Factors Affecting Smallholder Farmers’ Access to Agricultural Extension Services: The Case of Sodo Zuria Woreda, Wolayta Zone, Southern Ethiopia
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Date
2022-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study examined the factors affecting smallholder farmers’ access to extension services, in the case of soddo zuriaworeda, wolaita zone in the southern part of Ethiopia. A multi-stage
sampling technique was employed and 100 sample households were selected by using a formula for sample size determination.Both quantitative and qualitative data types were collected
fromprimary and secondary sources. The data surveywerecollected usinghouseholds survey, key informant interview, focus group discussion,structured questionnaire, and checklists. The analysis was employed usingboth descriptive statistics and binary logit model.The resuls were presented in the form of tables and graphs through frequencies, percent, mean and standard deviation as well as statistical tests such as chi-square,. The result showed that out of 100 sample farm household heads, 28 do not access agricultural extension services due to weak links
between farm households and agricultural extension agents, lack of effective coordination and communication between those farmers and concerned institutions i.e., agricultural extension,
credit institution and other local administration.On the other hand, lack of agricultural input; (oxen holed, fertilizer and improved seed, ..), the limited size of farmland, illiteracy, lack of
knowledge to use information technology,and distance to extension center are the major reasons (challenges) that made sample households’ unable to access agricultural extension package. The regression model result revealed that the size of farmland, dependency ratio, the annual nonfarm income of the household, access to credit, number of oxen, livestock owned, experience to
use fertilizer, soil characteristics, price of farm input and household willingness to access extension service were found to significantly determine the smallholder farmers access to
extension service at different significance levels with the expected sign. The result also revealed that the size of farm and grazing land, number of oxen, soil fertility, and experience in using
fertilizer found a strong and positive effect on access to extension services. Thus, based on the above results it is possible to conclude that small farm households’ access to agricultural
extension services is not effective to result in an efficient agricultural productivity in the study area. Therefore, policy measures that could avert the above challenges are recommended to include measures like empowering and strengthening smallholder farmers’ training, awareness,prizes for the successful ones, and field visitwith practical training (demonstration), delivering and facilitating basic agricultural inputs through agricultural extension services.
Keywords:small hold farmers’ agricultural extension service, binary logistic model.