A review of Agricultural Research, Extension and Farmers linkage in Ethiopia

摘要

Research, extension and farmers are the three main pillars of agriculture s ystem and their effectiveness largely depends on the strong linkages among each other. However, the ex isting research-extension-farmer linkages have been weak in developing countries including Ethiopia. Hence, the main objective of this review was to assess the causes of weak agricultural research, extension and farmers linkage in Ethiopia. The literatures indicated that the top down research and extension management, separated administration of research and extension institutions, lack of incentives for linkage activities, high turnover of development agents, poor infrastructural developments, lack of budgets for linkage activities and inadequate development agents skill were the main causes of weak research, extension and farmers linkages in Ethiopia. Therefore, policy and development intervention planners in Ethiopia should give due attentions to the allocation of adequate budgets and the provision of better incentive mechanisms for linkage activities; apply more dec entralized research and extension management systems; and the expansion of infrastructural developments.