Agriculture forum decries low innovation uptake
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (Fara) has decried the low spirit of innovation on the continent, a development which has affected the development the agricultural sector.
Fara lead specialist on innovation systems and partnerships, Professor Wole Fatunbi, made the observation last week in Lilongwe when the initiative trained trainers in the agriculture sectorsfrom Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi on agricultural Innovations Platforms (IPs)to foster the development of agriculture on the continent.
The initiative, under the African Development Bank (ADB)–funded Technology for Africa Agricultural Transformation (Taat), is aimed at enhancing the use of proven agricultural technologies to foster the required change through farm level productivity and value chain management.
Said Fatunbi: “A few technologies exist but access to these technologies and the capacity to utilise that technology is very low and it has affected the development in the agricultural sector. Largely, this is due to the stakeholders within the system not working together adequately.”
He further noted that building the capacity of the trainers will create a multiplier effect and contribute to the development of the agriculture sector in Africa.
“By the end of the first quarter of 2019, they need to set up innovation platforms working with other compacts in the Taat programme. And we expect that as they continue to train others, the innovation platform continues to multiply within the countries, bringing about huge socio-economic benefits,” he explained.
On his part, Balaka agricultural extension methodology officer, Alfred Tsitsi noted that few people in Malawi have the capacity to develop IPs, and that the training has given them capacity to train others to develop IPs and transform the livelihoods of farmers in the country.
“Innovations Platforms is a business model for helping to elevate farmers from subsistence farming to agri-business so that they might be able to improve their livelihoods. So, as trainers of trainers, we will train some more extension staff and we will multiply the innovation platforms in Malawi and we will establish a lot more IPs,” he said. n
