DEVELOPING AN ATTITUDINAL SCALE TO MEASURE THE ATTITUDES OF THE FARMERS TOWARDS COMMERCIALIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION

Abstract

Agricultural Extension is one of the major sub sectors of the agricultural sector which has been given major concern by governments, international funding agencies such as FAO, IFAD, ADB and World Bank and other donor agencies mainly due to high cost incurred in agricultural extension programs. In the mean time most of the governments both in the developing and developed world has been pruning funds for the extension services since 1990s. The situation of the public extension service has been deteriorating due to this reason. Therefore the structural and financial adjustments in the extension system have been demanded. In this climate the experts in the extension field have identified privatisation and commercialisation of agricultural extension as an important alternative. Before implementing commercialisation approach, it is necessary to know the attitudes of the farmers who are the major participants in agricultural production and development towards commercialisation of agricultural extension. Measuring attitudes as a psychological natural tendency provides a basis for planning and also affects desirable changes in the existing system. The prime objective of this study was to develop a scale to measure the attitudes of the farmers towards commercialisation of agricultural extension. Attitude towards commercialisation of agricultural extension service (CAES) refers to the “individual’s degree of willingness or unwillingness towards commercialisation of agricultural extension service.” Initially 41 statements were developed and out of these only 30 statements were identified as reliable statements. Out of 30 statements remained after validity test, 19 are identified as positive statements and 11 are as negative.