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Rural poultry production is an appropriate system for supplying the fast-growing human population with quality food and provides additional income to resource-poor farmers, especially women to improve their livelihoods. The main objective of this study was to identify factors that affect the access of women to poultry extension services in Northwestern, Tigray, Ethiopia. Multistage sampling techniques based on probability proportional to size were used to select districts, tabia (peasant association) and women poultry producers in the Northwestern Tigray. Variables on socio-economic characteristics of women poultry producers, access to information, access to training, access to credit service and times of visit by extension agents were generated from primary data collected from the study area. Data were subjected to logit econometric regression analysis. The result of the logistic regression model estimate revealed that out of the 10 factors, 6 variables were found to have a significant influence on the probability of women’s access to poultry extension service. These variables included household size, age of women, farmland size, information about poultry extension service, number of visits by extension agent and access to poultry production training. The coefficients of access to information about poultry extension service and the number of visits by extension agent were statistically significant at 1% probability level of significance, whereas household size, age of women poultry producers, farmland size and access to poultry production training were statistically significant at 5% probability level of significance.

In West Africa, climate change aggravates subsistence farmers&rsquo, vulnerability to weather variability to sustain their agricultural and nutritional requirements. For successful adaptation policies, in-depth understanding of farmers&rsquo, perceptions about climate change, agriculture, and adaptation strategies is essential. This qualitative study in rural Burkina Faso characterized farmers&rsquo, perceptions and knowledge through in-depth interviews. The study enumerated the barriers, possibilities, strategies/practices, and support sources of farmers. There was awareness but limited understanding of climate change amongst farmers. Those unable to adapt, faced increased health difficulties, specifically regarding nutrition and mental health. Farmers could implement some dietary and agricultural adaptation strategies (reduce meal size, frequency and variety, preemptive purchase of cereals, multi-cropping, crop rotation, modified seeds) but were unable to implement others (soil rehabilitation, water management). Barriers to implementation comprised financial and time constraints, material and labor shortages, and inaccessible information. Farmers did not understand, trust or utilize meteorological services, but appreciated and relied on agricultural extension services. They reported that social and governmental support was sporadic and inconsistent. This study uncovers the following targets for climate change adaptation policies in rural Burkina Faso: promoting meteorological services, expanding agricultural extension services, increasing access to financial resources, and framing sustainable adaptation within national development goals.

Does it matter whether farmers receive advice on pest management strategies from public or from private (pesticide company affiliated) extension services? We use survey data from 733 Swiss fruit growers who are currently contending with an infestation by an invasive pest, the fruit fly Drosophila Suzukii. We find that farmers who are advised by public extension services are more likely (+9–10%) to use preventive measures (e.g. nets) while farmers who are advised by private extension services are more likely (+8–9%) to use synthetic insecticides. These results are robust to the inclusion of various covariates, ways to cluster standard errors, and inverse probability weighting. We also show that our results are unlikely to be driven by omitted variable bias. Our findings have implications for the current debates on both the ongoing privatization of agricultural extension and concerns regarding negative environmental and health externalities of pesticide use., Food Policy, 99, ISSN:0306-9192, ISSN:1873-5657

In Vietnam, while glutinous rice farming represents a very small sub-sector of rice production, it plays an important role in the food and cultural security of farming households in many remote areas. This paper examined glutinous rice farming in households, as a food and for cultural security, and the extension services in areas producing glutinous rice. Data were collected from 400 local farmers based on interview schedules and statistical analysis using the percentage, arithmetic mean, and hypothesis testing with logistic regression. It was found that most glutinous rice farmers were small-scale producers, with an average glutinous rice-growing area of 0.15 ha and a yield of 3,200 kg per ha. Local as well as breeding varieties of seeds were supplied. Most farming households had sufficient glutinous rice for regular food and cultural consumption. Other starchy products were also consumed as part of their traditional diets. Supporting extension services were found to be very active and comprehensive, playing a key role in fostering the sustainable production of glutinous rice and helping to ensure local food and cultural security in Vietnam.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the level and the significance of farmers' financial knowledge or literacy, as well to propose measures for the improvement of financial skills in agricultural holdings. According to the paper's results, the level of farmers' financial knowledge is low; at the state level there hasn't been established satisfying financial education of farmers. It is necessary to establish continuous education programs in this field through agricultural extension services; at the state level, it is important to improve the coordination between different state bodies that conduct an educational program in agricultural sector, as well as the science research results and to make an educational material available to farmers. When considering the significance of financial literacy, it is usually analyzed from the perspective of adult people. However, recent studies indicate the importance of increasing financial literacy already at the level of youth or children. This theoretical concept is currently being accepted in the activities of the Government of the Republic of Serbia. In this regard, the Ministry of Economy has decided to introduce entrepreneurship to primary school through numerous projects. Cilj rada je analiza značaja posedovanja finansijskih znanja, nivoa finansijskih znanja poljoprivrednika, kao i analiza sa predlogom mera za unapređenje finansijskih znanja na poljoprivrednim gazdinstvima. Prema rezultatima rada nivo finansijskih znanja poljoprivrednika je nizak, a na državnom nivou nije uspostavljena zadovoljavajuća edukacija poljoprivrednika u ovoj oblasti. Neophodno je uspostaviti kontinuirane programe edukacije u ovoj oblasti preko poljoprivrednih stručnih službi; na državnom nivou neophodno je unaprediti koordinaciju različitih državnih organa koji sprovode program edukacije u poljoprivrednom sektoru, kao i rezultate nauke i edukacioni materijal učiniti dostupnim poljoprivrednicima. Kada se razmatra značaj finansijske pismenosti, ona se obično analizira iz perspektive odraslih ljudi. Međutim, nedavna istraživanja ukazuju na značaj povećanja finansijske pismenosti već na nivou mladih i dece. Ovaj teorijski koncept je trenutno prihvaćen u aktivnostima Vlade Republike Srbije. U tom smislu, Ministarstvo privrede je odlučilo da kroz brojne projekte otpočne promociju preduzetništva u osnovnim školama.

Agriculture is a backbone for the overall development of Africa. It is widely acknowledged that the small-scale farmers need empowerment through extension services to achieve the National Development Plan of South Africa. The aim of this paper is to improve the understanding of different role players on the concept of agricultural extension service in South Africa. This study concentrated on the rarely assessed different role players' concept of extension service, especially farmers and agricultural extension officers with respect to the objective of extension, agricultural extension principles, extension teaching, and methods teaching aids and tools. The results found that a general mismatch exists between farmers and agricultural extension officers on the conceptualisation of indicators such as extension objectives and teaching methods. A match exits on indicators of extension principles as well as teaching aids and tools. The article suggests that to promote sustainable agricultural development, agricultural extension should be critically considered with the development policy of ending hunger and poverty in South Africa.

This paper examined service quality of multiple public and private agricultural extension service providers in Bangladesh. A total of 318 respondents from nine selected organizations were interviewed. The study also used key informant interviews, focus group discussions and informal interviews. Findings of the study revealed that all the selected organizations, irrespective of origin, had a significant negative difference between perceived and expected ratings, on all of the five service quality dimensions, namely tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and reliability. The five selected dimensions of service quality accounted for 74.6 % of the variation in client satisfaction with the extension service in Bangladesh. Major issues hinder service quality were poor logistic support, scarcity of fund for doing true extension work, less use of information communication technology, lack of co-ordination among research-extension and extension service providers themselves, and political interference. A demand responsive extension service is obligatory for the survival of extension organizations in a changing context. Key words: Service quality; SERVQUAL; Extension service; Multiple providers; Bangladesh.

This article provides a framework outlining farmers demand for information, the public goods character of extensions services, and the organizational and the political attributes affecting the performance of extension systems. This conceptual framework is used to analyze several extensions modalities and their likely and actual effectiveness. The analysis highlights the efficiency gains that can come from locally decentralized delivery system with incentive structures based on largely private provision, although in poorer countries extension services will remain funded. The goals of agricultural extension includes transferring information from the global knowledge base and from local research to farmers, enabling them to clarify their own goals and possibilities, educating them on how to make better decisions, and stimulating desirable agricultural development.

Metadata only record This book brings together a set of studies on the relevance of agricultural extension to poverty and vulnerability in a context of globalization. The authors look at experiences in India, Vietnam, Uganda, Nicaragua, and Bolivia to raise questions regarding the potential for refocusing extension efforts so as to make them more pro-poor. The efficacy of current policy frameworks in different countries is analyzed, and alternatives for the future are assessed.

Anderson and Feder analyze the considerations that lead policymakers to undertake extension investments as a key public responsibility, as well as the complex set of factors and intra-agency incentives that explain why different extension systems' performance vary. The authors provide a conceptual framework outlining farmers' demand for information, the welfare economic characterizations of extension services, and the organizational and political attributes that govern the performance of extension systems. They use the conceptual framework to examine several extension modalities and to analyze their likely and actual effectiveness. Specifically, the modalities reviewed include "training and visit" extension, decentralized systems, "fee-for-service" and privatized extension, and farmer-field-schools. The authors also discuss methodological issues pertaining to the assessment of extension outcomes and review the empirical literature on extension impact. They emphasize the efficiency gains that can come from locally decentralized delivery systems with incentive structures based largely on private provision that in most poorer countries is still publicly-funded. In wealthier countries, and for particular higher income farmer groups, extension systems will likely evolve into fee-for-service organizations. This paper - a joint product of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department and Rural Development, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the Bank to study the opportunities and challenges facing agricultural extension.

Metadata only record Agricultural extension programs or pilots based on the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach are being implemented in many developing countries in Asia and Africa. Evidence from the Philippines and Indonesia, two key areas in implementing this extension effort, shows that fiscal unsustainability of the FFS if applied on a large scale is a risk that cannot be ignored. Because of high costs per trained farmer, the amount of funding for extension in the Philippines cannot provide for significant farmer outreach. Farmer-led field schools are viewed by some as a way out of this fiscal dilemma if part of the cost is shifted to the community, but farm survey data from Indonesia indicate that the extent of the takeover of training responsibilities by farmers has been minor. Furthermore, farmer-led schools are still not funded mainly by community resources. The results suggest a need for great selectivity and caution in initiating FFS pilots, with a focus on the fiscal sustainability of the program if the intention is to scale up these activities. Available in SANREM office, FS

The greatest challenge now facing agricultural science is not how to increase production overall but how to enable resource-poor farmers to produce more. The transfer-of-technology (TOT) model of agricultural research is part of the normal professionalism of agricultural scientists. In this model, scientists largely determine research priorities, develop technologies in controlled conditions, and then hand them over to agricultural extension to transfer to farmers. Although strong structures and incentives sustain this normal professionalism, many now recognise the challenge of its bad fit with the needs and conditions of hundreds of millions of resource-poor farm (RPF) families. In response to this problem, the TOT model has been adapted and extended through multi-disciplinary farming systems research (FSR) and on-farm trials. These responses retain power in the hands of scientists. Information is obtained from farmers and processed and analysed in order to identify what might be good for them. A missing element is methods to encourage and enable resource-poor farmers themselves to meet and work out what they need and want.