Abstract—This study aimed to determine the extension services’ needs of small farmers in Biliran, Philippines. It also sought to find out other issues/concerns of the small farmers. Extension services’ needs of small farmers were gathered through personal interviewing and observational analysis of 100 randomly-selected small farmers in Biliran, Philippines. Biliran small farmers extension services’ needs include: raising fruits, raising legumes, raising vegetables, raising swine, raising cattle, and raising chicken (as priority broad skills). For the specific skills, diagnosing symptoms on fertilizer deficiencies, controlling plant pests and diseases, diagnosing signs on specific pest and disease damage, controlling animal pests and diseases, and doing artificial insemination, were the priority skills. They considered on-farm trial of new technology as most needed coupled with industry and quality-orientedness, as positive behaviors needed in farming success. The farmers still adhere to the so-called wait-and-see attitude, thus they are more convinced to follow a particular technology if they see a concrete result of the introduced changes. Technical needs prioritization of Biliran small farmers showed that they have a real need for crop and animal production skills to include the other issues/concerns. Equipping the small farmers with the basic skills in crop and animal production would make them more technically independent. This is along taking cognizance of relevant issues and concerns affecting them. Extension service program planning for small farmers should be patterned after their technical needs giving due attention to some issues/concerns so that extension work could deliver the right skills for the right needs of the farmers. 
 

Index Terms—extension service program, information, information needs, marginal farmers

Cite: Mario C. Nierras, "Extension Services’ Needs of Small Farmers in Biliran, Philippines," Journal of Advanced Agricultural Technologies, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 146-149, June 2016. Doi: 10.18178/joaat.3.2.146-149