Extension: The ups and Downs.

During the past one year, I have been involved in training of farmer groups on organic
farming techniques with KIOF. Some of the outstanding factors which have contributed
to adoption include farmers seeing the success on other farms. This we do by taking
farmers for exchange visits to farms where the techniques are already practiced. This was
also evident where in one of the groups (Baraka group), 6 neighbors adopted even
without training. After last year’s rain failure, the neighbors noticed one of the Baraka
group members had harvested some maize since she practiced the water saving technique
on her farm, whereas there was a total crop failure on his farm. In the following season
(April 2009) the neighbors did not ask how the member had done but only went ahead
and dug holes the way they could observe from far. When the Baraka members realized
this, they called the neighbors and taught them how to do it. The farmers were able to get
some yield, the poor rains not withstanding. The neighbors also joined the group. In other
areas where I have been able to set demonstration gardens, adoption rate is higher than
where demo plots are not set. In other words farmers want to first see an innovation at
work before they transfer to their farms due to fear of the unknown.
Personal experiences by some farmers do help change perception by others. I was
involved in survey where we were looking at rice straw utilization options in rice
growing scheme. Most farmers believed that the use of straw as compost or mulch
attracted pests, diseases and rodents. Confession by one of the farmers who explained
how he was able to reduce input costs and get rice grain with higher density after the use
of compost made the others reconsider their stand and were able to start composting of
the rice straw. Another factor is when farmers are in a group and have something else in
common e.g. merry go round as is the case with (Baraka group). The dropout’s are few if
any since they use money generated from sale of vegetables from their demonstration
garden to buy chicken and goats for their members hence the group is vibrant.
Hindering factors include:
Illiteracy which is rampant in rural areas ensures most trainings are for the elite which
means most of the elite’ jumps from one seminar to the next and rarely do they train
others, much to the peril of the illiterate. Cultural beliefs also contribute negatively to
project implementation. I witnessed a project fail simply because the farmers were given
cocks to upgrade their local chicken. But traditionally, only a cock owned by the head of
the family was supposed to crow in the household. As a result 78%of the cocks were
slaughtered before dawn of the first day to avoid a curse. In Kenya there are other tribes
who believe that an old man cannot be taught anythingof importance by a younger person
than him. This means you can spend a whole week training farmers but most of them
don’t take you seriously. They will only be present for training allowances, if available.
In conclusion, some initiatives will be picked and others rejected simply on basis of
cultural inclination. Also target group will determine adoption, techniques which require
heavy labour may only be picked by youths. The old may be willing but energy may fail
them e.g. double digging techniques.
There are very important experience which can teach other extensionists the importance
of their clientele’s opinion and cultural diversity, to emphasize that there is no one- fits-
all solution in extension.
The experiences also stress the importance of participatory approach in projects.