Factors influencing the performance of public and private agricultural extension agents in providing agricultural information and services in Liwale District
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Date
2011
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study was conducted in Liwale District Council to investigate factors influencing the
performance of GAEAs and PAEAs in providing Agricultural Information and Services
(AIS). The study population comprised of smallholders that GAEAs provided Agricultural
Information and Services (AIS) in the District. The data were collected in four purposively
selected villages which included. Mihumo. Liwale B. Ngongowelc and Mirui. A crosssectional
research design was adopted in which data were collected at one point in time
from a selected sample of respondents. A sample of 60 respondents was randomly selected
and the data were mainly collected using questionnaires. The study results show that,
GAEAs offered Al to farmers about land preparation planting and spacing. GAEAs
vaccinating local chicken against NCD. In offering Agricultural Information Al 28 (46%)
of the respondents indicated that GAEAs visited them one day per week. However, an
overall of 52 (85%) of the respondents said that they were not satisfied with the frequency
of the visits that GAEAs made and proposed to be visited 3 times per week. Similarly, 30
(50%) of the respondents said that GAEAs visited them once per month in the provision of
give Agricultural Services (AS). However, overall 54 (90%) of the respondents indicated
not being satisfied with the frequency of visits and proposed to be visited more than one
month in the cropping season. Of all the respondents. 52 (85%) agreed that GAEAs were
competent in providing Al and 54 (90%) reported the same on the providing AS. The
study found that the factors which influence the performance of GAEAs in the provision
of AIS were gender, education, types of crops raised by respondents and, distance from
the headquarters. Other factors were; awareness of agricultural policy, availability of
money, working relationship with farmers, and transport. This study recommends that,
GAEAs should increase the frequency of the provision of AIS to farmers and strengthen
provided AS on planting cashew nuts, sesame, maize, cassava and sorghum, and on
the working relationship between GAEAs and farmers. The District should establish more
capacity building strategies for GAEAs. Also the District should increase the number of
GAEAs to increase the coverage.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Agricultural extension agents, Agricultural information, GAEAs and PAEAs, Smallholders