Farmers' Response to Agricul Tural Extension Package in RaY Aazebo Woreda of TigrayRegion
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Date
2007-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose oj this study research was to assess the attitudes and response oj
Jarmers to agricultural extension package in Rayaazebo woreda, Agricultural
extension package intervention is an arena oj struggle in which adopt or reject to
the technology inputs such as improved seeds ,chemical Jertilizer , credit, treadle
pumps etc become the a Jocus oj the dynamic interactions among different social
actors.
Both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed to collect data. In other
words, data is collectedJrom key iriformants' interview, Jocus groups discussion and
household survey. This study conducted a survey oj 161 sample rural households
selectedJrom three tabias.
Most oj Jarmers in the study area do not have positive attitude to development agents
in the study areas. About 67 % oj Jarmers do not satisJy Jrom the service given by the
development agents. About 56 % of the respondents reported tha t the transfer of
technology to the community's did not base on the society knowledge and interest.
Improved technology packages h ave not been adequately tested locally before they
are promoted on large scale. In this study, even Jarmers have awareness on the
importance oj Jertilizer, majority Jarmers do not apply in their Jarm lands. Results
show that 86.3 % oj the respondents do no use chemical Jertilizer Jor the last two
years. The main reasons which aifectJor the non-adoption oj Jertilizer in the study
areas are: high price oj Jertilizer, lack oj cash and the presence oj shortage and
unreliable rainJall in the area. Besides this, due to high price oj improved seeds, poor
quality and no yields difference in the improved seeds contributed Jor the low
adoption oj improved seeds in the study area. A result shows that about 62 percent
of sampled household respondents are using local seeds while 29% of the
respondents a re using improved seeds in Rayaazebo. The major source of inigation
in the study area is nver diversion, ponds and well dugs. About 61 %of the
respondents constructed water-harvesting ponds Jor the last three years. However,
about 53 % oj the constructed ponds are either out oj Junction or do not hold water.
The major responsible factors contnbuting to ineffectiveness of the pond to hold
water are problem in site selection, design, leakage, siltition, shortage of
construction matenals. Failure of ponds to hold water in the study area show that
farmers do not participate voluntaIily in planning and implementation. They
constructed the ponds either they are forced by government agents or to get aids
and to participate in food for work (63.6%). Extension contact is an important
instrument for dissemination of agncultural technologies. About 67.2 percent of
farmers' contact with extension agents during extension meeting where as 21.8
percent gets extension service during social gathering. Fourteen percent of the
respondents reported that they diverted thetr loans to other activities than the
onginal stated purpose because the package credit loans do not keep thetr interest.
It was revealed that Jarmers were not passive recipients oj the govemment
intervention intended to improve their lives. Farmer's responses to different extension
packages were mixed: adoption, rejection and transJormation. In study area,
demonstration the practice oj agricultural extension remains based on the top-down
approach. Typically, this approach is linear, rigid, and linked to introduce modem
technology. This linked to the ideas oj achieving planning targets through coercive
persuasion oJJarmers on improved seeds and water harvesting schemes.
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Keywords
Response to Agricul