Farmers young trees. He can only try to persuade the people who live nearby
 to stop the practice. But the Chief can order them to stop.

 Extension is about persuasion, not direction. It will be rare that you
 will want to call in a Chief to issue orders. Unless the matter is
 something to do with a communal issue like establishing the tree
 nursery, a soil conservation programme or strengthening the
 banks of a river that is liable to flood.
 But the support of the Chief and other members of the local
 administration, like councillors, can be of great assistance in
 getting across the messages of a project. To have him with you at
 field demonstrations gives a credibility and authority to the occa-
 sion; he can also help at barazas in communicating the aims and
 purposes behind your work and relating them to national develop-
 ment policies.
 Out of respect for authority and in recognition of leader-
 ship qualities, farmers will listen to those people in the
 community who carry these ranks or who become natural
 leaders through their example of endeavour and success.
 Effective front-line extension staff enlist the support of
 such influential figures.

 Education and Training
 The more a farmer is exposed to new ideas, the more varied his
 experience and the more developed his skills-the more likely he is
 to accept extension messages. Research shows that a farmer's
 educational background is an influencing factor in his readiness to
 adopt the recommendations of a project.
 A closely allied factor is whether a farmer has another occupation.
 Here, two factors combine to affect the acceptance of innovation.
 Another job means that a person is better educated and of more
 varied experience-it also means that he has more cash at his
 disposal and he is more able to take risks. The research has shown
 that there is an enormous disparity in the income levels of small-
 scale farmers in the project area. Those with the higher levels are
 usually those with off-farm jobs.
 In her research report, Dr Mbula tentatively presents a list of
 characteristics you might look for when selecting contact farmers:
 o more educated;
 a owns land in two or more locations;
 [ with an outside source of income;


Chapter 3