Major Factors Influencing Farmers' Participation in Skill Training Ph.Ogram in Assosa Zone
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2010-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main abjective of this research was to investigate the major factors influencing
farmers ' participation in the training program given at FTCs. It was also intended to
examine the current status offarmers ' participation in the training program. To achieve
this, the survey research design was used. The data were collected through the
questionnaire, semi-structured interview and FGDs. The participants were 128 trainee
farmers, 21 facilitators' and sLy key informants. To select the respondent groups, simple
randolll, availability and pU/posive sampling techniques were used. Frequencies,
percentages and means, correlation, factor analysis, multiple regressions and MannWhitney
U- test were used as statistical tools to analyze the data. Based on the analyses,
the main f indings of the study revealed that the lIIajority of the farmers were not involved
in the training program development. 771e study also showed that farmers' low
participation was determined by synergistic action of multiple obstacles. Institutional
factors such as inappropriateness to the needs of farme rs, distance of the FTCs, lack of
facilit ies, and incompetent facilit ators; socio-cultural factors such as farmers ' lillie
awareness and low expectations; and structural factors include central planning system
and ,veak local institutional capacity were the major limiting factors included in the
study. From the abave findings, it could be concluded that due to the collective influence
of these factors, the whole process of the training program development was not
participatOlY. Thus, it has been suggested that motivated and competent extension
personnel, pre-service and onjob training for facilitators, and a continuous awareness
creation are timely essential.
Description
Keywords
Major Factors Influencing Farmers'