A extensão rural na perspectiva de agricultores assentados do Pontal do Paranapanema – SP

The policy of São Paulo State Government rural settlements, conducted by the Itesp Foundation, has its own technical assistance and rural extension service, brainstormed to attend its public specific deman- ds. This article seeks to check if Itesp’s rural extension program satisfies its settled beneficiaries and if social-economic characteristics interfere in this individual judgment. The research was drawn at Santa Rosa and Rancho Grande settlements, Holy Rose and Big Ranch, respectively, both located at Paranapanema Pontal – SP, Unfortunate River Branch, ac- cording to native language. At first interviews concerning quality were conducted amongst settlers, selected intentionally to obtain evaluation parameters of ATER’s service. Elaborated with these results, a direct and objective questionnaire was applied to a larger random sample, from which individual appreciations were attained. The statistical analysis of multiple correspondences, followed by ascendant hierarchic classifi- cation, indicated the existence of seven homogenous settler groups, de- monstrating the influence of social-economic traits in individual ratin- gs. The existence of settlers both satisfied and unsatisfied with ATER’s service was noticed, which demands more flexible approaches by the Foundation towards divergent beneficiaries.