Assessment of the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education's (SAFE) training program in Mali: Graduates' perceptions of the training's impact as well as opportunities and constraints related to Supervised Enterprise Projects (SEPs)

Scope and Method of Study: The sample for this descriptive study included 50 mid-career Extension professionals who had completed the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE) training program in the Republic of Mali (West Africa). The study assessed perceptions of SAFE graduates regarding the training's impact on their professional performance and related behaviors of the graduates' clients. The study followed a triangulation mixed methods design (Creswell, 2005), which included using a survey instrument and conducting semi-structured focus group interviews to collect data.Findings and Conclusions: Most of the study participants were Muslim males who averaged nearly 47 years of age and 17 years of experience in Extension. Participants served in seven of the eight administrative regions of Mali and in the District of Bamako. Seven-in-ten participants had entered the SAFE training program with a Technician degree and specialization in Agriculture. Participants perceived the training had a significant impact on their overall professional competence, and that the knowledge they acquired increased their effectiveness and satisfied their training needs. All of the graduates were upgraded to an advanced job category after completing the training. Nearly two-thirds indicated they observed changes in their clients' practices attributed to the SAFE training. Significant associations and relationships (p < .05) between selected personal and professional characteristics of graduates, between their characteristics and selected perceptions, as well as between their selected perceptions were revealed. Male graduates were significantly more likely to still be Extension educators. In addition, graduates overall satisfaction with their SAFE training experience was significantly related to their willingness to encourage a colleague to participate in the training. Qualitative findings revealed that the graduates' experiences with Supervised Enterprise Projects (SEPs) overall was positive and useful. However, some issues and concerns regarding SEPs emerged, including cost, supervision, as well as standards regarding project reporting and thesis writing

Extension Services for Livestock Keepers in Low-Income Countries—A Low Priority?

Simple Summary Animal-source foods are an important dietary complement to the calories in staple food, but in low-income countries, productivity on the smallholder farms that provide most of the domestic food supply is low. The general objective of this survey-based study was to contribute to effective integration of livestock issues in agricultural extension and advisory programs within the framework of sustainable food and nutrition security in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Benin. The findings show that despite the equal importance given by farmers to animal and plant production, livestock production appears to be disadvantaged in terms of access to extension services and new technology compared with plant production, even though many farmers are willing to pay for this service if available. Furthermore, livestock farming is facing constraints related to feeding, health, and reproduction, limiting development of the sector. Based on this study, we recommend that agricultural extension programs be planned in a holistic context, taking into account the major concerns of farmers, with technological packages in integrated crop-livestock systems. Achievement of sustainable agricultural development and national food security in Africa is dependent on several factors, including productivity in the livestock production sub-sector. This study surveyed farmers' perceptions on provision of extension services relating to livestock production in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Benin. A structured questionnaire comprising dichotomous, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions was used to survey a total of 1560 farmers in Burkina Faso, 345 in Mali, and 480 in Benin. Most farmers surveyed pursued integrated crop and livestock production, but more frequently in Burkina Faso (91%) than in Mali and Benin (66%). Around one-third (36%) of the respondents in Burkina Faso had access to livestock extension services, while the corresponding figure in Mali and Benin was 54% and 69%, respectively (p < 0.01). Moreover, 71% of respondents in Mali, 73% in Burkina Faso, and 84% in Benin reported significantly (p < 0.05) fewer extension activities for livestock compared with crop production. Thus, livestock production seems to be given low priority in agricultural extension interventions. We recommend that future diffusion of technological packages should be more holistic, considering the major concerns of the specific environment and the socio-cultural traditions of both livestock and crop producers

Factors affecting the porridge quality of sorghum and pearl millet

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Bibliography: leaves 72-76.Not availabl

Extension Services for Livestock Keepers in Low-Income Countries&mdash;A Low Priority?

Achievement of sustainable agricultural development and national food security in Africa is dependent on several factors, including productivity in the livestock production sub-sector. This study surveyed farmers&rsquo; perceptions on provision of extension services relating to livestock production in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Benin. A structured questionnaire comprising dichotomous, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions was used to survey a total of 1560 farmers in Burkina Faso, 345 in Mali, and 480 in Benin. Most farmers surveyed pursued integrated crop and livestock production, but more frequently in Burkina Faso (91%) than in Mali and Benin (66%). Around one-third (36%) of the respondents in Burkina Faso had access to livestock extension services, while the corresponding figure in Mali and Benin was 54% and 69%, respectively (p &lt; 0.01). Moreover, 71% of respondents in Mali, 73% in Burkina Faso, and 84% in Benin reported significantly (p &lt; 0.05) fewer extension activities for livestock compared with crop production. Thus, livestock production seems to be given low priority in agricultural extension interventions. We recommend that future diffusion of technological packages should be more holistic, considering the major concerns of the specific environment and the socio-cultural traditions of both livestock and crop producers