Barriers to Privatization of Agricultural Extension in Khuzestan Province, Iran

The agricultural extension system in the country is facing challenges and shortcomings due to issues related to the provision of services by the public sector. These challenges highlight the need to review the pattern of agricultural service delivery by the public sector to create the conditions for greater private sector participation. But before entering the process of privatization and huge costs in this sector, it is necessary to identify the existing barriers and in the first step to remove the barriers, then in the second step to implement it to plan and take practical action. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers to privatization of agricultural extension in rural areas of northern Khuzestan Province. Based on the results, it was found that the most important barriers to the implementation of privatization of agricultural extension were economic, social and cultural barriers with an explanatory power of 57% of the changes in the barriers to privatization of agricultural extension in rural areas of northern Khuzestan Province.