Towards developing a pluralistic agricultural extension system: the case of Vhembe district of Limpopo province, South Africa.

Abstract

Agricultural extension is a crucial component of agricultural development, food security improvement and rural livelihood enhancement. However, many farmers are constrained by extension systems that are difficult to access or lack quality services that utilise modern approaches, technologies and training methods. The rationale of this study is to look at the efforts to define and disseminate good practices, strategies and approaches to establish efficient agricultural extension services. This study used a quantitative research design to collect data from 319 respondents. A multiple linear regression model analysed factors influencing smallholder farmers’ performance under pluralistic and non-pluralistic settings. The study findings indicated that credit access (p<0.05), access to public extension (p<0.1), extension feedback (p<0.01) and transparency and accountability (p<0.05) negatively influenced the performance of the smallholder farmers in the study area. A binary probit regression model was used to analyse factors influencing the perception of implementing a pluralistic extension service providers system among smallholder farmers. The findings from the study indicated that age (p<0.05) negatively influenced the probability of implementing a pluralistic extension system among smallholder farmers in the study area. The binary probit regression model was used to analyse the determinants of smallholder farmers’ willingness to pay for extension services. The study's findings indicated that marital status (p<0.1) negatively influenced the probability of smallholder farmers’ willingness to pay for extension services in the study area. The multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyse factors influencing a sustainable extension service system among smallholder farmers. The farm size (p<0.1), extension feedback length (p<0.01), and effectiveness of extension (p<0.1) negatively influenced a sustainable extension service system among smallholder farmers in the study area. Gender (p<0.1), household size (p<0.1), willing to pay for extension service (p<0.01), the difference in output (p<0.1) and annual income (p<0.01) positively influenced a sustainable extension service system among smallholder farmers in the study area. The study encourages collaborations among public and private stakeholders, researchers, extension officers and rural development agencies to implement a cost-effective pluralistic extension system that meets the end users' or clients' (smallholder farmers) agricultural/ farming needs.