International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Ahmed Saker Abdullah, Ahmed Mirghani Abdel Rahman and Al-Shifa Al-Noor Yousif Al-Hussein

abstract
This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of the agricultural extension system in Iraq from the farmers' perspective, given its pivotal role in transferring knowledge and modern technologies and achieving rural development. The study relied on a questionnaire that included (384) farmers distributed across three geographical regions (the central region, the southern region, and the northern region). The study addressed six main themes, including extension visits, program content, extension worker competence, and the impact of services on production and income. The results revealed significant differences between regions in some themes, such as extension visits favoring the southern region, program content favoring the central region, and training favoring the southern region. However, no differences were found in the competence of extension workers and communication methods. The results indicated that agricultural extension enjoys the confidence of farmers, but requires improvements in the regularity of visits and the development of program content. The study recommends increasing farmer participation in program design, appointing qualified extension workers, and strengthening institutional coordination to improve the efficiency of the extension system.