Client’s Perception of Aquaculture Extension Service in a Selected Sub-District of Bangladesh

Abstract

Aquaculture extension, a critical pathway for transferring modern technologies and knowledge to rural farmers, is crucial for food security and the economy of Bangladesh. This study examines the perceived quality of public aquaculture extension services in a selected sub-district of Bangladesh. The SERVPERF scale data were collected based on a seven-point Likert type scale from 230 randomly selected fish farmers who resided in the 15 selected villages under Barishal Sadar upazila (sub-district) of Barishal district. The findings indicate that the aquaculture extension service performs satisfactorily in assurance, responsiveness and tangible dimensions, whereas the performance is relatively low in the dimensions of reliability and empathy. The logistic regression findings confirm that among the dimensions of SERVPERF, responsiveness, reliability and empathy significantly influence the client’s overall satisfaction with the aquaculture extension service. The factor analytic results show that among the 20 statements of SERVPERF, nine statements grouped into three factors can be a viable tool for measuring the quality of aquaculture extension service. This study recommends individualized client care, the development of extension skills and the intention of the extension agents to provide need-based prompt service and to arrange extension programs considering the clients convenience.

J Bangladesh Agril Univ 24(3): 346–354, 2026