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).