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Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the extent of available readiness for the use of electronic extension application in the extension process in terms of the speed of link between the extensions and the farmer and the availability of technical instructions and information necessary for the extension process. The trends of agricultural extension agents for readiness were examined according to the variables of age, location, years of experience, university, and specialization. To achieve this, the researcher followed the descriptive approach, where a random sample of 30 questionnaires was collected from the total of 120 agricultural extensions workers in the north of West Bank. The questionnaire was evaluated and verified before the distribution to the agricultural extensions The questionnaire was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program, where the descriptive data and ANOVA test were analyzed. The results of the study showed that 44% of the respondents were within the age group of 24 to 34 years, and the largest proportion of the respondents was in the Tubas region at 27%, and 57% of the respondents specialized in plant production and plant protection. The study showed no significant differences (0.05≥) in the readiness of the electronic extension application from the point of view of the agricultural extension agents according to the variable of age, region, years of experience, university, and university specialization. In total 76% of the respondents stated that there is a technical staff to cover all of needed information for the application, through the specialized technical staff of high experience in the Ministry of Agriculture. A total of 56% of the respondents stated that the extension application can replace 50% of the extension visits. However, the lack of money and logistical capabilities played a role for not implementing it. In addition, the majority of respondents (80%) stated that training courses should be provided for the farmers on the use of the application, due to the lack of farmer’s experience in this application. The study recommended the need to take advantage of the electronic extension application as a complement and enhancing agent for efficient extension process, in addition to the need to establish a specialized administrative unit for electronic agricultural extension which works on capacity building for the extension and for the farmers.

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