Examining the Influence of Rice Farmers' Characteristics on Extension Service Sources: Insights from Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between farmers' characteristics and their access to agricultural extension services from multiple sources. The researchers collected cross-sectional data from a sample of 384 rice-farming households and analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and a binary Probit regression model. The result showed that age of the household, rice farming experience, plot number, cultivated rice land, dependency ratio, and crop diversification are drivers of receiving agricultural extension service. The study also explored the factors that drive farmers' choice of service providers for agricultural extension at the household level. The findings indicate that factors such as sex, education level, household size, dependency ratio, oxen number, crop income, and cultivated rice land are the main drivers of farmers' selection of service providers. This implies that farmers' socio-economic characteristics influence their choice of extension service providers. Given the current emphasis on demand-driven agricultural extension services, the findings of this study are particularly relevant. It is suggested that for better effectiveness of agricultural extension, it would be practical for providers of extension services to target a certain type of farmer that they can best serve.