Exploring the Impact of Farmer Field Schools on the Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Farm Production: A Case of Pakistani Citrus Growers

In the wake of recent climate changes, extension services have become crucial drivers in disseminating information about the latest agriculture technologies and facilitating sustainable agricultural productivity. Pakistan's traditional extension cannot yield the expected outcomes which corroborate the introduction of a participatory approach, mainly in farmers' field schools. Using farm-level data from Punjab province, the current study examined the impact of farmers' field schools (FFS) on adopting sustainable agriculture practices (SAPs) and citrus yield. The study employed recursive bivariate probit and propensity score matching to explore the objectives. The findings revealed that FFS participants had a higher SAPs adoption than non-participants, demonstrating the positive impact of FFS on the uptake of SAPs. Moreover, the treatment effect showed that FFS participants had a higher yield than the non-participants. The results suggest strengthening and enhancing FFS reach among citrus growers.

Automated summary

In the wake of recent climate changes, extension services have become crucial in disseminating information and promoting sustainable agricultural productivity. Traditional extension methods in Pakistan have not achieved the expected outcomes, leading to the introduction of participatory approaches such as farmers' field schools. This study examined the impact of farmers' field schools on the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and citrus yield. The findings show that participants of farmers' field schools have a higher adoption rate of sustainable agriculture practices and achieve higher citrus yields compared to non-participants. Strengthening and expanding farmers' field schools among citrus growers is recommended.