Problems of rural extension courses in Mexico

Abstract

In order to contribute to the knowledge about the problems related to the policies of rural extension courses in Mexico from the perspective of the extension agents, the circumstances which hinder their work were identified, described and analyzed. A survey of the extension agents from the Monitoring and Evaluation Course Component System of Extension Agents 2016, which gathered information from nine states of the republic. The size of the sample amounted to 308 questionnaires. The answers to open questions were analyzed and were categorized and quantified. The analysis was later used in relation to the qualitative variables. The difficulties were associated with socio-demographic variables and location. Fifteen problems were found. There are five principal ones: 1) the lack of opportunity at the beginning of service; 2) training of extension agents with a productivist perspective; 3) precarious work for extension agents; 4) discontinuation of extension groups; and 5) the dismantling of the component with other programs. Statistically significant differences were found between the predominant problem and the federal entity, sex, age, experience, and the academic training of the extension agents which permits establishing specific strategies to promote a more effective and efficient public policy, based on the recommendations of the actors who make decisions about extension courses at the level of the production unit.