Farmers’ Attitudes on Innovations and the Role of Extension Services in Their Introduction

Abstract

The objectives of this paper are: (a) to identify farmers' attitudes on innovations in agriculture and whether they introduced innovation in their own farms over the past five years; and (b) to identify how respondents assess the role of agricultural extension service in introducing innovations. The survey was conducted in 2017 on a sample of 64 family farms in the area of three counties. The results showed that most farmers had positive attitudes on technological innovations. More than two thirds believed that there was no progress in agriculture without innovation. Respondents believed that they needed to be better informed about modern technological achievements in agriculture. They had a less positive attitude on the role of the agricultural extension service in the transfer of innovation to farms, although the scientific discourse emphasized its key role in the dissemination and application of innovations.