ERIC Number: EJ1055258
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1389-224X
EISSN: N/A
Demand for Agricultural Extension Services among Small-Scale Maize Farmers: Micro-Level Evidence from Kenya
Gido, Eric O.; Sibiko, Kenneth W.; Ayuya, Oscar I.; Mwangi, Joseph K.
Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, v21 n2 p177-192 2015
Purpose: The objective of the study was to determine the level and determinants of demand for extension services among small-scale maize farmers in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach: Based on an exploratory research design, primary data were collected from a sample of 352 households through face-to-face interviews. Focus group discussions were used to collect contextual data. The sample comprised of organic and conventional small-scale maize farmers in Bungoma County, Kenya. In data analyses, descriptive statistics and a zero inflated negative binomial regression were employed. Findings: Results indicate that organic farmers had a mean of three contacts with extension providers compared to conventional farmers who had a mean of one contact during the year. Further, age of the household head, education level, farming experience, amount of off-farm income and credit received, group membership, land tenure and distance to the nearest extension service provider significantly influence the demand for extension services. Practical implications: The major policy implication from the findings is that; whether farmers are organic or conventional, extension agents should customize their services according to their clients' socio-economic characteristics in order to improve demand for agricultural extension services. Originality/value: The study contributes to knowledge by applying the count data models in modeling the determinants of demand for extension services at a micro-level.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Agricultural Occupations, Food, Rural Extension, Interviews, Focus Groups, Regression (Statistics), Age Differences, Educational Attainment, Experience, Income, Group Membership, Models, Statistical Analysis, Predictor Variables, Socioeconomic Background, Evidence, Questionnaires
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kenya
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A