Causes and Impacts of Various Agricultural Extension Service Strategies in Bangladesh

Abstract

Purpose: The success factors of agricultural extension are not well known. In addition, extension services are often treated as homogeneous actors in agricultural research. We intend to show the impact of different strategies in agricultural extension. Methodology: A survey of 396 extension officers asking, for example, about the officer’s strategies and the perceptions of their clients revealed important differences within the sample and explained both the strategies and their perceived success among farmers, according to a structural equation model. Findings: The analysis showed that extension officers who considered the knowledge of their clients to be good tended to focus on the environmental problems in agriculture and that this was taken up positively by their clients. A higher education of officers led to a stronger observance of farmers’ interests. Both the institutional environment and the sociodemographic factors also influenced the choice of strategies. Younger extension workers, for example, had a stronger environmental focus than older workers. Practical implications: A focus on environmental issues in agricultural extension seems to benefit farmers which indicates that more attention in extension should be given to ecological questions. Theoretical implications: These findings call for a thorough exploration of different agricultural extension strategies and their success. Originality: According to our knowledge, this is the first distinction between the success of different extension strategies.