Farmers’ Knowledge towards the Role of Extension Services in Agricultural Development in Opolski County, Lubelskie Province of Poland

Abstract

This research aimed at identifying and evaluating farmers’ knowledge in Opolski County towards the role of extension services in the agriculture development, identifying the farmers’ knowledge in Opolski County in each item/statement of research (in scheduled questionnaire) and identifying correlation between the farmers’ knowledge and independent variables in the research. For data collection, a questionnaire was designed and tested, in accordance with said objectives. It was consisted of two parts, first part including the personal variables that were related to farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics (age, education level, farm size, contact degree with information sources and methods of agricultural production). The second part included the scale for farmers’ knowledge towards the role of extension services in the agricultural development, this scale was consisted of 20 statements (items). The results showed that the farmers’ knowledge in Opolski County towards the role of extension services in the agriculture development was medium tending to high degree. The results also showed that farmers’ knowledge was high in the statement, ‘Agricultural extension methods help in transferring agricultural information and new knowledge to farmers’. The results also showed there was significant correlation between farmers’ knowledge and variables (age, contact degree with sources information and methods of agricultural production). There was no significant correlation found between knowledge level and independent variables (education level, size of farm).