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Asian Journal of Rural Development

Year: 2013 | Volume: 3 | Issue: 1 | Page No.: 1-13
DOI: 10.3923/ajrd.2013.1.13
Role of Farmer Field School and Farmer Research Group in Bringing Attitudinal and Knowledge Change: The Case of Integrated Potato Disease and Nutrient Management in Ethiopia
Berhanu Kuma, Abebe Chindi, Shenkut Ayele, Gebremedhin Woldegiorgis, Yohannes Lemma and Shiferaw Tafesse

Abstract: The study was conducted to identify the role of Farmer Field School (FFS) and Farmer Research Group (FRG) in bringing attitudinal and knowledge change among farmers who hosted integrated potato disease and nutrient management practices. Attitude and knowledge of institutions, organizations, groups and farmers on the practices was assessed before and after the project. Data from these sources were collected using Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Knowledge System (RAAKS), case study, focus groups discussions and observation. A workshop was organized to gather information from institutions and organizations who were engaged in potato promotion. Experienced rapporteurs inputted information generated on the workshop into computer database. Checklist was developed and used to collect information from farmers of both FFS and FRG. Likert scale was used to analyze data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel. Findings indicated that active participation of farmers in potato promotion is very mandatory to empower them as its production is knowledge intensive and input based. Findings also pointed out that the role FFS and FRG played in bringing attitudinal and knowledge change depended on the issues handled and the way the approaches were used and treated by facilitators. Therefore, the two approaches should be used in combination to fill each other’s weakness in bringing attitudinal and knowledge change. Since the costs of investment on knowledge are higher at initial years and attitudinal and knowledge change is expected in subsequent years, development practitioners should take the long term impacts of the approaches while evaluating their feasibility.

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How to cite this article
Berhanu Kuma, Abebe Chindi, Shenkut Ayele, Gebremedhin Woldegiorgis, Yohannes Lemma and Shiferaw Tafesse, 2013. Role of Farmer Field School and Farmer Research Group in Bringing Attitudinal and Knowledge Change: The Case of Integrated Potato Disease and Nutrient Management in Ethiopia. Asian Journal of Rural Development, 3: 1-13.

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