Assessing the contribution and impact of access to extension services towards sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

Public Extension services remain the repository and main source of agricultural information for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Their role includes linking farmers to relevant institutes and disseminating research-based knowledge and technology to rural people with the aim of improving their livelihoods. Extension officers disseminate information about new innovative techniques to crop and livestock farmers and related production and management practices leading to the improved socio-economic status of the rural communities. Despite this and farmers having access to extension services, smallholder farming appears to be struggling to meet the rural population's daily food and employment needs. Moreover, empirical and detailed evidence of the contribution and effect of extension services toward sustainable farmer livelihoods remains scanty in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Therefore, the study sought to investigate the contribution and impact of extension services toward sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance in Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The study used a multistage sampling procedure to collect data from 258 smallholder farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. Binary Logistic regression and Propensity score matching was used for analysis. The study results showed that most respondents were females with an average age of 47 years and twelve years of farming experience. Moreover, the results show that farmers had ten years of schooling and operated on average farm sizes of 3 ha. The findings also indicated that farmers had access to extension services and were members of farm organizations contributing to their farming and building self-resilience. Farmers also indicated that financial support, distance to market outlets, and lack of transportation were among the challenges threatening their livelihood. Binary logistic regression showed that age, years spent in school, off-farm income, and farm size affected farmers’ access to extension services. Propensity Score Matching results showed that farmers with access to extension services had better sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance than farmers without access. The study concludes that extension services have a positive effect on the sustainable livelihood of farmers. The study recommends that governments and NGOs invest more in agricultural extension officers for farmers to reach their farming potential and ensure sustained livelihoods and self-reliance.