Effect of Cooperatives on Farmers’ Access to Agricultural Extension Services – Case of Central and Southern Provinces of Zambia

Bc. Bc. Samuel Mwanza

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Sustainable development demands targeting the rural populations which are at the heart of poverty. Majority rural populations thrive on small scale agriculture while operating under worst dynamic conditions which require quality and reliable information for sound decision making. Cooperatives have been cited to improve farmers’ access to quality information through agricultural extension services. Although Zambia has for a decade now promoted cooperatives as a channel for extension service delivery, the effects thereof have not been examined. Using descriptive statistics, deductive content analysis, and ordered probit regression on data from 410 maize farmers comprising of 208 members and 202 non-cooperative members, the effects of cooperatives on smallholders’ access to agricultural extension services in the Southern province of Zambia were analysed. Results showed that provision of extension services in Zambia was dominated by the public extension providers, followed by the NGOs extension providers and finally the private extension providers. Cooperative members also had significantly higher extension contacts and more confidence in extension agents than non-members. Prominent information pathways included public extension agents, radio, and cooperatives. Focus group discussions revealed cooperatives having deliberate initiatives for aiding members’ access to extension services. Further, cooperative membership had significant positive effect on easier access to agricultural trainings, quality of trainings and quality of agricultural information. Other keys factors for improved access to trainings, and quality information included number of extension contacts, proximity to the extension office, gender of extension agent and increased social capital.

Keywords

Information, Farmer groups, Ordered Probit Regression, Advisory services

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 22. 4. 2022

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Jiří Hejkrlík, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
Agri-food Systems and Rural Development