Rural Advisory Services to Improve Food Security in District Sargodha, Pakistan

Abstract

Food insecurity is becoming more alarming for Pakistan due to a range of issues including market instability, climate change, natural disasters and natural calamities. Therefore, rural advisory services to improve food security among the farming community are imperative. The present study was designed to explore various rural advisory service mechanisms for improving food security in the Sargodha district. The sample size of the study was 120 farmers. An interview schedule was used as a research instrument for data collection using the face-to-face interview method. Descriptive statistics; mean, frequencies and percentages were applied to draw results and to interpret. The prominent mode of rural advisory services by the public sector was ‘training program’ whereas for the private sector it was ‘advice on phone’. The public and private sectors should consider diversifying their strategies for the provision of rural advisory services that target improvements in farm production and food security.