate (p ≤ 0.01). The study recommended that government policies in Nigeria should prioritize improving service delivery by empowering extension agents to enhance information dissemination and biosecurity education for snail practitioners. Additionally, practitioners should be encouraged to insure their farms to mitigate future risks in snail farming.