Accessibility of agricultural extension services and its impact on agricultural output a case study of Zambia

Abstract

Access to extension services plays a crucial role in connecting innovators with end-users across various sectors of the global economy. In the realm of agriculture, extension services act as a vital link between laboratories and farmers, translating complex technical language into a language comprehensible to farmers. However, the accessibility of extension services has been negatively affected by a low extension agent-to-farmer ratio, depriving farmers of the services they need. Furthermore, the long distances farmers often undertake to reach extension services (and vice versa) exacerbate the issue, limiting their overall access to extension services. It is imperative for farmers to have access to effective extension services since these services are essential for disseminating information and knowledge about technologies that can enhance crop production and promote diversity in farming practices. This study uses Zambia as a case study to investigate the relationship between distance to the nearest extension offices (as a proxy for access to extension services), and crop diversity and production. The study uses data from the Rural Agriculture and Livelihood Survey (RALS) which covers 6,352 households and 66 districts across Zambia. The study employed a beta regression and Cobb-Douglas function to analyse the correlation between distances covered by farmers to reach extension offices and both crop diversity and production quantity, respectively. The lack of significant effect of distance to extension offices on crop diversity and crop production observed in this study suggests that extension services have no significant effect on both crop production and diversity. This could be due to the ineffectiveness of extension services attributed to the low ratio of extension agents to farmers, underscoring the importance of addressing this imbalance for improved effectiveness. However, the study observed a strong positive correlation between distances to tarmacs and crop diversity with every kilometre away from a tarmac resulting in a 0.001 (P-Value: 0.8256) unit increase in the crop diversity index suggesting the desire for food security and self-sufficiency among households located far from tarmacs. The study also highlights several factors influencing crop diversity and production, including household size, education, cultivated hectares, gender, age and farmer group membership. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that distance to extension services alone does not significantly affect crop production and diversity. It calls for policy interventions to enhance the efficacy of the extension system by increasing the number of extension agents. Additionally, recognizing the influence of tarmacs and markets on crop production, policies should also consider strategies to improve farmers' proximity to these essential facilities.