Influence of public agricultural extension on technology adoption by small-scale farmers in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of challenges facing Zimbabwe’s extension services and how these have affected the adoption of technologies they render to small-scale farmers. This study uses a critical review of relevant literature on Zimbabwe’s primary public extension agency (AGRITEX). Additionally, 21 key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted to corroborate data collected in secondary research on extension approaches currently in use, the key factors affecting technology adoption, and the technology adoption process of small-scale farmers. The study found AGRITEX’s major challenges to be poor funding, poor remuneration and incentives for extension personnel, lack of in-service training, lack of appropriate technology, as well as poor operational resources like transport to reach all farmers. Consequently, services offered to small-scale farmers were compromised, which led to poor adoption of recommended technologies. Furthermore, the study determined that key factors influencing technology adoption are related to the farmers’ circumstances, the operating environment, and the attributes of technology itself. As a lasting solution to poor technology adoption, an adaptive extension system that promotes building the capacity of extension workers and researchers, as well as embracing farmers and their indigenous knowledge, is proposed.

Evaluation of the Role of Small-Scale Farmers in Soil and Water Conservation Management in the Context of Climate Change

“…Lack of access to agricultural information, particularly farm management information, is a common characteristic of small-scale farmers [22,23]. In Zimbabwe, they are particularly reliant on extension workers, other farmers through their farmers' clubs and, to a small extent, radio [18,22,23].…”

“…Most small-scale farmers depend on their own indigenous knowledge generated through many years of farming experience in their own communities to guide crop Evaluation of the Role of Small-Scale Farmers in Soil and Water Conservation Management… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108889 management decisions [18,22,23,25] (Table 2). Although reliable, indigenous knowledge keeps farmers operating at low levels of productivity [11].…”

“…Lack of access to credit is the most critical resource constraint to small-scale farmers [11,22,23]. The majority of small-scale farmers are unable to access credit from banks and micro-credit firms due to lack of collateral [3].…”

Curriculum reform in agricultural vocational education and training in Zimbabwe: Implementation challenges and possibilities

“…At the micro level, the financial challenges faced by the state universities have adversely affected their investment in facilities, equipment and training materials. The lack of proper investment in agricultural research and education and the remuneration of staff has in turn affected the retention of highly skilled scientists (Masere & Worth, 2021). One female AEO noted that when resources are scarce, male AEOs are prioritised in the allocation of motorbikes.…”

“…Curricula have been slow to respond to new trends such as precision agriculture, to the adoption of remote sensing and also to the use of geographic information systems (GIS) (Lele & Goswami, 2017). In fact, the adoption of technology has become a key enabler in the dissemination of agricultural knowledge and practices by farmers and extension officers (Ismoilov, 2021;Masere & Worth, 2021); this means that their inclusion in Agriculture degree and diploma programmes has become essential. Besides, recent studies have revealed that technology is an important tool with which to encourage engagement among the current generation of students, including motivating learners to enrol in programmes and to encourage student retention (Bond & Bedenlier, 2019).…”