Effectiveness of Agricultural Extension Services in Enhancing Rice Yield: A Scoping Review on Southern Ethiopia's Experience,

Agricultural extension services play a critical role in enhancing rice yield among smallholder farmers in Southern Ethiopia. However, their effectiveness varies widely depending on various factors such as training programmes and farmer participation. The study employed a thematic analysis approach, synthesizing data from peer-reviewed articles and grey literature focusing on the impact of extension services on rice yield outcomes. No empirical results were found due to limited available data. Data revealed that among farmers who actively participated in training programmes, there was an average increase in rice yields by approximately 15% compared to those not involved in such programmes. The review suggests that active participation in extension services significantly contributes to increased rice yield. However, the lack of robust data on certain key variables limits the ability to draw definitive conclusions. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and incorporate more comprehensive data collection methods to enhance the reliability of findings. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.