FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION AND NONADOPTION OF ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGIES AT DENMAN RURAL TRAINING CENTRE, GABORONE AGRICULTURAL REGION, BOTSWANA

摘要

This paper investigates the factors that influence adoption and non-adoption of agricultural technologies presented to farmers who attended training courses at the Denman Rural Training Centre in Botswana. A structured questionnaire was administered to 223 respondents, from these respondents 153 attended training at Denman Rural Training Centre, twenty-one respondents were never trained, thirty-three were extension agents, nine support staff, five instructors and two managers. The findings of the study show that most of the respondents (61%) are implementing the acquired technologies, while 39% are not implementing. More than half (65%) of trained respondents indicated that they were never involved in identification of the courses they attended. Eighty percent reported that courses were suggested by extension agents. Thirty-six percent of respondents indicated that training had no impact at all on their production efficiency, while 45% indicated a moderate impact on their production to ensure thatthe training will be effective. More than half of all extension staff (64%) reported that the status of implementation for acquired technologies is usually negative, indicating that there was less or no implementation. The most important factor revealedby the study contributing to non-adoption of technologies is lack of resources. The study concluded that extension has to address the needs and perception of trainees to ensure that the training will be effective.