Full Length Research Paper

Farmers training programme of Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research: An appraisal

Tsion Tesfaye¹*, Ranjan S. Karippai¹ and Teklu Tesfaye²

¹Haramaya University, College of Agriculture, Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, P. O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.

²Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Research and Extension Division, P. O. Box 1234, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: tsdanatan@yahoo.com. Tel.: 251 256 663587.

Accepted 18 April, 2009

   Abstract

A large number of high yielding crop varieties, management practices, and other technologies have been generated by Holetta, Debre Zeit and Melkassa Research Centres. While the core functions of Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) are technology supply; popularization; national coordination and capacity building and policy development; the research and extension division of EIAR is responsible for catalyzing scaling up and scaling out technologies. Training of farmers, deve-lopment agents, and other extension staff has been an important component of this task. This study was undertaken to appraise the status of EIAR’s farmers training approach. One wereda was purposely selected in the localities where each one of the three research centres has operated over the last seve-ral years. Equal numbers of respondents were selected and qualitative and quantitative data were col-lected from each centre. Primary and secondary data were also gathered using structured and informal interviews and analyzed. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as frequency, percentage and chi-square test. The result of study shows that the most important problems identified in the training process were absence of training need assessment, shortage of training time, and too much theory during training and limited use of indigenous knowledge. Therefore, it is recom-mended that, during training process all the three research centres should include training need asses-sment which is the first steps in designing a training and development program.

Key words: Onion, durum wheat, potato, extension package, training, farmers, research centre.