EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF EXTENSION SERVICES ON FARMERS' FOOD SECURITY EMPOWERMENT IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Abstract

Agricultural extension services play a crucial role in enhancing farmers' knowledge, promoting the adoption of improved agricultural practices, and strengthening household food security. This study evaluated the impact of agricultural extension services on farmers' food security empowerment in four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: Charsadda, Malakand, Mansehra, and Tank. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 400 farmers, and primary data were collected through a structured interview schedule. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The results revealed that 49.5% of respondents exhibited a moderate level of food security empowerment, while 31.5% demonstrated high empowerment. Extension service delivery remained limited, with only 21% of farmers reporting frequent contact with extension agents and 32% participating in extension training programs. Chi-square analysis indicated significant positive associations between extension contact, training participation, and farmers' food security empowerment (p < 0.001). OLS regression further identified extension contact frequency (β = 0.268), training participation (β = 0.225), access to agricultural information (β = 0.167), and education (β = 0.138) as significant predictors of food security empowerment. Significant regional differences were also observed, with Charsadda recording the highest empowerment scores and Tank the lowest. The findings demonstrate that effective extension services substantially improve farmers' food security empowerment through enhanced knowledge, information access, and adoption of improved agricultural practices. Strengthening extension infrastructure, expanding farmer training, and promoting participatory and digital extension approaches are essential to improving food security and supporting sustainable agricultural development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.