The Attitudes of Agricultural Extension Workers towards the Use of E-Extension for Ensuring Sustainability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

E-extension as a modern mode of communication can be used to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of extension services for agricultural sustainability. E-extension is the delivery of extension services using the Internet and the latest information communication technologies (ICTs), which allow networking, online sharing, and collaboration. Extension workers are a key factor in conducting an effective agricultural extension work plan; therefore, understanding extension workers' attitudes towards the use of E-extension is important. It has been noted in some studies that, before implementing ICTs, positive attitudes from extension workers is required. This study analyzed the attitudes of extension workers towards the use of E-extension in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A survey questionnaire was developed comprising statements regarding E-extension and then distributed through the post to all 230 extension workers in the Kingdom with the help of the Ministry of Agriculture. The findings show that extension workers generally had a positive attitude towards the use of E-extension. Significant relationships were found between the overall means of extension workers' attitudes towards E-extension and their age, years of service, and computer experience. In the light of the results, recommendations drawn are as follows: encouraging extension workers, especially those who are older, to use the E-extension system through exclusive training programs and refresher courses; and incorporating combined workshops for extension workers with few and more years of service to eliminate the generation gap and instigating a better understanding of the E-extension system.

The Mediating Effect of Risk Management Strategies on the Relationship Between Attitude Constructs and Sustainability of Banana Production in Southern Philippines

“…Their results deduced that women rice farmers' have more positive attitudes toward sustainability than men farmers, and factors such, as education and access to information, are effective on changing the farmers' attitudes toward sustainable agriculture. On the other hand, Afzal, Al-Subaiee, and Mirza (2016) inferred in their study of the attitudes of farmers towards sustainable agriculture in Saudi Arabia that demographic profile, such as age, education, income, has a significant relationship with the farmers' attitude towards sustainable production. Similarly, the study of Bagheri, Fami, Rezvanfar, Asadi, and Yazdani (2008) concluded that the best predictors of rice farmer's attitudes of Hazar district of the Mazandaran province toward the use of sustainable agricultural technologies include educational attainment, contact with agricultural experts, and participation in agricultural extension.…”

Assisting Knowledge Dissemination of Postpartum Beef Cows Management using Smartphone-Based Technology

“…In addition, extension offices' attitudes towards new technologies will be a key element in the success of teaching and transferring information to farmers. Encouraging and training extension workers to have ICTs proficiency will be relative to the success of farmers' acceptance of these technologies [43,44]. Lastly, there is also a need to have a team that can update people with the best agricultural practices for developing content for the system.…”

Analyzing Precision Agriculture Adoption across the Globe: A Systematic Review of Scholarship from 1999–2020

“…From the perspective of information flow, the diffusion process of agricultural technology innovation involves government units, agricultural research and extension units, agricultural marketing units, media units, and consumers. Agricultural extension plays an important role in the development [7] and knowledge transfer [8] of innovations that sustain agricultural productivity. There are increased efforts from agricultural extension to promote precision agriculture (PA) in production contexts, such as viticulture to improve sustainability in Italy [9].…”