Field Experience Of Agricultural Communication Methods And Attitudes Toward The New Trends In Extension

The role of agricultural extension is always a hot topic and under debate for all agricultural specialists, simply because of its vital role in implementing the agricultural policies and rural development, because it is the linkage between the rural community and the organizations involved in rural development and agricultural sector in both farming and non-farming perspectives. The importance of agricultural extension is remarkable in both developed and developing countries, but in the second type the role and concepts of extension are a way far from the new techniques applies in the first type. This research is divided to two basic sections; each is divided to two sub-categories as follows:The first part is dedicated to communication methods, agricultural extension methods, with two sub-categories. First sub-category addresses the level of usage and importance of different types of the available methods based on real experience of agricultural extension officers, working in Latakia city in Syria.So this work will cover (19) communication tools that belong to mass, group and individual methods; in numbers (7,8,4) methods respectively, while the second sub-category identifies the constraints belong to usage of communication methods and the provision of advisory services.The second part is dedicated to new trends in global economy in terms of its influence on agriculture and rural development, with two sub-categories. First sub-category addresses the attitude of extensionists toward those trends which are in order Globalization, Privatization, Pluralism, Decentralization, Reform and information and communication technologies (ICTs), while the second sub-category identifies the information resources about these new approaches.Being a part of this rapidly changing world, makes it crucial to all scholars and governments, particularly in developing countries, to asses and evaluate the current situation periodically as a tool of improving the current techniques and adopting the modern approaches, in a way that support the national development generally, and the agricultural one particularly.The main findings of this research are:Extension staff lacks to sufficient training in qualitatively and quantitatively with social and economic constraints, which makes a reform of the current system a must to overcome insufficiencies in different areas.