Options for forestry extension service delivery for small holder farmers

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Date
NOVEMBER, 2015
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Abstract
Forestry extension models have the potential of improving landscape restoration in the off-reserve areas. Off reserve landscape restoration is purely dominated by small holder farmers who lack requisite knowledge to sustain tree planting activities. As a business, forestry extension provides a platform for knowledge sharing to small holder farmers in the area of forest management, silvicultural techniques, marketing and investment. Prescribing an appropriate option for forestry extension model has become a major challenge for most third world countries where publicly-led forestry extension services had failed due to funds. The current situation present lack of permanent institutional framework to carry out forestry extension services efficient and appropriate to small holder farmers in off reserve areas where landscape has deteriorated and requires restoration. This institutional deficiency is therefore seen as a gap affecting the contribution of small holder farmers in off reserve landscape restoration. Nketia (2014) confirm this gap by stating that forest plantation developer’s especially small holder farmers lack adequate knowledge and support needs in their drive to establish and manage forest plantations. The type of knowledge gaps that farmers require through forestry extension services provision are; marketing, Technical, farmer associations and emerging purposes extension (Swanson, 2008). This study was an attempt to access the appropriate models of options for forestry extension services delivery. Random and purposive sampling techniques were employed for the selection of respondents in nine communities of the three study areas as well as the key informants of the institutions that were involved in the delivery of forestry extension services. The results revealed that the public led extension model was the most preferred model type as against the partnership, NGO and private extension type though the four were closely related. 24% of respondent preferred FC-led public extension model, 21.8% preferred partnership/hybrid type by FC-NGO and 19.8% had preference for NGO under privately extension model. Accordingly, the FC-NGO led-partnership / hybrid forestry extension model was recommended as an appropriate model. This is because contemporary forestry extension model is shifting to partnership model and also NGO‘s led field extension practiced have observable result compared with any other model type.
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A thesis submitted to The School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Science Degree in Development Policy and Planning, 2015
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