Abstract
Agricultural extension work in Ethiopia began in 1931 with the establishment of the Ambo Agricultural School which is one of the oldest institutions and the first agricultural high school offering general education with major emphasis on agriculture. In the recent development of the Ethiopian Agricultural Extension System, the participatory approach is complemented by a scaling“-up” of technologies or the establishing of best practice for technology transfer at larger scales. Agricultural extension staffs are involved in multiple activities of agriculture and rural development. In Ethiopia, for example, the goal of extension goes beyond implementing the national agricultural development goals of achieving food security, improving rural livelihoods, and Natural Resource Management (NRM). In many countries of the world, agricultural extension services had been transformed from training and dissemination of specific innovations to farmers’ group formation and partnership-building with various service providers such as credit institutions. In Ethiopia, despite the massive amount of resources being put into the system by the state, the agricultural extension system faces a number of serious challenges. Improving access to agricultural inputs and technologies that assist farmers in boosting production are among opportunities of Ethiopian agricultural extension system. Agricultural extension service could be the government agency or ministry responsible for promoting the adoption and utilization of new scientific farming practices through educational procedures.
Highlights
Agricultural extension work in Ethiopia began in 1931 with the establishment of the Ambo Agricultural School which is one of the oldest institutions and the first agricultural high school offering general education with major emphasis on agriculture
In the recent development of the Ethiopian Agricultural Extension System, the participatory approach is complemented by a scaling“-up” of technologies or the establishing of best practice for technology transfer at larger scales
This study has identified some of the roles, challenges and opportunities of agricultural extension service
Summary
Agricultural extension work in Ethiopia began in 1931 with the establishment of the Ambo Agricultural School which is one of the oldest institutions and the first agricultural high school offering general education with major emphasis on agriculture. Ethiopian agricultural extension approach has been changing over time [2]. In the recent development of the Ethiopian Agricultural Extension System, the participatory approach is complemented by a scaling“-up” of technologies or the establishing of best practice for technology transfer at larger scales. In spite of the reforms, implementation of agricultural extension in Ethiopia still features the classical model of technology transfer adopted in the past. Farmers are compelled to adopt new practices recommended as “onesize-fits-all” often with little consideration of socio-economic and biophysical variations across the country which is contradictory to the “best-fits” approach to agricultural advisory services (AAS) [3]. A persistent problem that faced the Ethiopian agricultural extension is a failure to distinguish between behavioral change through “coercion”, and “voluntary” action [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
