An Evolving Agricultural Extension Model for Lasting Impact: How Willing Are Tanzanian Farmers to Pay for Extension Services?

Rodrigo Abed, Haroon Sseguya, James Flock, Silvanus Mruma and Hamisi Mwango
Additional contact information
Rodrigo Abed: ACDI/VOCA, 50 F Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20001, USA
Haroon Sseguya: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Regional Hub for Eastern Africa, P.O. Box 34441 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
James Flock: ACDI/VOCA, 50 F Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20001, USA
Silvanus Mruma: ACDI/VOCA, Feed the Future Tanzania NAFAKA II Activity, P.O. Box 185 Iringa, Tanzania
Hamisi Mwango: ACDI/VOCA, Feed the Future Tanzania NAFAKA II Activity, P.O. Box 185 Iringa, Tanzania

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-13

Abstract: Community-based extension services (CES) are vital for improving farmers’ livelihoods, but most of them face a challenge of sustainability after phasing out of the externally funded initiatives that they are part of. This study estimated farmer’s willingness to pay (WTP) for four types of agricultural extension services (AES) in the cereals’ value chains provided as a part of two United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Feed the Future initiatives in Tanzania. Data were collected from 595 smallholder cereal farmers using a primary survey in four districts of the Southern Highlands. We implemented a double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method. Average WTP figures ranged from 20,000 to 24,000 TZS (8–10 USD) depending on the type of AES. Several socioeconomic and agriculture-related variables influenced smallholders’ WTP for the extension services. This research explored the feasibility of a farmer-led model as a pathway to delink extension services from public and donor funding to achieve sustainable rural development. Farmers place a monetary value on extension services indicating that policymakers and practitioners should make further efforts to enhance a community’s ability to achieve self-reliance through investments in CES.

Keywords: extension services; willingness to pay; contingent valuation method; sustainability; pluralistic extension services providers; Tanzania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8473-:d:427981

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