Research article

AN EXTENSION PROGRAM TO DEVELOP THE SKILL OF POTATO FARMERS IN THE KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ

Chawan M. Hamasalih* and Tahir Mohamed Layeeq

Online First: March 30, 2023


The research aimed to build an extension program to develop farmers’ skills in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG), The research population included all directors of agricultural extension directorates and all potato farmers in the KRG. The farmers’ sample was taken by stratified random sampling including (235 farmers) in seven districts, and the sample of extension directors included all of the population that was (44) directors including (30) respondents (22 farmers and 8 directors) for the pre-test. The total of the instructor sample is 279 respondents; the proposed program was prepared according to the following procedures: literature and forms, expert observations, review of research and articles, conducting field visits, documents and records. The suggested program was built based on some literature, previous studies, and conducting some scientific methods which contained (12) scopes and (94) items initially, the program was presented in its initial form to a group of experts in the field of agricultural extension and management, and after taking their observations into account; the model now includes (12) scopes and (94) items, The results indicate that all scopes and items were kept in the program's final version based on the respondents' agreement extent, And recommends its application in real agricultural work in the KRG.

Keywords

agricultural extension, farmer, extension program, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), building extension program.