This study mainly aimed to identify the role of agricultural extension in improving marketing services for artichoke farmers in Matrouh Governorate. Village (28) was chosen in the north Banger region, which is one of the main villages for growing the artichoke crop. Research data was collected through a personal interview questionnaire from the respondents grandom sample of (100) farmers.
The statistical methods were percentages, frequency tables, arithetic mean, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, partial regression coefficient, multiple step regression. The most important research results were as follows:
The results of the study showed that about half of the surveyed farmers (51%) have an average level of knowledge regarding agricultural practices related to the cultivation and production of artichoke crops and that about half of the surveyed farmers (52%) have an average degree of extension role in improving marketing services for the surveyed farmers. The Results of the study also showed that the independent variables that were significantly related to the role of agricultural extension in improving marketing services for artichoke farmers as a dependent variable at a level of significance (0.01) were: age, educational level, and per-acre production, enrollment in training courses, sources of agricultural information on the production and marketing of the artichoke crop and reducing its losses, exposure to extension methods in the field of marketing the artichoke crop, and exposure to extension services and benefiting from them in the field of marketing the artichoke crop, and the knowledge level of farmers about the technical recommendations related to the artichoke crop, and extension needs. For the farmers in question in marketing the artichoke crop and reducing its losses. Also, the independent variables that were significantly related to the role of agricultural extension in improving marketing services to the artichoke crop farmers as a dependent variable at a significance level (0.05) were:
The agricultural land holding capacity, the numbers of years of experience in cultivating the artichoke crop, and decision-making in cultivating and marketing the artichoke crop. It was also shown that the educational level, production per acre, sources of agricultural information about the production and marketing of the artichoke crop and reducing its losses, and exposure to extension methods in the field marketing the artichoke crop, exposure to extension services and benefiting from them in the field of marketing the artichoke crop, level knowledge of farmers about the technical recommendations related to the artichoke crop, and the guidance needs of the farmers studied in marketing the artichoke crop and reducing its losses, it is responsible for explaining (71%) of the total variance in the role of agricultural extension in improving marketing services for artichoke farmers as a dependent variable, as the value of the coefficient of determination (R2) was (0.71), and the value of (F) calculated for the multiple regression significance test was (21,762), which is a statistically significant value at the probability level (0.01).
It became clear from the results of the study that the most important problems facing farmers when growing artichoke crops were: high fertilizer prices (100%), commercial adulteration of pesticides (97%), high pesticide prices (94%), lack of trained workers and their high wages (91%), lack of timely availability of fertilizers and pesticides, especially snail pesticides (88%).
It became clear from the results of the study that the most important solutions to the problems facing farmers when growing artichoke crops, from their point of view, were: developing high-yielding, high-quality, disease-resistant varieties (89%), establishing artichoke collection stations in production sites (83%), and regular irrigation shifts at intervals.
intervals Short (51%), providing fertilizers, especially nitrogenous and fortified fertilizers, necessary for artichokes (47%), and planting at the appropriate time (42%).It became clear from the results of the study that the most important problems facing the crop when marketing the artichoke crop were: unfair bargaining in the monetary value of the crop between the merchant and the producer after its delivery (97%), the delay in receiving the crop by the merchants (91%), and the control of brokers and intermediaries over the markets (85%), high brokers' commission rate (74%), and low selling price (68%).Also It became clear from the results of the study that the most important solution to the problems facing farmers when marketing the artichoke crop, from their point of view, was: the intervention of agricultural associations to help farmers find other places to collect artichokes in the same places of production to provide an opportunity for the farmer to market his crop himself (100%), and to provide loans. Limited concessionary interest by agricultural associations to help farmers (41%), eliminating intermediaries in marketing the crop by dealing with the source directly (38%), activating pre-determined contract farming (24%), and setting the price of artichokes by the exporter directly to the farmer without an intermediary (15%).
• The research ended with a number of recommendations derived from its results.