Abstract
This paper examines technological challenges of the agricultural extension in North Gondar Zone of Ethiopia. Understanding technological gaps in public agricultural extension helps to devise demand driven and compatible technologies to existing contexts of farmers. The study used cross sectional survey using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data were generated from primary and secondary sources using household survey from randomly taken households, focus group discussions, key informant interview, observation and review of relevant documents and empirical works. The result of study shows that there are mismatches between needs of smallholders in crop and livestock production and available agricultural technologies delivered by public agricultural extension system. The existing agricultural technologies are limited and unable to meet the diverse needs of farm households. On the other hand, some of agricultural technologies in place are not appropriate to existing context because of top-down recommendations than need based innovation approaches. Key words: Agriculture extension, challenge, mismatch, smallholder, technology.
Highlights
Attaining sustainable agricultural development, which can be able to feed steadily growing population and support emerging industrial development and overall transformation, is possible through promoting technology transfer and adoption, boosting demand driven commercial production, deepening agricultural markets, and improving infrastructure and setting agricultural policies and strategies
The problems of weed, pest control and labor shortage especially during the peak times of weeding and harvesting in the lowlands of the study areas are identified to be the challenges at household level
This study finds that weak agricultural extension system in the study areas and absence of other alternative technologies have resulted in unnecessary or higher cost for smallholder farmers and waste to public institutes due to technological and supply mismatch (Figure 4)
Summary
Attaining sustainable agricultural development, which can be able to feed steadily growing population and support emerging industrial development and overall transformation, is possible through promoting technology transfer and adoption, boosting demand driven commercial production, deepening agricultural markets, and improving infrastructure and setting agricultural policies and strategies. One of the major programs in the rural development in general and agriculture in particular is agricultural extension packages that support promotion of improved agricultural technologies and intensification (Gezahegn et al, 2006). This is expected to boost production and the productivity of smallholders
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