Comparative Analysis of the Role of Public and Private Agricultural Extension Organizations on Adopting Agricultural Innovations in the Tarom Township, Zanjan Province

Subject Areas : Agricultural Extension and Education Research

Received: 2012-12-26 Accepted : 2014-05-06 Published : 2014-03-21

Keywords: Agriculture Extension, Privatization, Social Capital, Adoption, innovation,

Abstract :

This study is to investigate farmers’ views regarding the social capital of public and private sector agricultural extension and to analyze the impact of social capital on adopting agricultural innovations. The research has conducted a descriptive-correlational survey using a structured interview technique utilizing a questionnaire validated by validity and reliability techniques. Using a stratified sampling technique, a sample of 160 farmers was randomly selected from the rural households of the Abbar Sub-county located in the Tarom Township of the Zanjan Province. According to the regression analysis, the social capital of public extension explains 31.5 percent of the variation in agricultural innovation adoption, whereas, the private extension can only determine 3.5 percent of variation in agricultural innovation adoption.