Conceptual Foundation on Extension Impact Topic Five Conceptual Foundation on Extension Impact

The impact of Agricultural extension Assessing the impact of extension is difficult task. Even if it is difficult to assess the impact of extension on production, the improvements in the use of improved technologies and subsequent increase in productivity levels in areas where intensive extension programs have been undertaken are considered as the positive contribution of agricultural extension.

In Ethiopia, it has been reports indicated that the extension programs had a positive and significant impact on food security and poverty reduction in general Likewise, the program impacted household fixed assets positively and significantly. Therefore, it is recommended to policy makers that investing in extension contribute to the further reduction in poverty

Measuring Extension impact Most of extension impact studies don’t considered all aspects to measure impacts. Most methods used to measure impacts shown a statistical relationship between the quantity of extension services made available to farmers and increases in awareness, knowledge, adoption, and productivity. However the Farmer awareness, knowledge, adoption of technology or practices and changes in farmers' productivity is convenient method to see the ultimate economic impact of extension.

Changes in farmer behaviour will also be reflected in quantities of goods produced, the quantities of inputs used, and in their prices. These, in turn, can be measured as surplus, which is the added value of goods produced from a given set of inputs made possible by the extension activities.

Statistical methods and issues for economic evaluation Estimation of extension impact is subject to a number of problems which are also faced in the evaluation of other public sector investments. The approach commonly used is a statistical analysis relying on data measuring extension activities at the farm level. Alternatively, statistical analysis can be undertaken where observations refer to aggregate extension services supplied to a given region in a specific time period.