Author : Heng Chou Long

Summary : In Cambodia, the national agricultural extension policy was formulated to increase the effectiveness of public agricultural extension services (AES) regarding demand-driven of extension services. This study was conducted to determine rice farmers' preference for AES provided in Kampong Thom province, where represented all rice-producing provinces in the country with AES available for at least two years. A main rice-producing district namely Kampong Svay was purposively selected and interviewed on 197 of rice-farmer households.

In overall, public AES was found to be the most available source providing extension services and extremely preferred by rice farmer households in study area. Training/workshop/meeting was the most accessed and needed method among seven extension delivery methods available. The preference for this method was the highest rank. Visit of agent to farm method which was not properly accessed by the farmers, but it was the second-most method needed by them in the future extension program. There were two methods of AES that matched up between farmers' use and need, namely training/workshop/meeting and publication. Furthermore, top-three extension contents of rice were obtained by the farmers, including pest and weed control, soil management, and fertilizer application, were also matched up with their future needs. The major benefit and appropriateness perceived by farmers were yield increase and knowledge of extension agent, respectively. Extension delivery methods namely, TV/radio/video, website, visit of farmer to office, and publication were found to be positively influencing the farmers' preference for AES. Furthermore, a factor of perceived appropriateness was also possible to increase the farmers' preference for AES.