Abstract
The research aims to identify the role of agricultural extension centers in rural development in Iraq from the viewpoint of those working in, by identifying the degree to which agricultural extension centers play their role in rural development in the extension, economic and social fields. The degree to which these centers played their role in each of the aforementioned fields of rural development was determined and the items of these fields are arranged. The research community included (113) agricultural engineers and extensions working in the agricultural extension training centers in the country of (16) extension centers, except for the governorates of the Kurdistan region. The results showed the agreement the views of most the respondents that the extension centers in Iraq play a major and effective role in rural development through carrying out tasks and works in all fields of studied rural development (in general). Likewise, most of the respondents views agreed that the economic field comes at the forefront of these fields and the social field came in the second rank, whereas the extension field came in the last rank. In the researcher’s conclusions, he recommends the necessity of the continuity and support of the Ministry of Agriculture and those in charge of the extension apparatus in Iraq for extension centers due to the importance of its role in agricultural and rural development.
