Determining Fruit Producers' Source of Information in Kocaeli And Evaluating It in Terms Of Agricultural Extension

Abstract

In this research, it is aimed to determine fruit producers' source of information benefited in Kocaeli and evaluating it in terms of agricultural extension. The main material of the study has been constituted by original quality data collected from n=150 business enterprises by means of questionnaires determined with purposeful sampling method. Business enterprises and 10% of the fruit producers in villages, which are determined as study areas, have been analyzed by using random sampling method (n=150 business enterprises). With the study carried out, it is determined that there isn't an efficient and conscious fruit production in Kocaeli. It is defined that 86.7% of the producers (farmers) are male, 96.6% of the farmers consist of middleWaged or older people, 54.7% are primary school graduates, 4.7% are illiterate and that 92.7% of them certainly have a social security. It is also found out that mainly indoor gardening and interim agriculture are carried out in the region and the rate of being a Cooperative member is 40%. As for the information source with respect to fruit growing, it is determined that they avail themselves of Provincial and District Directorates of Agriculture extension agents by 48% and of their neighbor's knowledge by 15.3%. It is identified that farmers in Kocaeli do not have enough knowledge about fruit growing and they need information about farming and marketing about which there is a serious lack of education and extension. Therefore, farmer education for fruit growing and marketing should be given importance in the region and extension programs should be developed.