Factors Affecting Attitude of Iranian Pistachio Farmers toward Privatizing Extension Activities: Case of Kerman Province

Document Type : Full Article

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz I. R. Iran

2 Socio-Economic and Agricultural Extension Research Department, Fars Agricultural andNatural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Shiraz. I. R. Iran

Abstract

Agricultural extension, as an informal educational system, is one of agricultural development tools that lean on human capitals. Inefficiency of public bureaucracy on the one hand, and managerial problems on the other hand, as well as neglecting real needs of beneficiaries in planning, have determined responsible to transfer administrative tasks to the private sector and reduce government''s tenure. This survey was conducted in Kerman as the first ranked province of pistachio production in Iran to investigate attitudes about extension private services among pistachio farmers. A questionnaire was used as the research tool for data collection. Face validity of the questionnaire was verified by extension experts and Cronbach''s alpha computation showed that reliability of the questionnaire was between 0.8 and 0.89. The study ran among pistachio farmers of five counties (Rafsanjan, Sirjan, Zarand, Kerman and Ravar). Random cluster sampling method, with a sample size of 382 respondents was applied. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results revealed that several factors such as education level, participating in extension activities, innovation acceptance, membership in associations, cosmopolitan, positive attitude toward knowledge and information, applying numerous information resources, pistachio yield per hectare, area of the pistachio garden and satisfaction of the private consultants had relation with attitude toward privatization of extension. Also, the level of participation in extension activities and attitude toward the public extension could explain 24.8 percent of changes in attitude toward private extension.

Keywords


Article Title [Persian]

بررسی عوامل مؤثر بر نگرش کشاورزان پسته‌کار ایران به خصوصی‌سازی فعالیت‌های ترویج کشاورزی: مورد مطالعه استان کرمان

Authors [Persian]

  • نامدار راضیه 1
  • آرمان بخشی جهرمی 2
1 گروه آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشگاه شیراز- شیراز ج. ا. ایران
2 بخش تحقیقات اقتصادی، اجتماعی و ترویجی، مرکز تحقیقات و آموزش کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی فارس، سازمان تحقیقات، آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی، ، شیراز، ج. ا. ایران
Abstract [Persian]

ترویج کشاورزی به‌عنوان یک نظام آموزشی خارج از مدرسه، یکی از ابزارهای توسعه کشاورزی است که بر سرمایه‌های انسانی تکیه دارد. ناکارائی نظام دولتی از یکسو و مشکلات مدیریتی و اعتباری از سوی دیگر و مضاف بر آن بی­توجهی به نیازهای واقعی بهره‌ برداران در برنامه­ریزی­ها، متولیان امر را مصمم به واگذاری امور اجرائی به بخش خصوصی و کاهش تصدی‌گری دولت نموده است. تحقیق حاضر در استان کرمان به عنوان رتبه نخست تولید پسته ایران، با هدف بررسی نگرش پسته­کاران به خدمات خصوصی ترویج انجام شد. از پرسشنامه به‌عنوان ابزار تحقیق برای جمع­آوری داده­ها استفاده گردید. روائی صوری آن توسط کارشناسان ترویج تأیید شد و  به روش کرونباخ آلفا، پایائی شاخص­های آن بین 80/0 تا 89/0 محاسبه گردید. جمعیت مورد مطالعه شامل پسته­کاران پنج شهرستان پسته خیز استان کرمان شامل رفسنجان، سیرجان، زرند، کرمان و راور بود. روش نمونه­گیری بصورت نمونه­گیری خوشه­ای تصادفی بوده و حجم نمونه 382 نفر تعیین شد. تحلیل داده­ها با استفاده از نرم­افزار آماری SPSS انجام گرفت. نتایج تحقیق نشان داد که عوامل متعددی همانند سطح تحصیلات، شرکت در فعالیت­های ترویجی، نوپذیری، عضویت در تشکل‌ها، جهان‌شهری بودن، نگرش مثبت نسبت به دانش و اطلاعات، بکارگیری منابع متعدد اطلاعات، عملکرد تولید پسته در هکتار، مساحت باغ پسته و رضایت از مشاوران خصوصی با نگرش نسبت به خصوصی­سازی خدمات ترویج کشاورزی  ارتباط دارند. همچنین میزان مشارکت در فعالیت های ترویج و نگرش نسبت به ترویج دولتی توانستند 8/24 درصد از تغییرات در نگرش نسبت به خصوصی‌سازی ترویج را تبیین نمایند.

Keywords [Persian]

  • نگرش
  • کشاورزان
  • خصوصی سازی ترویج
  • کرمان
 Agriculture Organization of Khorasan Razavi., (2015). Pistachio report. Retrieved from: www.koaj.ir/ Modules/ GetFile. aspx?Source.
Banks, N., Hulme, D., & Edwards, M. (2015). NGOs, states, and donors revisited: Still Too Close for Comfort? World Development, 66, 707-718.
Boubakri, N., Smaoui, H., & Zammiti, M. (2009). Privatization dynamic and economic growth. Journal of Business & Policy Research, 4 (2), 16-44.
Dower, P. C., & Markevich, A. (2014). A history of resistance to privatization in Russia. Journal of Comparative Economics, 42(4), 855-873.
Ebrahimi, H. R. (2002). Investigating privatization areas among farmers of the Shiraz, Eghlid and Larestan townships of Fars province. Research report, Unpublished. (In Persian).
Farrokhi S., & Sadighi, H. (2005). Investigating the attitudes of farmers and experts Ilam toward privatization of agricultural extension. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Science, 36(2). 408-399. (In Persian)
Ghaderi, N., Noori, M., & Dehkordi, A. (2009). Investigating obstacles of technical consulting services in the city of Zanjan. Forth Congress of Agricultural Extension and Education, Iran. 291-390. (In Persian)
Hanchinal, S. N., Sundaraswamy, B., & Ansari, M. R. (2001). Attitudes and preferences of extension personnel towards privatization of extension services. Retrieved from: http://www.manage.gov.in/pvtext/pvext/htm.
Hejazi, Y., & Soltani, Sh. (2006). Farmers'' participation in agricultural extension funding, a case studyin Varamintownship. Research and Development, 72, 79-73. (In Persian)
HoseinMohammadi, M. (2008). Analysis of Wheat Consultant Engineers characteristics and their relation with their success rate in Fars province. Master''s thesis, University of Shiraz. (In Persian)
Hoseini, S. M. (1996). New global privatization trends in agricultural extension and adjustment costs. Proceedings of the first scientific seminar of natural resource extension, cattle breeding and aquaculture, Tehran. Ministry of construction Jihad (pp. 348-325).
Hu, R., Yang, Z., Kelly, P., & Huang, J. (2009). Agricultural extension system reform and agent time allocation in China. China Economic Review, 20(2), 303-315.
Hulme, D. (2013). Poverty and development thinking: Synthesis or uneasy compromise? BWPI Working Paper, 180. Manchester: Brooks World Poverty Institute (24 pages). Retrieved from:  www.bwpi.manchester.ac.uk/../working papers/ bwpi-wp-18013.pdf
 Jiyawan, R., Jirli, B., & Singh, M. (2009). Farmers’ view on privatization of agricultural extension services. Indian Reserch Journal of Extension and Education, 9(3), 63-67.
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30, 607-610.
Labarthe, P., & Laurent, C. (2013). Privatization of agricultural extension services in the EU: Towards a lack of adequate knowledge for small-scale farms? Food Policy, 38, 240-252.
Lashkarara, F., & Hosseini, M. (2008). Investigating appropriate strategies of private extension services, from the view point of extension specialists of ministry of agricultural Jihad. Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Sciences, 4(1), 97-89. (In Persian)
Lizawati Aman, A. H., Harun, A., & Hussein, Z. (2012). The influence of environmental knowledge and concern on green purchase intention the role of attitude as a mediating variable. British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 7(2), 145-167.
Razavanfar, A., Zalali N., & Sepahrian, N. (2007). Investigating the possibility of privatization of livestock breeding activities from the viewpoint of extension specialists. Journal of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources. 14(1), 128-119. (In Persian)
Rivera, W. M. (1997). Agricultural extension in the next decade. European Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 4(1), 29-38.
Rogers, E. M., & Shoemaker, F. Floyd (1990). Communication of Innovations: A Cross-cultural Approach. Translated by Ezatollah Karami and Abu Talib Fanaei. Shiraz: Shiraz University Press.
Sadighi, H., & Biglarian, M. (2004). Senior manager’s attitudes of agricultural organizations towards privatization of agricultural extension in Iran. Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 8(4), 28-17. (In Persian)
Saravanan, R., Nagaraj, K. H., & Shivalinge Gowda, N. S. (2000). Privatizing agricultural extension concepts, reasons and assumption. Abstract of research paper. National Seminar on private extension.  India: National institute of agricultural extension management. Retrived from http://www.manage.gov.in/pvtext/Abstracts.htm.
Shivalinge, Gowda, N. S., & Saravanan, R. (2001). Attitude and preferences of agricultural scientists toward privatization of agricultural extension service (P Chandra, Shekaraed). Private Extension in India: Myths, Realities, Apprehension and Approaches. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management. Retrived from: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.122.966&rep=rep1&type=pdf.