Insights into farmer-extension contacts: Evidence from Pakistan

Conventional wisdom suggests that relatively few farmers in developing nations have contact with extension, that those who do do not benefit from their contacts, and that those with contact are not representative of the farm population. This study, based on a set of survey data collected from 300 farmers in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, examines the general issue of how and where farmers obtain agricultural information. Particular attention is placed on levels of contacts farmers have with extension, the types of farmers being ‘reached’ by extension, and farmers' assessments of the utility of information received from extension.

The data provide evidence of relatively few farmers with any type of extension contact. Those with contact tend to be involved across several extension activities, and over time. There is also evidence to support the argument that it is the more ‘progressive’ farmers who have higher levels of contact with extension. Finally, farmers who are in contact with extension exhibit a generally favorable view toward the advice and information they received.