The Contact Between Agricultural Extension and Family Farmers in Israel - with some International Comparisons

Structured interviews were held with a representative sample of 171 Moshav (smallholder) farmers in Israel. Advisers of the official Extension Service, the publications of this service and farmers’ monthlies were considered to have contributed to farmers’ practical, agricultural knowledge more than the other communication channels. Among the activities of the Extensiom Service, personal farm visits by advisers were preferred. Next came other forms of indnvidual communication: farmers’ visits to the extension office and calls to the adviser’s horme. Group activities, like courses and group meetings in the village, were less frequented. The communication of agrotechnical information is much more common than advice on economic and organizational matters; yet the majority of farmers would like to receive more economic advice. Advisers had more contact with better educated farmers. All other demographic factors had no significant influence on the dependent variables. The Israeli findings were compared, where feasible, with studies made in the U.K., U.S A., Canada, Australia and Germany. When given the opportunity to mention peers and family as main source of information, this source came in first place in Australia, Canada and Germany. Israel was the only country reviewed, in which extension was the main source of information for farmers. In the U.K., in a U.S. and a Canadian study, the press took first rank. Television, and even more so radio, were not considered important sources of information.