Stakeholder management in the agricultural technology and information response initiative (atiri) in dissemination of agricultural technologies to small scale farmers

Abstract

In Kenya small scale farmers produce most of the agricultural output but the adoption of agricultural technologies by this group of farmers has been low thereby contributing to poor productivity. Several approaches of dissemination have been used in the past an attempt to improve adoption of agricultural technologies without much success. In all the approaches, stakeholders were involved. There is however, no elaborate indication as to why and how they were involved or the interests they had in the approaches. This could probably explain why assessment of success of the approaches did not focus on human aspect as a cause of failure. Understanding of the stakeholder management issues is important as it helps the project implementers to identify the key stakeholders, define their roles and to know their expectations. Other stakeholder management issues include power and interest, management of finances, communication needs, conflict of interest, expectations, politics etc. Recognition of this fact is important because any project that does not address stakeholder needs ends up failing. A study was carried out with the objectives of examining stakeholder management practices, identification of challenges in implementation and the perceptions CBOs in ATIRI. The study targeted all the ATIRI coordinators and the leaders of CBOs in 16 KARl centres. A sample of 150 CBOs was drawn from a global figure of235 CBO'Swho were involved in ATIRI. Although KARl has been able to identify the key stakeholders in ATIRI, duplication of roles abide and that is likely to confuse and disillusion farmers. The small scale farmers are more interested in knowledge, skills and technology rather than financial support. The extension workers who are expected to be in frequent contact with farmers are inadequately equipped especially with transport facilities and they are also not very conversant with the research technologies. This implies that the information may not have been reaching the farmers in the intended form. The amount advanced to the CBOs by ATIRT is too little to make meaningful impact and its release is also untimely. In conclusion, the issue of adoption of agricultural technologies by small scale farmers is complex. Putting in place mechanisms for dissemination can not in itself improve technology up take. It is people who make things happen. Therefore stakeholder involvement and management issues will have to be addressed to ensure success in up scaling technology up take. KARl cannot achieve this alone. In put of all the stakeholders both current and potential will be required. In addition policy review and guidelines may be necessary to facilitate incorporation of players that would make credit accessible and affordable, enhance value addition to agricultural products, assist farmers access wider and better markets for their produce and minimize exploitation by brokers. Unless the stakeholder management issues are addressed the desired up scaling of technology may be difficult to achieve.