Capacity Building For Agricultural Extension Officers To Disseminate Research Results: A Key To Sustainable Farming In South Africa

Abstract

Agricultural extension officers and small scale farmers in South Africa are at the fore front of food production. This paper seeks to address environmental issues in small scale farming and to close the gap between scientific literatures in agriculture, agricultural extension officers and low education-level of the small scale farmers. Majority of diploma holders amongst the Agricultural extension officers were not opportune to go to the University and thus never had an experience in scientific researches. Agricultural research has been done for many years but only few of the outputs have been transferred to farmers through the Agricultural extension officers. Demonstration plots in various rural community farms by extension officers can be a good tool to draw farmer's interest and attention to good agricultural practices. Keywords: Scientific agricultural research, Small scale farmers. Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 2 (2) 2006: pp. 35-40