Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the extension practitioners' demonstration of professional competencies in extension service delivery to small-holder farmers in the Thulamela municipality. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design. The assessment was conducted by soliciting the views of 80 crop and animal farmers in the municipality who were serviced by extension practitioners that had undergone professional capacity training since the implementation of the extension recovery plan (ERP). These farmers were purposely selected for this assessment. The findings showed that extension practitioners improved in their demonstration of professionalism in the eight key areas of service delivery investigated following the capacity training they had received. Extension practitioners' professionalism in extension service delivery significantly improved following capacity training in selected competency areas since the implementation of the extension recovery plan. The training provided since the implementation of the ERP appears to be making a positive contribution to improving the professionalism of extension practitioners' delivery of extension services to small-holder farmers in the area where the study was conducted and, therefore, in Limpopo province. The significance of the findings in this study is that it adds to the existing literature on the positive influence of training on performance in the job situation.

Key words: Capacity training, competence, competency demonstration, extension recovery plan, professionalism, norms and standards.