ISSN 2736-1578
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies ISSN: 2736-1578, Vol. 8 (6), pp. 001-007, June, 2023. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Policy implications of farmers' perceptions of their level of extension participation in Ethiopia
Berhanu Nega Wasihun1*, Joseph A. Kwarteng2 and Ernest L. Okorley2
1School of Environment, Gender and Development Studies, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
2Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Accepted 30 March, 2023
Abstract
This study examined farmers’ perception of their level of participation in Public Agricultural Extension Service (PAES) in Soddo-zuria Woreda in Southern Ethiopia vis-à-vis seven selected farmers’ characteristics; namely, sex, age, educational status, wealth status, farming experience, experience with extension and frequency of contact with extension agents. For this study, 225 farmers were randomly selected and interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire. The study showed that farmers in Soddo-zuria Woreda perceived their level of participation to be low, and had significant correlation with sex, educational status, wealth status and frequency of contact with extension agents. Female, illiterate and poor farmers’ perception of participation in the PAES was found to be lower than their male, literate and resource-rich counterparts. In a regression analysis, sex, educational status and wealth status explained 42.2% of the variance in farmers’ perceived level of participation in the PAES, with educational status alone contributing about 35%. To enhance farmers’ participation in the PAES, the Soddo-zuria Woreda Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development need to properly mainstream gender, combine pro-poor development strategies and integrate literacy programmes into the routine extension activities.
Key words: Ethiopia, farmers‟ perception, farmers‟ participation, public agricultural extension, gender disparity.