An Extension Training Model for Improving Capacity of Smallholder Farmers and Agricultural Extension Agents in Rice Post-Harvest Value Addition in Southern Region, Sierra Leone

Abstract

Smallholder farmers in Sierra Leone have limited competencies in rice post-harvest value addition (RPHVA). They rely on traditional technologies to manually harvest and process their rice after harvest. The study aimed at developing an extension training model to improve the capacity of farming actors (smallholder farmers and Agricultural Extension Agents) for RPHVA with the intent to identify the competencies required and the appropriate methods of delivery. A mixed-methods approach was used to generate quantitative and qualitative primary data from four hundred (400) smallholder farmers, fifty (50) Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs), and eleven (11) senior ministry officials (key informants). For the quantitative data, descriptive statistics, Borich needs assessment model, and the OLS multiple regression were used for the analysis while thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. Key findings show a low level of competence of farmers, inadequate value addition resources for the actors, and low value addition activities. The rice market is imperfect, characterised by low profit and livelihood of the farmers. The context is characterised by peasant farming, with a high AEA to farmer ratio, and low motivation of AEAs. The major RPHVA training needs of the farming actors were packaging, marketing, milling, and drying of paddy rice. The majority of the actors prefer the group extension training methods. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of Sierra Leone should emphasise packaging, marketing, mechanised milling and drying, group extension methods to promote RPHVA. Further, it should adopt a dynamic need-based training model to respond to the current and emerging training needs of actors in the RPHVA in Sierra Leone.