55 IRRN 28.2 Socioeconomics Launched in 1997, the rice yaya (tract) demonstration program aimed to determine how farmers’ rice yields could be further im- proved. The program involves extension activities to promote integrated crop management and the use of good-quality seeds and to provide credit and training fa- cilities in selected locations across several districts in Sri Lanka. This study evaluated the impact of the rice yaya demonstration program on rice production. A field inves- tigation was undertaken in one of the dry-zone rice-growing dis- tricts of southern Sri Lanka, Hambantota. Field work was carried out in the irrigated areas of Hambantota District. Two farmer Yield performance under the rice yaya demonstration program in Sri Lanka: a case study U. P.N.S. Pathirana and M. Wijeratne, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Sri Lanka Table 1.Yield performance of selected farms in Hambantota District, 1998-2000. Highest Av yield Av yield Yield Season a grain yield (participating (nonparticipating difference (participating farms) farms) farms) (t ha –1 ) Yala (1998) 7.5 5.9 4.2 1.7 Maha (1998/99) 9.7 5.9 4.0 1.9 Yala (1999) 7.5 5.3 3.2 2.1 Maha (1999/2000) 7.9 5.9 3.2 2.7 a Yala = dry season from April to August. Maha = wet season from October to February. Table 2. Yields obtained by participants and nonparticipants, 2001 yala. % of participants % of Yield range nonparticipants (t ha –1 ) Before After program program 3.90–4.12 20 0 0 4.13–5.15 35 10 18 5.16–6.18 5 22 47 6.19–7.22 5 22 47 7.23–8.24 5 35 8 8.25–9.27 0 5 2 categories in the tract program, participants and nonparticipants (40 each), were interviewed at the end of the 2001 yala (dry) season (Apr-Aug). Current and past yield data were recorded. Table 1 shows the yield performance in the past seasons of both partici- pants and nonparticipants. During the past four sea- sons, the average yields obtained by program participants were higher than those of nonpartici- pants; the yield difference was more than 1.5 t ha –1 . A comparison of the yield performance before and after the program indicated a shift to higher yield categories. In fact, the two upper yield categories (7.23 t ha –1 and above) were rep- resented by 40% of the farmers after implementation of the pro- gram. Furthermore, none of the farmers had yields between 3.09 and 4.12 t ha –1 . Before the tract program, only 5% of the farmers were in the two highest yield cat- egories, while 20% were in the lowest category. This implies that 40% of the program participants were in the two upper yield cat- egories, in contrast to only 10% of the nonparticipants. The study reveals that the extension program has made a positive impact on overall rice yield. The accelerated Mahaweli Devel- opment Program is a major agri- cultural development effort for the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Through its agricultural exten- Agricultural extension and farmer needs for technology W.D.N.R. Prasad and M. Wijeratne, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Sri Lanka sion component, innovations were introduced to rice farmers in the area. This study aimed to evaluate how effectively the ag- ricultural extension system has introduced technologies to meet actual needs of farmers. This study was carried out in Tambuttegame in the Mahaweli H Zone. One hundred