Abstract:

Contracting agricultural extension is one strategy being promoted by World Bank to expand extension coverage and improve performance. In this regard, Uganda is phasing out public agricultural extension , ond replacing it with private provider advisory services which operate on contract basis with farmers der NAADS. However, little is known about contract extension system in developing world and Uganda in particular. In order to improve on the performance, NAADS needs to build on its experience es It spreads across the country. The main objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of contract extension system in knowledge and information delivery to farmers in Arua district. A sample of 160 individual farmers from eight sub-counties was randomly selected. Four of the sub-counties were NAADS pilot sub-counties and the other four non-NAADS sub-counties, purposively and randomly selected respectively. The study used questionnaires, checklist, focus group discussion and observations to collect the data. Data collected included farmers' priority enterprises, farmers' sources and level of agricultural knowledge, use of the recommended practices, farmers' and private service providers' perception of the contract extension services. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square and t-test. Results on farmers' participation in enterprise selection showed a level of mismatch between what NAADS and farmers considered a priority