Farmer‐extension agent knowledge alignment and extension effectiveness in postharvest management: Evidence from Ghana

Abstract This study assesses the effectiveness of agricultural extension systems in Ghana by examining knowledge alignment between agricultural extension agents (AEAs) and farmers in postharvest management practices (PHMPs) for maize ( Zea mays ) and cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz). Primary data were collected from 18 AEAs and 363 farmers within their extension coverage in the Amansie West and Sekyere East districts of the Ashanti Region. Descriptive statistics, chi‐square/Fisher's exact tests, and ordinary least squares regression were employed to evaluate knowledge adequacy and the relationship between AEAs’ and farmers’ knowledge. The results reveal gaps in extension effectiveness, with AEAs demonstrating lower levels of postharvest knowledge adequacy than the farmers they serve. Farmers identified AEAs and fellow farmers as their main sources of PHMP information, highlighting the importance of multiple knowledge channels. Knowledge alignment was observed between AEAs and cassava farmers in Sekyere East ( p = 0.374), whereas significant misalignment existed between AEAs and maize farmers in Amansie West ( p = 0.010). Regression results indicate a weak positive relationship between AEAs’ and farmers’ knowledge but show that reliance on both AEAs and fellow farmers significantly improves farmers’ knowledge adequacy. The findings underscore the need to strengthen extension systems through enhanced AEA training and by promoting collaborative, peer‐based learning approaches. Overall, the study provides empirical support for interactive, multi‐actor extension models, suggesting that knowledge in agricultural systems is cocreated rather than linearly transferred.