Commercialization and farmer literacy's role on agricultural Extension services in Malaysia

Abstract

Commercialization has played a significant role in the agriculture industry of Malaysia as increased literacy of the farmers and the access to developmental services in their fields aid in the production of the crops that are rich in nutrients and provide better standards of living. Moreover, the increasing demand and incorporation of technology in the farming practices has necessitated that farmer gain access to technical and educational services to improve their propensity. Literacy and commercialization play a vital role in the dissemination of information and lead to adoption of extension services. Extension services assist the farmers through educational processes and work through the improvement in the farming procedures and practices. Adoption of extension services lead to improved farm outputs like increased efficiency and income and thus the factors influencing the adoption of extension services needs to be addressed. Thus, the main objective of the study was to evaluate the role played by commercialization and farm literacy in the adoption of extension services. The study was based on a quantitative methodology and survey technique was used. A convenient sample of 316 farmers was collected from Malaysia. The method of structural equation modelling was used for estimation of variable estimation. The technique of confirmatory factor analysis was used for estimation of model validity. The results indicate that the commercialization and farm literacy significantly influence the adoption of extension services. Also, social influence and information quality were found to mediate the associations positively as well.