Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the socioeconomic factors influencing farmer participation in the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) program in Bahari Locality of Kharoum State, Sudan. Eighty farmers were selected randomly and interviewed for this study where Frequency distribution and multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. The study findings indicate that more than 95.0% of respondents were economically active, 88.7% had formal education, 83.0% managed their own farm and 86.3% were currently married. Multiple regressions revealed that the level of participation in FFS was significantly associated with education, farm ownership, farm size, and the period of residency. In addition, the data showed that the level of application of received agricultural innovations was significantly associated with education level, farm ownership, farm size, and total income. The study recommended some interventions to improve and develop the practices and approach of the FFS approach.
Highlights
Agricultural extension has long been seen as a key element in improving agricultural development
Respondents’ Socioeconomic characteristics Table 1 indicates that more than 95% of respondents were economically active; they were between 20 and 49 years of age; 88.7% were educated at different levels, while only 11.3% had no formal education
In Uganda, Davis et al (2010) found that land size was positively related to participation in Farmer Field Schools (FFS)
Summary
Agricultural extension has long been seen as a key element in improving agricultural development. The effectiveness of two dominant approaches to agricultural extension services—training and visit (T&V) and Farmer Field Schools (FFS)—has been widely debated (Larsen and Lilleor 2014). There are many agricultural extension approaches commonly used in Sudan: traditional approach, training and visit system, integrated rural development approach, commodity approach, agricultural extension through universities, and the farmers’ field schools (El-Hassan, 2011). The farmers’ field schools approach is another, more recent tool developed to improve farmers’ livelihoods. It involves seasonlong, field-based groups of 25 to 30 farmers who meet regularly to learn through innovation and experience. Its participatory approach gives farmers an opportunity to make choices in methods of production through discovery-based learning tools (Alsadding, 2010). FFSs were intended to reach out to marginalized groups who might not have access to training, knowledge
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