Factors Influencing Supplementary Extension Service Provision by Agricultural Cooperatives in Kazungula District, Zambia

This study examined the factors influencing supplementary extension service provision by agricultural cooperatives in Kazungula District of Zambia. Six out of sixteen cooperatives were purposively selected and 142 respondents were proportionately random sampled from the selected cooperatives. Data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The study found that public extension was still the major extension service source in the study area followed by agricultural cooperatives and non-governmental organisation. Study revealed that 57.7 percent of the respondents indicated that local agricultural cooperatives supplemented extension services. The study found that more than half of the respondents had negative attitudes toward agricultural cooperative services and at least half of the respondents showed low participation in agricultural cooperative activities. The binary logistic regression analysis shows that credit, share capital, cooperative office distance, maize area planted and maize yield were significantly influencing supplementary extension service provision by agricultural cooperatives in the study area. Therefore, as a recommendation, different support institutions should consider favourable financing options and capacity building of active and viable agricultural cooperatives.