2 min
It is a known fact that low productivity and efficiency are the bane of smallholding farming in developing countries. Interestingly, it seemed that having the appropriate information and knowledge could be a game changer. And this has seemed like a fallacy up till now.
This is because the information age should be a productivity period, especially for farmers whose need for appropriate knowledge is germane. It is characterized with the ability to access information freely from various sources, however, the case is the opposite as tonnage of information can be accessed but having to get relevant and appropriate information has been made difficult and also the extent of usage of this information has been limited. Therefore, it is essential that as information is being accessed, there are required skills to be able to identify appropriate and relevant information and to use such information to increase productivity. And to achieve this requires much more than training but the opportunity and motivation.
Bridging the gap between disseminating relevant agriculture information and its users, who are mainly farmers, has been the focus of many organizations over the years, where the capacity of farmers has been improved to acquire new knowledge and skills in order to improve their productivity, yet only little impact has been made to improve productivity and efficiency. In my opinion, the low productivity identified is no longer a question of capabilities but of opportunities that support the new information or knowledge and also motivation to accept the new knowledge. For instance, farmers are encouraged to adopt GAP throughout the production cycle, which is very essential, and there are many farmers who have been trained efficiently on that subject matter. However, there are limited opportunities for farmers who adopt GAPs in the market as it doesn't recognise products whose origin is GAP compliance. Also, prices of inputs are increasing, no premium price or price differentiation for safe products and non-safe products and market demands for high quality farm products are still low due to low purchasing power of the consumers. This is a big concern which would discourage the farmers to continue the use of the knowledge, as adopting GAPs come with a cost with little or no tangible rewards. This is a growing concern that needs to be addressed.
It is important that the market system promotes tangible incentives for quality products that match the efforts of the farmers in order to encourage the specific skill sets (in this case GAPs) possessed and used. Furthermore, there is a need to create more opportunities for ethical producers to gain more benefits beyond monetary values. For instance, establishment of relevant community projects as more ethical producers increase in a particular community. Farmers need to be aptly compensated for the efforts in producing healthy foods and at the same time, in addressing social issues that increase social investment in the community. In knowledge, there should be more opportunities created to acquire it, to generate the required motivation to continue doing it and getting more skills. Producing food with the right knowledge, attitude and practices should be a leverage to prosperity for its producers and must be visible enough for all to see and embrace. There is dignity in labour.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
Bridging the gap between disseminating relevant agriculture information and its users, who are mainly farmers, has been the focus of many organizations over the years, where the capacity of farmers has been improved to acquire new knowledge and skills in order to improve their productivity, yet only little impact has been made to improve productivity and efficiency. In my opinion, the low productivity identified is no longer a question of capabilities but of opportunities that support the new information or knowledge and also motivation to accept the new knowledge. For instance, farmers are encouraged to adopt GAP throughout the production cycle, which is very essential, and there are many farmers who have been trained efficiently on that subject matter. However, there are limited opportunities for farmers who adopt GAPs in the market as it doesn't recognise products whose origin is GAP compliance. Also, prices of inputs are increasing, no premium price or price differentiation for safe products and non-safe products and market demands for high quality farm products are still low due to low purchasing power of the consumers. This is a big concern which would discourage the farmers to continue the use of the knowledge, as adopting GAPs come with a cost with little or no tangible rewards. This is a growing concern that needs to be addressed.
It is important that the market system promotes tangible incentives for quality products that match the efforts of the farmers in order to encourage the specific skill sets (in this case GAPs) possessed and used. Furthermore, there is a need to create more opportunities for ethical producers to gain more benefits beyond monetary values. For instance, establishment of relevant community projects as more ethical producers increase in a particular community. Farmers need to be aptly compensated for the efforts in producing healthy foods and at the same time, in addressing social issues that increase social investment in the community. In knowledge, there should be more opportunities created to acquire it, to generate the required motivation to continue doing it and getting more skills. Producing food with the right knowledge, attitude and practices should be a leverage to prosperity for its producers and must be visible enough for all to see and embrace. There is dignity in labour.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
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