The effectiveness of the BPRE training program as a technology transfer strategy for the adoption of grains postharvest technology

摘要

The effectiveness of training as a technology transfer strategy for the adoption of grains postharvest technology was evaluated. A total of 87 farmer-leaders from the major rice-producing regions of the Philippines, who attended the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) training course on grains postharvest technology, served as respondents of the study. The effects of trainee-related characteristics, training factors and extension/communication factors on the level of adoption of recommended postharvest practices at the farm and cooperative levels were determined. Results showed that, among the trainee-related characteristics, the position/designation of the farmer in the cooperative had a significant relationship to the level of adoption of recommended practices at the cooperative level. Among the training factors, the perceived competence of trainers had a significant effect at the cooperative level. Among the extension/communication factors, contact with technicians of the Department of Agriculture was found to be significantly related to the level of adoption, both at the farm and cooperative levels. Moreover, the availability of postharvest-related reading materials to farmers had a significant effect. On the whole, BPRE's strategy of training farmer-leaders was found to be effective in influencing the adoption of recommended postharvest practices. It is therefore recommended that key farmer-leaders of the cooperatives should be continuously trained by BPRE. The BPRE researchers who are experts in their fields of specialisation must be continuously tapped as lecturers and their teaching skills should be enhanced to become more effective in delivering lectures to farmers. Training on grains postharvest technology of field technicians of the Department of Agriculture should be sustained, since farmers frequently ask them for technical assistance. Likewise, postharvest-related reading materials should be made more readily available to farmers.