The Use of Publicly-funded Extension Services in Australia

A survey of farm operators in the Australian state of Victoria has shown a high degree of contact between government employed Extension agents and the farming community, despite the contracting resources available for government Extension services. The high rate of farmer contact reflects a farming community that is smaller than a decade earlier and more active in its search for information. While individual farmers had a small demand for environmental information, there was an increasing focus on, and demand for, Extension services to farmer conservation groups.