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Volume 14, Number 1 DOI: 10.5191/jiaee.2007.14106 Agricultural Extension Services in the Mountain Areas of Greece Dr. Anastasios Michailidis Lecturer of Agricultural Economics Department of Agricultural Products Marketing and Quality Control School of Agriculture Technological Education Institution of Western Macedonia Terma Kontopoulou St., 531 00 Florina, Greece E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Small ruminant production is one of the main agricultural activities for farmers in the Mountain villages in the region of West Macedonia in Greece. Educational and training programs concerning animal production toward women in the research area are far from an acceptable level, despite women’s significant role in production. A survey was conducted, in ten villages in the Florina’s Mountains, with 100 women to find out women’s role in the labour distribution, decision-making, reasons for rearing small ruminants and the importance of the agricultural extension service as an information source. Data were statistically analyzed using categorical regression, frequencies, percentages and means. Keywords: Categorical Regression, Greece, Information Source, Ruminant, Women farmers Acknowledgements: This research was supported through funding from the Technological Educational Institution of West Macedonia, Florina, Greece. Spring 2007 71 Volume 14, Number 1 Introduction providing this service has been strictly Small ruminant production is reduced because of monetary deficits. In characteristic of Mediterranean regions with many developing countries the percentage of a general tendency towards milk production, public extension workers to the farmers as well as meat consumption (Ronchi & approach the ratio of 1:3,000 while this ratio Nardone, 2003). Small ruminant production is 1:400 in the rest of the countries is very important agricultural activity in the (Swanson, Farner, & Behal, 1990). Not only region of West Macedonia and especially in extension but also veterinary services no the Mountain villages around the city of longer have enough funds to meet the Florina. More than five thousands people increasing needs of the farmers (Schwartz, live in these areas and they consist of the 1994; Umali, Feder, & de Haan, 1994). poorest farmers in the country. These people Tambi, Mukhebi, Maina, and Solomon have very little access to basic resources like (1999) stated that in developing countries it shelter, clean water, sanitation systems, has always been felt that the provision of schools, roads and markets. This huge zone these services is responsibility of the of Mountain lands can only be utilized well government regardless of whether they are by small ruminants. The main characteristics provided for efficiently. of the areas utilized for small ruminant Gender disparity in extension production are marginal lands, programs has long been acknowledged predominantly rural, common availability (Erbaugh, Donnermeyer, Amujal, & and a very low level of mechanization Kyamanywa, 2003; Squire, 2003). (Boyazoglu & Flamant, 1990). According to Salmen (1999), women were According to a large volume of excluded from the benefits of extension. The research that was carried out in developing identification of gender roles in small countries (Gidarakou, 1999; Jaitner, Sowe, ruminant production and management can Secka-Njie, & Dempfle, 2001; Lebbie, help extension, veterinary and research 2004; Shortall, 2000; Sinn, Ketzis, & Chen, institutions to develop appropriate 1999), women play a major role in small educational programs and research. Women ruminant production. The foremost tasks of farmers’ access to extension services will women in small ruminant production are enhance small ruminant production and milking, cleaning small ruminant barns, household food security. cutting and carrying grasses, grazing and The main reason for carrying out this mixing fodder. Women contribute a study was to determine women’s role in significant percentage of the labour to small small ruminant production and the ruminant production; however, it is not importance of an agricultural extension always recognized because men hold the service as an information source in mountain structural authority. Despite women’s areas of Greece. Next section presents the significant role, educational or training methodology applied in the case study programs about small ruminant production including the research design, the area and regarding women in rural areas are far from the sample. Results are set out and an acceptable level. interpreted in third section, while fourth In the mountain parts of Greece the section includes the categorical regression public sector has been the major provider of model. The major conclusions from the extension services. Bernet, Ortiz, Estrada, results are presented in the last section. Quiroz, and Swinton (2001) pointed out that extension services can not recognize the Materials and Methods requirements of farmers in many This study was carried out at the mountainous areas. During the last few mountainous villages, around the city of years, the role of the government in Florina, in the western Macedonian region 72 Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education Volume 14, Number 1 of Greece. The area is described as arid and 1998; Berdie, Anderson, & Niebuhr, 1986). located between the altitudes of 600 and Following that procedure, a pilot study was 800m in the Florina’s Mountains. Mountain conducted with aided self-administrated villages were defined as the villages where questionnaire on a sample of 10 households cultivatable land is at 600m altitude and (convenience sampling), which were above. The area has 600-700 mm yearly excluded from the final research (Johns & rainfall. Irrigation possibilities are almost Ross-Lee, 1998; Mertens, 1998). The non-existent (Michailidis, Kamenidou, & empirical research was conducted by using Arambatzis, 2004). It has a very short the modified questionnaire in the final growing season with mild winters and hot sample of this study. In the present study, humid summers. Most of the farms in this the convenience sampling technique was area are classified as family farms and the employed with aided self-administrated main economic activity is small ruminant questionnaires (Malhorta, 1996). According production. to the chosen statistical analysis, the A group of 100 households in ten sample’s size is significant enough villages (Agios Germanos, Nymfaio, (Lehmann, Cupta, & Steckel, 1998). Kratero, Akritas, Meliti, Lehovo, Niki, Armenoxori, Skopia and Polypotamo) of the Results Florina’s administrative district were The average household size was four randomly selected for this study. This people, which is very close to Florina’s 3.8 represents about 8% of the estimated 1,250 people and to Greece’s 3.5 people. The households in these ten villages. The mean age of women responding was 42.8 villages were selected by their small years, ranging from 18 to 70 years. Seventy- ruminant numbers, number of households two percent of them were younger than 55 and the intensity of their small ruminant years old. The average age for men as a head production. For the purpose of verifying the of household was 54.2 years. Almost one- above objectives, a structured written third (29.0%) of the women farmers were questionnaire addressed to women was illiterate while men’s illiteracy rate was prepared. The questionnaire was developed 14.0%. Only 25.0% of the literate women specifically for this purpose based on farmers had completed at least five years of literature review (Gidarakou, 1999; Jaitner formal education while the remainder were et al., 2001; Lebbie, 2004; Shortall, 2000; literate without any diploma. Sinn et al., 1999), the results of qualitative The common family type in the research and the objectives of this study. It research area was the nuclear family comprised of 26 questions and was divided (85.0%) that consists of mother, father and into four parts: (a) general characteristics of unmarried children. It was found that, on an farms and woman farmers, (b) labour average, women spent 3.5h of a total 11.5h distribution and decision making in small working day for small ruminant activities. ruminant production, (c) frequency of use The majority of women (75.6%) also and confidence with information sources participated in handicraft activities like and (d) socioeconomic and demographic carpets, traditional uniforms, woollies and questions. The questionnaire was knitwears for selling at the local markets. implemented face-to-face by the authors. Almost half of the women (53.0%) The survey was conducted between the also participated in crop production with middle of 2005 and the end of 2005. their husbands. Roughly two-thirds (68.3%) Since the questionnaire was of the rural households, in the study area, developed, it was tested for content validity owned their agricultural land with an (Kinnear & Taylor, 1996; Chisnall, 1997) average of 2.2ha. Most of these lands and face validity (Aaker, Kumar, & Day, (58.5%) were arid. Wheat, potatoes and Spring 2007 73 Volume 14, Number 1 subsistence vegetable production were cited land is scarce so survival with only crop most frequently. Details about women production is almost impossible. The farmers and farms characteristics are given families rely primarily on sheep and goat in Table 1. sales to secure cash income. Traditional reasons were pointed in the second place Table 1 with 14.6%. Generation of high income (6.3%), low capital requirement (5.4%) and Average Scores