Field Assistants Impact on Agricultural Extension Activities: A Case Study of District Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan
Field Assistants Impact on Agricultural Extension Activities: A Case Study of District Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan
Rehmat Ullah1*, Kalim Ullah2, Inam Ullah3, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan1 and Asif Nawaz1
ABSTRACT
To investigate the role and performance of field assistants in Agricultural Extension, the present study was commenced in district Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during year 2014. Eight villages were selected randomly. Among all the farmers, 120 farmers were evaluated through valid, reliable and pre-tested interview schedule. Data collected was analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences ver. 20. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The study has revealed that field assistants (FA) provide new information (75 respondents). It was observed that FAs were available at their offices (70) and farmers were satisfied from the solution of problems they reported (92). Correlation coefficients demonstrate that education, frequency of FAs visits, accessibility of FAs office and establishment of demonstration have highly significant association with provision of new knowledge at (P≤0.01) level of probability. Analysis of variance confirms that most of the farmers with more than 20 hectare land visit the offices of FAs more frequently. Rank Based Quotient technique depicted that the top priority problem identified in the study area was the scarcity of extension staff. It is recommended that public financial support should be increased which are working with same interests, to have a better Extension Service in place, functional, operational, adequate and with enough availability of staff. Furthermore funding must be improved, for proper infrastructure and latest communication technologies so that extension workers may have far reaching approach to disseminate the improved technologies and give benefit to the farmers.
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September 2017
Vol. 30, Iss. 3, Pages 209-309
