The Role of Agricultural Extension in Developing the Egyptian Exports of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants | ||
| Fayoum Journal of Agricultural Research and Development | ||
| Article 21, Volume 20, Issue 2, July 2006, Pages 1-28 PDF (779.94 K) | ||
| Document Type: Research articles. | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/fjard.2006.197606 | ||
| Author | ||
| Nefesa Ahmed Hamed Elhawary | ||
| Department of Agricultural Economics – Faculty of Agriculture – Fayoum University | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The study aims to: determine the participants’ level of knowledge for the variables within the international and local markets of medicinal and aromatic plants, recognize the role of agricultural extension in developing the exports of these crops, recognize the nature of the relationship between the extension service and the organizations working in the exports field, recognize the requirements for extending the production of medicinal and aromatic plants, and finally determine the level of recognizing the required quality standards for exporting the chamomile as long as the international demand for it is increasing. The study has been investigated on a sample of 117 participants, 80 of them are medicinal and aromatic plants growers and 37 of the extension staff in Fayoum Governorate. The most important results regarding the extension staff were; low level of knowledge regarding the international marketing variables (the global price of chamomile, the proper time for exporting, and the quality standards for exports), 73% of them referred that they don’t provide any services for the growers in marketing the product, 67.6% of them stated that there is no relationship between the extension authorities and the governmental organizations that working in the export field, at the same time 18.1% of them stated that there is a relationship between the extension authorities and the associations working in the field of exporting crops. The most important requirements for expanding the cultivated area of these crops – as the extension staff point of view – were; organizing a trainings for the extension staff who are working in this field (100%), inform the growers about the quality standards for exports, expand the growing in the new lands (45.9%), and offer money incentives for the extension agents and the marketing specialists (59.5%). Regarding the participants of growers, the most important results were; 56.25% of the growers market their production by contracting with the exporters, 88.7% of the growers don’t know about the quality standards, and 75% of them don’t know the global price and the proper time for growing. The main problems facing the growers within the production process were; the infection of pests and diseases (78.5%) and the low quality of irrigation water which affects the quality of the production (80%). Regarding the marketing problems, the growers stated the following problems; the high cost of harvesting (94%), the monopoly within the market where there are few exporters and middlemen (78.5%), and price fluctuations (75%). The main requirements for expanding the production were; the availability of the information about quality standards (76.3%) and the availability of high quality seeds (75%). The marketing requirements were; pre-contracting (87.5%) and exporters commitment with growers (66.5%). It’s, also, stated the weakness of the agricultural extension in developing the knowledge and skills of the growers regarding the production and exporting of the medicinal and aromatic plants. Finally, the study has shown that both the extension staff and growers have a low level of recognition for the quality standards required for exporting the chamomile where 10.8% and 15% of them respectively are in the high recognition category. | ||
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