Comparative Study of Agricultural Extension Methods Used by the Public and Private Sectors Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Myanmar: A Case Study

Agricultural extension plays a crucial role in the development of the agricultural sector and the dissemination of agricultural information. There are three extension methods, namely individual, group, and mass methods, that facilitate communication between extension workers and farmers. The study was conducted to examine the agricultural extension methods used by the public and private sectors before and during COVID-19 pandemic, and to investigate farmers’ preference of agricultural extension methods used by the public and private sectors before and during COVID-19 pandemic in the Zeyarthiri township, Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory. A total of 60 respondents from three villages were interviewed using structured interview questionnaires for quantitative and qualitative data in July 2022. The demographic characteristics, agricultural extension methods received by farmers, and farmers’ preference of agricultural extension methods by the public and private sectors were all collected. The descriptive analysis and paired sample t-test were used to compare agricultural extension methods used by both sectors. The Chi-square Friedman test was also conducted to analyze farmers’ preference on extension methods with a 5-point Likert scale (1932) before and during the pandemic in SPSS. In terms of farmers’ preference, they mostly liked farm and home visits under the individual method used by both sectors among other extension methods in this study area. It indicates that individuals can speak with extension staff members face-to-face during farm and home visits about anything they want to know. During COVID-19 pandemic, the farmers mostly preferred “TV” under the mass method. It means that TV is the best way, not only for COVID-19 restrictions but also for quick access to agricultural information during COVID-19 pandemic.