| dc.description.abstract | This study examines the reasons for low
agricultural pro~uctivity among the majority of farm
units in smallholder areas in this country. Available
data indicated that low productivity might result from
the fact that authority was not adequately delegated
to field staff of the Agricultural Extension Service
and of other agencies involved in agricultural
programmes. The underlying argument of decentralization
and hence of this study is that there should be division
of responsibilities between headquaters and the field
administration. The former should make broad policy
decisions related to allocation of scarce resources,
recruitment and training of staff, research, and so
on, while the field administration should shoulder
responsibilities for implementation of programmes.
Where there is such d.ivision of r-esporis lbilities
decisions made at the .Loc al, LeveL "a:r:-e.'liketloY be
adaptable to Lcc al, conelitic:Ds. "T:us could permit efiecti ve
realization of objectives of agricultural programmes
which include more food, incomes and employment
opportunities for rural farm families.
Following this orientation the study examined~
a) the extent to which farm units were productive
and the factors influencing such productivity; b) the
capaci ty of the Agricultural Extension Serv.Lce to
implement its programmes; and c) the extent to which
extension activities of credit administration,
" : I , :
•.•• ,ill
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marke~ing of farm produce, and cooperative development
were liaised with those of extension education and.
hence adaptable to local community conditions.
We concentrated on the Crops Improvement Programme
and collected data in Ikolomani and Lugari divisions of
Kakamega district, Kenya. The latter division is the -..
only settlement area in Kakamega district. We interviewed
farmers , agricultural extension staff and staff of other
agencies involved in this programme. We additionally
collected data from official documents and by the direct
observation method.
We found agricultural productivity to be low on
the majority of farm un.its (65%) in LkoLornan.larea partly
due to failure of farmers in this area to follow extension
..recommendations in improved crop farming. Farm pro ducc.iv,ity
was relatively high on 90% of the farm units in Lugari
area partly due to farmers! observation of extesiQn
recommendations. This in effect meant that while extension
objectives cited above were being met in Lugari area they
were rarely met in Ikolomani area. The age of farmers,
their economic position or thei~ level of education coulJ
not help to explain the vast differences in quality
of husbandry of crops between the two areas. Farmers
in Lugari area did better largely because they were well
knowledgeable about improved crop farming. They did n~t
seem to have acquired this knowl.edge from the then
extension education effo.cts; they had Lar-geLy acquire d
s uc l; kriowl.e dge by virtue of having been progressive i11.
.farming prior to settling in Lugari area c=:'having been
f'arm workers on European farms in this area. The
Agricultural Extension Service had further at the time
o.fsettlement (during 1960s) educated and assisted almost
each and every settler to adopt agricultural innovations.
We found capacity of the Agricultural Extension
Service as measured in terms of density of sta.f.fing,
occupational competence of junior sta.f.fand transportation
arrangements to be low. TLe density o.fstaf.fing was average
compared to that o.fother parts of tbecountry. However,
junior agricultural workers who shouldered the implementation
of the Crops Programme were largely of low educat.Lo na.L
status and less trained; two thirds of them were less
competent. The few of them who were competent tended to
have attended school for more years; quality of training
and length of service had no significant effect on
competence of junior extensionists. Conditions .of work,
such as training and promotion prospects, allowances and
transportation arra11.gementswere unsatisfactory. This
fact together with the fact that senior extension staff
played a leading role in the making of decisions related
to farmer education activities tended to reduce the
motivation of junior ~taff and made them exert less effort
in their work. The latter fact further made extension
education activities to be less ~daptable to local
cOmE~ity conditions and led to low attendance of
vi
agr Lcul. tural courses and farm demonstrations by farmers.
Likewise, the fact that senior staff of other
agencies played a leading role in.the making of decisions
r-eLat ed to credit administration, marketing of farm
produce and cooperative development activities made it
difficult for these activities to be effectively liaised
with those of extension education and for these activities
to be adapted to local conditions. This led to problems
of low rate of repayment of farm credit, dominance of
businessmen in marketing of certain farm products and
failure of nearly 75% of rural farm cooperatives in the
study areas.
This unadaptability of extension activities
accounted for 101'] productivity of majority of farm un i.t s
in Ikolomani area.' The historical situation in Lugari
area rather than the then current extension efforts
acccurrt ed for the relatively high productivity of most
farm units in tills area. | en |
