AGRICULTURAL POLICIES AMONG ADVISORY AND COOPERATIVE INDICATORS IN JORDANRadi A. Tarawneh 1, Mohammad S. Tarawneh 2, Khaled A.
Al-Najjar 3 1,2 Collage of Agriculture, Jerash University, Jerash, Jordan3 General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, GCSAR, Damascus, Syria |
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Received 04 January 2022 Accepted 11 February 2022 Published 26 February 2022 Corresponding Author Khaled A. Al-Najjar, khnajj2011@yahoo.com DOI 10.29121/granthaalayah.v10.i2.2022.4489 Funding: This research
received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial,
or not-for-profit sectors. Copyright: © 2022 The
Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are
credited. |
ABSTRACT |
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This study was executed to answer several questions
related to agricultural cooperative consultations to improve the livelihoods
of farmers in Jordan. Where a questionnaire was conducted through direct
personal interviews with the target groups in the Jordan Valley during the
year 2021. The study aimed to shed light on the work of cooperative
agricultural consultancy and agricultural extension. The study sample
included 100 farmers randomly. The data (questionnaires) were analyzed
according to SAS (2012). The results were as follows: Agricultural
extension should pay more attention to small farmers and the cooperative
sector, and agricultural cooperation should be a priority for an extension. In order to overcome the challenges and obstacles of
extension work, financial support must be provided for workshops, extension
programs, and brochures containing technical information. Attention should be
given to agricultural extension cooperation methods through increasing
fieldwork days, extension bulletins, home visits, and daily newspapers.
Consultative cooperation between government agencies and NGOs was important
in supporting farmers' projects. Cooperation between the governmental and
non-governmental sectors was linked to priorities of work and the advisory
role of NGOs in Jordan. |
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Keywords: Agricultural Advisory, Extension Priorities, Cooperatives, Jordan 1. INTRODUCTION
In Jordan, the first cooperative work began with the issuance of
Cooperative Labor Law No. 39 of 1952; Jordanian Cooperative Corporation Law
was issued in 1968. In 1997, Cooperation Law No. 18 was issued to organize
cooperative work, which had several tasks such as registering cooperative
societies, providing advice and guidance, providing technical support,
training, and representing the cooperative sector JCC (2021). Agricultural Extension Services were part of the
Ministry of Agriculture that was established in 1939. Extension services were
institutionalized in 1954 when Agricultural Extension Division was
established. Its main functions were to convey results of applied research
and to provide advisory services to farmers and rural populations in general
regarding agriculture, home economics, and literacy Rimawi and Arabiat
(1998). The Jordan Foundation disseminates collaborative
thought, directs external support for the benefit of communities, launches
income-generating projects to create job opportunities, raises the economic
and social level of local communities, uses new technologies, trains for
collaborative work, and allocates funding resources for cooperatives JCC (2021).
In Jordan, agricultural cooperatives were less prevalent compared to
other |
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types, as they constitute 20.7% of total cooperative work; they need to
develop agricultural cooperative work through strengthening agricultural
cooperative consultancy JCC (2021). While in Japan, there are 840 very
well-organized agricultural cooperatives with balanced planning and effective
implementation Gherman et al.
(2016).
This study aimed to
shed light on the work of the cooperative agricultural consultancy and
agricultural extension, as it relied on the analysis of questionnaires and
direct meetings with the target groups in order to
evaluate and discuss their opinion in Jordan.
2.
MATERIAL AND
METHODS
2.1. STUDY QUESTIONS
This study was
conducted in the Jordan Valley to answer several questions related to
agricultural consultations:
·
What is
the work of agricultural cooperative consultancy?
·
How is
agricultural cooperative consultancy described?
·
What is
the role of the agricultural advisory cooperative?
These questions
are important in evaluating development support for agricultural cooperative
consultancy to improve productivity and achieve rural development aimed at
improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Jordan.
2.2. METHODOLOGY
A survey was
conducted according to a questionnaire through personal interviews in the
Jordan Valley during 2021. The study sample included 100 farmers at random. The
content of the questionnaire was reviewed to verify the validity of the survey
questions. The questionnaire consisted of many questions that focused on
agricultural production specializations, sectors targeted for cooperative
extension work to determine knowledge and its source, priority, obstacles,
challenges extension for farmers, preparing extension work, methods, policies,
and visions used in extension work, and knowing the role of extension work. In
addition, contribution and services of non-governmental organizations and
topics of cooperation with the public sector in extension work.
2.3. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Microsoft Excel
was used to review the information in the study questionnaire. Data were analysed
according to SAS (2012). Likert scale McLeod
(2019), averages, and percentages were used to estimate the methods used in
cooperative extension work, extension work priorities, and the rest of the
studied indicators, respectively. In addition, correlation values
were estimated for most of the studied indicators.
3.
FINDINGS
Table 1 shows that most of the agricultural
disciplines in the studied sample were horticulture sciences (62.3%) and those
farmers had knowledge of extension services (82.0%) coming from extension
visits (95.1%) and that most of them were within rural women sector (57.4%).
Services were implemented within the indicative plans (55.7%). Most
agricultural consultations came within the framework of a regular relationship
between public and private cooperatives (35.6%) through participation methods
that included training (54.2%) and scientific seminars (41.0%). As for the
advisory services for NGOs, it was through associations (91.2%), according to
the advisory categories with agricultural cooperatives (69.7%). On the other
hand, farmers face advisory obstacles related to regulations and financial
support (85.2%), and lack of professional advisors and financial support
(90.2%) presents challenges for agricultural cooperative consulting.
Table 1 Shows percentages of some agricultural advisory indicators in Jordan |
||||||||
VAR. |
AS. |
(%) |
TS. |
(%) |
OFC. |
(%) |
||
CAL. |
-
Horticultural Sciences |
62.3 |
-
Rural Women |
57.4 |
-
Regulations and Financial Support |
85.2 |
||
-
Animal Production |
21.3 |
-
Rural Youth |
21.3 |
-
Regulations |
11.5 |
|||
-
Agricultural Economy |
6.6 |
- Investors |
13.1 |
-
Financial Support |
3.3 |
|||
-
Agribusiness management |
3.3 |
-
Small Farmers |
6.6 |
|||||
-
General Specialty |
3.3 |
-
Cooperative Associations |
1.6 |
|||||
-
Plant Protection |
3.3 |
|||||||
VAR. |
AKS. |
(%) |
EAK. |
(%) |
CCW. |
(%) |
||
CAL. |
-
Agricultural extension visits |
95.1 |
-
Yes |
82.0 |
- By
Plans |
55.7 |
||
- Agricultural extension bulletins |
3.3 |
- No |
3.3 |
- By
Programs |
18 |
|||
-
Missing values |
14.7 |
-
Missing values |
26.2 |
|||||
VAR. |
ACA. |
(%) |
CCS. through |
(%) |
CFC. |
(%) |
||
CAL. |
-
Regulating relationship between public and private cooperatives |
35.6 |
- Training of
Agricultural Advisory to Agents |
54.2 |
-
Lack of Specialized Advisory Agents and Financial Support |
90.2 |
||
-
Cooperative Legislation |
32.3 |
- Implementation of
Advisory to Cooperative Societies |
27.1 |
-
Lack of Specialized Advisory Agents |
6.6 |
|||
-
Specific Cooperative Unions |
16.9 |
- Implementation of
Advisory Activities to Farmers |
10.4 |
-
Financial Support |
3.3 |
|||
- Cooperative Societies |
10.2 |
- Provide of Technical
Information |
8.3 |
|||||
VAR. |
PPO. |
(%) |
NAS. through |
(%) |
NAC. |
(%) |
||
CAL. |
-
Seminars |
41 |
-
Associations |
91.2 |
-
Cooperatives |
69.7 |
||
-
Conferences |
32.8 |
- Projects |
3.5 |
-
Small Farmers |
27 |
|||
- Workshops |
26.2 |
-
Big Farmers |
3.3 |
|||||
VAR: Variables, CAL: Classes, AS.:
Agricultural Specialization, TS: Target Sectors, OFC: Obstacles
Facing consulting, AKS: Agricultural Knowledge Source, EAK:
Extension Agricultural Knowledge, CCW: Cooperative Consulting Work,
ACA: Agricultural Cooperative Advisory, CCS: Collaborative
Consulting Sharing, CFC: Challenges Facing consulting, PPO:
Public-Private Consulting, NAS: NGOs Advisory Services, NAC:
NG’s Advisory Categories. |
The Agricultural
specializations of plant protection, crop production, and animal production
came among priorities of agricultural extension work followed by water and
irrigation, environment, and agricultural marketing, while agricultural
cooperation ranked last according to Figure 1.
|
Figure 1 Average
priorities of agricultural extension work according to agricultural
specialization in Jordan |
Figure 2 found that field visits, Agricultural advisory
meetings, field agricultural advisory, and farmers' field schools are among the
methods that are always used in agricultural extension, while field days and
agricultural advisory brochures are sometimes used, and home visits and
newspapers are rarely.
|
Figure 2 Consultation
working methods used in cooperative agriculture in Jordan |
Collaborative
consulting policies and insights play a full role (100%) in agricultural
extension cooperation. The advisory role of NGOs at work plays a lesser role
than government agencies that amounted to only (10%). The cooperation between
the public and private sectors was (3.3%) according to the studied sample as
illustrated in Figure 3.
|
Figure 3 Displays
agricultural cooperative consultancy systems in Jordan |
Table 2 displays that correlation values between most
of studied indicators were high and statistically significant (P<0.01) while
the remaining values were medium to low without significance (P>0.05).
According to Consulting Priorities indicator was a highly significant
relationship with each of Public-Private Consulting, and Agricultural
Cooperative Advisory. A strong relationship was found between Public-Private
cooperation and Guiding Role of NGOs.
Table 2 Correlation
values between agricultural and rural development, cooperative consultancy
and agricultural extension for the indicators studied in Jordan |
|||||||||||||||
Variable |
TS |
EAK |
AKS |
CP |
CCW |
OFC |
CFC |
CCS |
PPC |
GRN |
CPI |
PPO |
NAS |
NAC |
ACA |
AS |
0.99** |
0.97** |
0.96** |
0.71ns |
0.99** |
0.98** |
0.97** |
0.86* |
0.13ns |
0.21ns |
0.95** |
0.80ns |
0.96** |
0.99** |
0.81* |
TS |
|
0.94** |
0.94** |
0.79ns |
0.98** |
0.97** |
0.95** |
0.91** |
0.14ns |
0.21ns |
0.93** |
0.86* |
0.94** |
0.98** |
0.87* |
EAK |
|
|
0.99** |
0.55ns |
0.96** |
0.99** |
0.99** |
0.88* |
-0.13ns |
-0.05ns |
0.99** |
0.65ns |
0.99** |
0.94** |
0.65ns |
AKS |
|
|
|
0.54ns |
0.96** |
0.99** |
0.99** |
0.88* |
-0.13ns |
-0.06ns |
0.99** |
0.65ns |
0.99** |
0.94** |
0.65ns |
CP |
|
|
|
|
0.70ns |
0.62ns |
0.58ns |
0.69ns |
0.54ns |
0.59ns |
0.52ns |
0.97** |
0.55ns |
0.75ns |
0.95** |
CCW |
|
|
|
|
|
0.98** |
0.97** |
0.83* |
0.16ns |
0.23ns |
0.95** |
0.78ns |
0.96** |
0.99** |
0.80* |
OFC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.99** |
0.89* |
-0.04ns |
0.04ns |
0.99** |
0.72ns |
0.99** |
0.97** |
0.72ns |
CFC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.89* |
-0.10ns |
-0.03ns |
0.99** |
0.69ns |
0.99** |
0.95** |
0.68ns |
CCS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-0.17ns |
-0.10ns |
0.88* |
0.78ns |
0.88* |
0.83* |
0.73ns |
PPC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.99** |
-0.17ns |
0.44ns |
-0.13ns |
0.21ns |
0.55ns |
GRN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-0.09ns |
0.50ns |
-0.05ns |
0.29ns |
0.60ns |
CPI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.63ns |
0.99** |
0.93* |
0.63ns |
PPO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.65ns |
0.82* |
0.95** |
NAS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.94** |
0.65ns |
NAC |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.84* |
AS: Agricultural Specialization, TS:
Target Sectors, EAK: Extension Agricultural Knowledge, AKS:
Agricultural Knowledge Source, CP: Consulting Priorities, CCW:
Cooperative Consulting Work, OFC: Obstacles Facing consulting, CFC:
Challenges Facing consulting, CCS: Collaborative Consulting Sharing, PPC:
Public-Private cooperation, GRN: Guiding Role of NGOs, CPI:
Consulting Policies and Insights, PPO: Public-Private Consulting, NAS:
NGOs Advisory Services, NAC: NG’s Advisory Categories, ACA:
Agricultural Cooperative Advisory. |
4.
DISCUSSIONS
Horticulture and
animal products have been among the areas of agricultural production that have
received the most attention from an agricultural extension. An agricultural
extension was mainly directed towards rural women and the youth sector in
countryside. Most of the target sectors have high knowledge of agricultural
extension, and most of them are achieved through agricultural extension visits.
Burt (2004) reported that Collaborative Advisory Service
aims to provide farmers with institutional guidance to improve their capacities
in agricultural knowledge, farm management, marketing, and sustainable
livelihood development. Cooperatives are a relevant actor for inducing more sustainable
practices by providing or coordinating advisory services Snider
et al. (2016). Cooperative management functions not only to
contribute to the development of agriculture but also to improve quality of
life of farmers Gherman et al.
(2016). Most of the cooperative advisory work was
carried out through agricultural plans by training agricultural extension
workers and attending scientific seminars for cooperatives. The importance of
collaborative consulting lies in the economic return through planning and
investment in modern technology Trifan and Zeca
(2017). The relationship between public and private
cooperatives was regular and most of the NGO advisory services were directed at
cooperatives and associations. Burt (2004) noted that the collaborative keys to success
are professional advisors, communication with members, a mindset that encourages
good practice and maintaining a formal board/management relationship. The
existence of cooperatives also enhances institutional support and productive
organizational linkages and increases farmers' incomes Bwabo et al.
(2016). However, there are handicaps in terms of
regulations and financial support and challenges such as the lack of
specialized agricultural consultancy consulting agents. Collaborative emergency
preparedness protects the environment USDA (2021). Plant protection, crop production, and
livestock production were among the priorities of agricultural extension work,
followed by water, irrigation, environment, and agricultural marketing, while
agricultural cooperation ranked last. Cooperative priorities serve its members,
providing services to agriculture directly (increasing net income) and indirectly
(marketing power), supporting family farms and income generated in the
community Burt (2004). Farmers' associations in cooperatives have
many advantages by providing raw materials for timely production at low prices,
reducing the risks of selling products, and opening up
prospects that help simplify production Trifan and Zeca
(2017). Well-functioning cooperatives can bring many benefits to their members
such as pooling labour resources, providing machinery or production activities Burt (2004). The agricultural extension uses methods of
field visits, agricultural advisory meetings, agricultural field consultations,
and field schools for farmers on a permanent basis, while field days and
agricultural advisory booklets are sometimes used, and home visits and newspapers
are rarely used. Extension services should not only focus on increasing
productivity, but also on improving farmers’ ability to increase income as well
as environmental considerations and impacts on society Amanah
(2018). Cooperation between the public and private
sectors (3.3%) and the advisory role of NGOs at work is only (10%) compared to
the role of government agencies, where cooperative advisory visions and policies
play a full role (100%) in agricultural extension. cooperation. The cooperative
guarantees the quantity and quality of products needed to meet market demands
and thus achieve greater returns for the members. Cooperatives also directly
encourage investments (Ma et al., 2018). Cooperatives that engage in marketing
increase marketing margins and increase the technical competence of their
members Qu et al. (2020). Supporting should take into
account the marketing competence of smallholder farmers Wu (2012). Correlation values between most of the
studied indicators were high and significant, while the remaining values were
medium to low without significance. According to the consultancy, priority
indicators have a very important relationship with both public and private
consultancy and agricultural cooperative consultancy. In addition, a strong
relationship was found between the public and private cooperation sectors and
the guiding role of NGOs.
5.
CONCLUSIONS
The agricultural
extension should pay more attention to small farmers and the cooperative
sector, and agricultural cooperation should be a priority for an extension. In order to overcome the challenges and obstacles of
extension work, financial support must be provided for workshops, extension
programs, and brochures containing technical information. Paying attention to
agricultural extension cooperation methods through increasing fieldwork days,
extension bulletins, home visits, and daily newspapers. Importance of
consulting cooperation between governmental and NGOs in supporting farmers'
projects. Collaboration between governmental and non-governmental sectors was
related to both the work priorities and the advisory role of NGOs.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Sincere gratitude to Jerash University for its continued support of scientific publication, and to the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture for providing facilities with regard to data collection.
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