Agricultural Extension Worker Training Needs Survey. The Case Of Irrigation Schemes In The Midlands Province Of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Agricultural extension plays a very important role in improving crop production at the extension worker/ farmer inter-face on smallholder irrigation schemes through the provision of technical and advisory services. In the study 71% of the extension workers had a formal training at National Certificate level, while 28 % was at Certificate and Diploma levels. Very limited and relevant on the job training was provided to the resident extension workers in the last five to ten years. Twenty-eight percent of extension workers received no training at all, forty-three percent received training in technical and relevant courses while the remaining twenty-eight percent received training in one relevant and one non-relevant course. Out of a combined list of thirteen pest and diseases mostly found in horticultural crops, one maize pest (Busseola fusca) was known to all respondents, five pests and diseases were known by some extension workers, while the control of eight pests and diseases that included early blight (Alternari solani), late blight (Phytophtora infestans), bean stem maggot (Ophiamyia spp), fruit fly (Dacus spp) and Red Spider mite (Tetranychus spp) were completely unknown to all the respondents. Extension workers indicated a need for training in technical subjects like pest and disease identification and control to close the knowledge gap in order to facilitate provision of effective extension services to farmers.