The study aimed to identify the relationships between Farmers and agricultural
extension units in Lattakia and Tartus governorates, the sample included 342 Farmers live
in the work scope of 48 agricultural extension units, located in Lattakia and T
artus
Governorates, the results showed that 75% of the sample were male and 25% were
femal,90% were married, 60% had high school education, agriculture work was the main
job for 25% of farmers, 40% of them did not visit extension units and the mean reason for
that was farmer had another job during the work time of extension units, for 42% of
farmers .Also the result showed that extension units perform agriculture services more
than extension service with low level of performance ,according opinion of 75% of
farmers. The study showed significant relationship between sex (male, female), age,
farmer's education , degree of performance of extension service, degree of performance of
agriculture service in the extension units and information sources of farmers ,all these
factors had significant relationship with the degree of Farmer's communication with
agricultural extension units.
The study was conducted in the north of Syria (Rural Aleppo and Edleb
Governorates)in 2008 through Regular random sample covered 39 extension
units which consists of 22% of the total extension units in the study area .Ten
farmers from each selecte
d unit were taken to form the sample size of 390
respondents. The objective of this research is to find out the extent of farmers
participation in extension activities that executed by the agricultural extension
and their opinions in these activities. The result showed that 56% of farmers
participated irregularly in the extension activities, 32%, 20% and 20.5% of
respondents prefer field days, demonstration and group discussion,
respectively. Low percentage of farmers prefer seminar, video show and
mobile theater. Preference of extension activities on plant protection
mentioned by 33.3% of respondents and extension activities on new irrigation
method preferred by quarter of respondents. The main suggestions mentioned
by respondents were to increase the total number of extension activities 30.5%,
the need for better method to inform farmers about the extension activities
26%, the need to increase the total number of extension workers in the area
(25%), more extension activities on marketing, sorting and grading of
agricultural products. The study showed positive and significant relationship
between family size, size of holding and occupation on one side and
participation in extension activities executed by Agricultural Extension on the
other side.
