Role of Agricultural Extension Radio and Television Programs on the Knowledge and Skills of Coffee Farmers in Udayn, Ibb Area - Republic of Yemen

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Society, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Society College of Food and Agricultural Sciences - King Saud University

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the level of role caused by the agricultural extension programs radio and television, on the knowledge and skills of Coffee farmers in the Udayn region of Ibb area in the Republic of Yemen. The study also determines the nature of the correlation between the independent variables and the degree of role on the knowledge and skills of the respondents as the dependent variable of those programs.
The study included 200 farmers, representing 86% of the coffee growers of the study area.  Preliminary data have been collected through personal interviews using a questionnaire.  After the collection of the data, they were subjected to the statistical analyses and were presented in the form of: the percentages, arithmetic means, frequency tables, standard deviation, and the simple Pearson correlation coefficient.
The study revealed that radio and TV Extension programs had low role on the level of knowledge and skills of  46.5% of the respondents, about 44% of them had an average role, and only 9.5% respondents were highly role. The results also showed a positive and significant correlation at a probability level (0.01) between the degree of the level of the role of agricultural extension programs radio and television on the knowledge and skills of coffee growers respondents as the dependent variable: qualifications/ education, the total area of agricultural land, the area under coffee cultivation, satisfaction with the extension service, the degree of exposure to other sources of agricultural information. However, a negative relationship at the same probability level for age and the type of tenure.  Also, no significant relationship for the independent variables: the number of family members, main occupation, other agricultural activities, the annual income from the coffee crop, and a full-time agricultural work was found.
The study suggests for the development of the programs that focus on: the need for diversity in agricultural extension programs emphasizing on other agricultural aspects of the production, followed by the establishment of specialized agricultural channel keeping in view the high illiteracy rate and lack of extension services in the region.  Farmers want that agricultural programs should be recorded in their fields to ensure their credibility.  The study revealed that farmers ask for the re-broadcasting television programs  on what’s good for their lands and also through Satellite Channel once a week due to repeated power shut-off in most of the rural areas in Yemen.

Main Subjects