A comparison of project participants and extension officers' perception regarding knowledge of production in agricultural projects in the North West Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study examined the perception and knowledge of project participants and extension officers about production knowledge in agricultural projects. The objective of the study was to compare the perception and knowledge of project participants and extension officers regarding production knowledge in agricultural projects before and at interview. The questionnaire was designed to collect data, in which structured and unstructured questions were used. To ensure a good flow of ideas, the questionnaire was divided into distinct sections. Data was captured and analysed by the Department of Statistics of the University of Pretoria. The data was collected by means of personal interviews with a total of 129 project participants and 75 extension officers. Knowledge of both respondent categories was assessed in terms of participants’ knowledge about the commodities to be produced for a particular area before production, and at interview. Knowledge assessment was based on the production status of the commodity, special design requirements, special machines and equipment requirements, special transport requirements, quality assurance requirements, labour requirements, and time devoted on the produce. The major findings were as follows: (1) Project participants did not have knowledge at the start of their project, but had acquired knowledge by the time of interviews and there was a clear indication of a need for structured training at the project level.

Keywords: Projects, Production, Knowledge, Perception, Project Participants, Extension Officers