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Assessment of Youths’ Access to Agricultural Extension Services

Abstract

Agricultural extension services provide farmers with information, technical guidance, training, and practical support needed to improve agricultural knowledge and production practices. Young people represent an important group in agricultural development because their participation can contribute to the renewal of the agricultural workforce, adoption of modern technologies, and development of innovative farming practices. Assessing youths’ access to agricultural extension services is therefore important for understanding the availability and accessibility of agricultural information and advisory support among young people involved or interested in farming. This study will assess youths’ access to agricultural extension services. It will examine the extent to which young farmers obtain extension information, technical guidance, training, demonstrations, and other forms of agricultural advisory support. The study will also assess the frequency of extension contact, accessibility of extension agents, and the relevance of services provided to the agricultural activities and information needs of youths. The study will focus on access to extension visits, farmer training, field demonstrations, group meetings, agricultural information, digital extension platforms, mobile communication, and other advisory channels. It will assess youths’ access to information relating to improved production practices, agricultural technologies, farm inputs, pest management, farm management, agricultural marketing, and other areas relevant to farming activities. The study will also examine the accessibility and usefulness of different extension communication channels. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from youths involved in agricultural activities using structured questionnaires and appropriate assessment instruments. The collected data will be analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while correlation and regression analysis may be used to examine the relationship between selected factors and youths’ access to agricultural extension services. The study is expected to reveal varying levels of access to agricultural extension services among youths. Young farmers with greater exposure to extension agents, agricultural organisations, digital communication platforms, and farmer training programmes may demonstrate better access to relevant agricultural information and advisory support. The study may also identify challenges related to the frequency of extension contact, accessibility of extension agents, availability of digital services, and relevance of information provided to young farmers. The study will be useful to youths involved in agriculture, agricultural extension agents, government agricultural agencies, youth development organisations, non-governmental organisations, policymakers, and agricultural researchers. It may provide useful information for improving youth-oriented extension programmes, expanding digital and community-based advisory services, strengthening agricultural training, and encouraging greater youth participation in agricultural development. The study concludes that access to agricultural extension services is important for providing youths with the knowledge, information, and technical support required for effective participation in agriculture. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension organisations develop accessible and youth-responsive advisory programmes, strengthen digital extension channels, increase training and demonstration activities, and improve regular interaction between extension agents and young farmers.

Keywords: Youths, agricultural extension services, youth farmers, extension access, agricultural information, advisory services, youth participation, farmer training, extension contact, digital extension, agricultural technologies, field demonstrations, agricultural knowledge, youth development, agricultural development.