Training Sources and Preferences for Agricultural Producers and Professionals in Middle-North Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil’s midwest has rapidly expanded large-scale commodity crops such as soybeans and maize. We surveyed both agricultural producers and agricultural professionals in the middle-north region of Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Agricultural professionals provide technical support to agricultural producers and both are served by Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural (ATER) with nationally and internationally recognized extension outreach. Our objectives were to define and contrast agricultural producer and professional characteristics, especially source(s) relied upon for agricultural training. There were 94 agricultural producers and 89 agricultural professionals that responded to our surveys, which were summarized and contrasted using statistical software. There was a predominance of male farmers, married with a broad age range. Agricultural professionals who advise producers had a high educational level. Producers and professionals were most reliant on private sector agricultural companies and business support organizations for agricultural training, versus public institutions such as universities and state/federal agencies. In the state of Mato Grosso, extension outreach can involve joint efforts by public and private sector entities. However, more targeted efforts are needed to ensure that public sector research is more equally used by agricultural producers and professionals in the region, especially during field days and face-to-face technical lectures during the off-season.