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    1. Agricultural and Natural Resources Awareness Programming: Barriers and Benefits as Perceived by County Extension Agents

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Irani, Tracy (author), Brain, Roslynn (author), Hodges, Alan W. (author), and Fuhrman, Nicholas E. (author)
    Format:
    Online article
    Publication Date:
    2009-04
    Published:
    USA
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 176 Document Number: C30107
    Journal Title:
    Journal of Extension
    Journal Title Details:
    Vol. 47, No. 3

    3. Analysis of Village Extension Agents' Access and Use of Information and Communication Technology in Delivery of Extension Services in the Central Agricultural Zone of Plateau State, Nigeria

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Vihi, S.K. (author), Tor, L.G. (author), Jesse, B. (author), Dalla, AA.. (author), Onuwa, G.C. (author), and Haroun, M. (author)
    Format:
    Journal article
    Publication Date:
    2021-10-21
    Published:
    Russia: iVolga Press
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12427
    Journal Title:
    Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences
    Journal Title Details:
    Vol.118(10
    Notes:
    11 pages, This study examined village extension agent’s access and use of information and communication technology in extension services delivery to farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. The population for the study consisted of all the village extension agents (VEAs) of the Plateau Agricultural Development Program (PADP) in the central agricultural zone of the state. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents for the study. Primary data were collected through the administration of questionnaires and interview techniques and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings from the study shows that majority (77%) of the sampled village extension agents (VEAs) were males with a mean age of 43 years, Majority (87%) of the respondents were married with a mean household size of 4 persons. The study also showed that majority (80%) of the VEAs had tertiary education with a mean working experience of 13 years and average monthly income of ₦64875. The result also shows that four (4) out of the seven (7) listed ICT facilities were adjudged the ICT facilities accessible to VEAs in the study area having had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ =2.50). They included; GSM (phone) (x̅ =3.94), radio (x̅ = 2.83), television (x̅ = 2.73) and computer (x̅ = 2.68). Based on 2.50 discriminating index, only two out of seven listed conventional ICT facilities had mean values above the discriminating index (x̅ 2.50) and thus were adjudged the ICT facilities used by VEAs. The GSM (phone) had the highest mean value of 3.62 followed by radio with mean value of 2.54. The logit regression result shows that coefficients of years of working experience and monthly income were significant and positively related to ICT use, while age and complexity in use of ICT were significant and negatively related to ICT use. Major constraints to use of ICT by VEAs includes; lack of administrative support in provision of ICT (87%), lack of in-service training on ICT use (66%), Poor salary/remuneration (64%), lack of awareness of ICT importance in extension (56%) among others. The study recommends intervention, serious synergy, and proactive response on the part of the government, non-governmental organization,s and extension organizations in ICT provision and training of VEAs on ICT use as well as stepping up campaigns on the importance of ICT use in agricultural extension delivery.

    4. Challenges Facing Agricultural Extension Agents: A Case Study from South-western Ethiopia

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Belay, Kassa (author) and Abebaw, Degnet (author)
    Format:
    Journal article
    Publication Date:
    2004-04
    Published:
    Ethiopia
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 161 Document Number: C26593
    Journal Title:
    African Development Review
    Journal Title Details:
    16(1): 139-168

    5. Construction and validation of a psychometric scale to assess extension agents’ beliefs about extension and innovation

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Landini, Fernando (author), Beramendi, Maite (author), and University of La Cuenca del Plata Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) School of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires
    Format:
    Online journal article
    Publication Date:
    2019-07-24
    Published:
    Argentina: Taylor and Francis
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 101 Document Number: D10880
    Journal Title:
    Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
    Journal Title Details:
    25(5) : 318-399
    Notes:
    18 pages, online journal article, Purpose This article aims at designing and validating a psychometric scale to assess extensionists’ and advisors’ beliefs about extension and innovation. Design/Methodology/approach The scale was developed by drawing upon results from a previous empirical research as well as insights from a literature review on extension and innovation approaches. The theoretical framework used to write the items was validated by 12 international experts from 11 countries. 608 Argentine extension workers completed the questionnaire. Replies were analysed using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Findings The scale has a good fit and satisfactory level of internal consistency. Five factors were identified: Dialogue and horizontal coordination; Transfer of technology; Blame on farmers; Participatory, farmer-led extension; and Self-critical attitude. Practical implications The scale has multiple and different uses, including research, theory development, institutional practice, diagnosis, and teaching. Theoretical implications Results show that a horizontal, facilitative extension approach shares a common epistemology, as well as underlying values and assumptions, with territorial development and with an innovation systems perspective, and that both contrast with a traditional transfer of technology approach. Nonetheless, practitioners would not tend to see these two contrasting perspectives as contradictory but as complementary. Originality/Value The scale is the first validated psychometric instrument, based on an ample theoretical framework, that allows for a quantitative assessment of beliefs about extension and innovation.

    6. Context Specificity and Time Dependency in Classifying Sub-Saharan Africa Dairy Cattle Farmers for Targeted Extension Farm Advice: The Case of Uganda

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    Collection:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
    Contributers:
    Ahikiriza, Elizabeth (author), Wesana, Joshua (author), Gellynk, Xavier (author), Van Huylenbroeck, Guido (author), and Lawyers, Ludwig (author)
    Format:
    Journal article
    Publication Date:
    2021-07-29
    Published:
    Switzerland: MDPI
    Location:
    Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12516
    Journal Title:
    Agriculture
    Journal Title Details:
    11 (9)
    Notes:
    6 pages, Despite the huge potential for milk production, interventions to improve productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are barely based on specified farm classifications. This study aimed to develop robust and context-specific farm typologies to guide content of extension farm advice/services in Uganda. From a sample of 482 dairy farmers, we collected data on farmer socio-demographics, farm management practices, ownership of farm tools and facilities, willingness to pay for extension services, milk production, and marketing. Farm typologies were obtained based on principal component and cluster analyses. Thereby, of the three dairy production systems that emerged, small-scale, largely subsistence yet extensive and low productive farms were more prominent (82.6%). Farms that were classified as large-scale, less commercialized yet extensive with modest productive systems were more than the medium-scale commercial farms with intensive and highly productive systems. However, the later were considered to potentially transform dairy farming in Uganda. It was also predicted that the validity of our farm classification may persist until half of the farms have moved between clusters. The study gives new insights on dairy production systems in Uganda, which can be used to organize more targeted research on farmers’ extension needs for facilitating delivery of relevant and effective extension services and designing appropriate extension policies