Determinants of transfer of training in agronomic and post-harvest practices among small holder farmers

Abstract

Training is a critical investment if performance in any endeavour is to improve. However, training with no application will affect the achievement of such a goal especially in the field of agriculture. A study was conducted to i) determine whether the extent of transfer of agronomic and post-harvest training significantly differed between men and women bean seed farmers, ii) determine the trainee and training design factors that influenced the transfer process and iii) find out whether people viewed training design and trainee characteristics differently across age, education levels and wok experience. A sample survey of 301 bean seed farmers that were trained in 11 agronomic practices and 3 post-harvest handling skills was used. Generally the level of transfer of both trainings was very high (91%). There was no significant difference in the transfer between men and women on post-harvest training except in some five out of the eleven bean agronomy and post-harvest practices. The trainee factors that influenced the transfer of bean seed agronomic and post-harvest training were: ‘motivation for transfer’ (β=0.376, p < 0.001) and ‘performance self–efficacy’ (β=0.136, p < 0.01). The age bracket of 18 to 38 years and educational levels of primary and secondary had a significant effect on the way farmers perceived training design and trainee characteristics. It is clear that while the transfer of the two training areas was high, women had an edge in some areas. Additionally, ‘personal motivation’ and ‘personal self-efficacy’ played a critical role, attesting to the encouragement that comes when engaging in a business venture like bean seed production. Finally, when organizing training age and education level of the trainees need to be attended to as they are likely to influence the engagement during training as well as the level of transfer.