Key words: Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), agriculture, modeling

Abstract

In the process of integration with European structures, agricultural extension in Poland is facing extremely demanding challenges, since its functions, responsibilities and organisation, and consequently directions of development, are strictly connected with the development of the whole economy. An experience from European Union member countries shows that agricultural extension has been the driving force of modernisation-oriented transformations in agriculture. The study presents results of research on the current scope of agricultural extension, its degree of convergence with the needs and expectations of farmers, assessment of extension forms and methods; some directions for extension development are also proposed. The AHP mathematical and psychological method, applied for the first time in extension studies, has permitted different qualitative forms of extension to be examined in a mathematical model. On this basis, priorities have been proposed for the developed extension variants, the highest of which were noted for: autonomous extension, partially autonomous and state extension.

INTRODUCTION

Every human activity consists of examining alternatives and making decisions. With changes in the surrounding environment, growth in living standards, broad dissemination of information and new technologies, economic development, growth in education levels, law improvements, development in agriculture, agricultural extension, etc., it is more and more necessary to make attempts to scientifically approach the process of decision making, in other words rational problem solving. The science of decision making is also required in agricultural extension to pursue its goals – greater agricultural effectiveness and profitability, its better measurability in a very competitive environment. The number and type of organizational, economic and managerial decisions has dramatically grown with economic development and progress in preparation for the integration with the European Union. Decision making is scientific transformation and a relation of data about the world to our system of values, in a way letting us take necessary action to satisfy our needs and aspirations. Intellectually, it is a huge package of information and knowledge collected from experience and from simple observations, how to creatively think about the surrounding world.