The Agricultural Extension Agents Influence on the Uptake of Improved Sorghum Technologies in Embu County, Kenya

Abstract

The agricultural extension agents play important role in facilitating and guiding farmers towards implementing various agricultural value chain technologies. However, despite the availability of extension agents and improved agricultural technologies, there is minimal corresponding uptake and output on the farmers' farms. The current study therefore assessed the influence of extension agents on the uptake of improved sorghum technologies in Embu County, Kenya. The study sampled 51 government and private extension agents from four villages. Data was collected on the agent's socioeconomic characteristics and extension, techniques. The study revealed that 65% of the respondents were male and had acquired education up to tertiary level. Further, the agents had acquired over twelve years work experience in disseminating various agricultural technologies. The study findings indicated that majority 73% of the agents disseminated technologies through farm visits, demonstrations, and agricultural shows visits and through radio technologies. There was an association (x 2 =96.7) between the extension agents and agents work experience with the work experience enhancing the uptake of improved sorghum technologies by farmers. Further, the work experience significantly (p≤0.00) influenced disseminating of the improved sorghum technologies among farmers. It was concluded that agents' gender, work experience, demonstrations techniques and farm visits, agricultural shows method complemented agents' work in disseminating the improved sorghum technologies among farmers.

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