Abstract:
Sri Lanka is the origin of Cinnamomum zeylanicum also known as Ceylon
cinnamon or „True cinnamon‟. In Sri Lanka, the effectiveness of extension
and advisory services for the cinnamon industry has declined in previous
years, particularly after it was recognized as a new department. This research
sought to investigate the actual need assessment requirement for extension
and advisory services within the cinnamon industry of the Southern Province
by identifying the specific extension and advisory service needs of cinnamon
farmers in the Southern Province, to explore the perceptions and
expectations of cinnamon farmers and extension officers in Southern
province, to analyze the roles, challenges, and capabilities of extension
officers in the cinnamon industry and to propose recommendations for
improving extension and advisory services in the cinnamon industry.
Consequently, the survey was carried out in Southern Province, involving 30
cinnamon farmers who were selected by purposive sampling method.
Additionally, interview information was also collected from the six extension
officers at the Department of Cinnamon Development. The data were
collected through phone-based interviews. The Friedman test and descriptive
tools were used to analyze the data. It was revealed that only 26.7 % of the
farmers had participated in extension services over the two years and the
majority expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of extension services
provided. Farmers revealed the necessity of a higher level of knowledge
regarding animal, pest & disease management (mean rank 2.13). In terms of
extension services, it was found that while there has been a rise in the
delivery of online services (6.67%), farmers still favored the traditional
approach (53.3%) for knowledge transfer, particularly through workshops
and group sessions. Thus, this study emphasizes the need for changes and
reforms in the existing extension system of the cinnamon industry.
