Purpose: The impact of agricultural knowledge transfer (KT) is related to the access to and the quality of services available. Within this context, the allocation of resources in terms of KT offices and the number of advisers are important considerations for understanding KT impact. This quantitative study evaluates the impact of KT resources on farm profitability for clients in Ireland during the recessionary period 2008–2014.
Design/Methodology: Teagasc, the public KT service provider in Ireland, experienced significant office closures (43%) and a reduction in advisers (38%) during the economic crisis, yet client numbers declined only slightly (4.5%). Administrative data are merged with a panel data set on farm-level performance to evaluate the impact through Random Effects estimation.
Findings: The results show that clients gained a 12.3% benefit to their margin per hectare over the period. However, there was a negative effect of 0.2% for each additional client assigned to the adviser which averaged at 9.6%.
Practical Implications: The quantitative findings provide a measure of impact that represents the value for money for the KT service. The key implication is that the client ratio for advisers should be considered when allocating resources and lower ratios would positively impact client margins.
Theoretical Implications: This article outlines the value of quantitative studies to estimate impact in a clear translatable manner which can aid the policy discussion around resource deployment.
Originality/Value: This study evaluates the impact of KT during a recessionary period when resources were constrained, and uses client ratios to examine the spatial effects.
Edwards, M. Craig (author), Moriba, Samba (author), Kandeh, Joseph B.A. (author), and Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2009-05
Published:
Sierra Leone
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 185 Document Number: D00431
Notes:
Pages 343-353 in the proceedings of the 25th annual meeting of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 24-28, 2009.
USA: Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08947
Notes:
Page 5 in Lucinda Crile, Findings from studies of bulletins, news stories, and circular letters. Extension Service Circular 488. Revision of Extension Service Circular 461, which it supersedes. May 1953. 24 pages. Brief description of Bulletin 2, Department of Agricultural Journalism, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 1929. 14 pages.
Alston, Julian M. (author) and Parks, Joanna C. (author)
Format:
Paper
Publication Date:
2012-02
Published:
Australia
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 188 Document Number: D01159
Notes:
Paper presented at the 56th annual Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Conference, Fremental, Western Australia, February 7-10, 2012. 32 pages.
Pages 79-80 in Extension Circular 532, Review of Extension Research, January through December 1959, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Summary of research report, master of science in agricultural education, University of Minneapolis, St. Paul. 1959
