Convergence of Agricultural Extension Agents’ and Farmers’ Knowledge of Post-Harvest Management Practices in the Ashanti Region

Abstract

Post-harvest losses are a major challenge in maize and cassava value chains, particularly at the farm level. Farmers who report regular contacts with knowledgeable agricultural extension agents (AEAs) report reduced post-harvest losses and better farm outcomes indicating a possible link between efficient agricultural extension and improved farmer post-harvest knowledge. This study aims to assess a convergence in knowledge of post-harvest management practices (PHMPs) of maize and cassava between AEAs and farmers. The study was carried out among 18 AEAs and 363 farmers in the Amansie West and Sekyere East districts of the Ashanti Region of Ghana using primary data. Descriptive statistics, chi-square/fishers exact test and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression were used to analyse the objectives.. The results showed that 44.4% of AEAs working with maize farmers and 22.2% of AEAs working with cassava farmers had adequate knowledge of PHMPs whereas 84.3% of maize farmers and 98% of cassava farmers demonstrated adequate knowledge in PHMPs. Agricultural extension agents and fellow farmers ranked the highest as sources of information for farmers on PHMPs. Chi-square/Fisher’s exact showed a convergence in post-harvest knowledge between agricultural extension agents and cassava farmers in Sekyere East whereas there was a significant divergence in post-harvest knowledge between agricultural extension agents and maize farmers in Amansie West. From the OLS, knowledge of extension agents had a weak positive effect on farmers’ knowledge whereas a combination of extension agents and fellow farmers as a main source of knowledge for the farmers showed a significant positive effect on farmers’ knowledge. These results show that extension agents do play a potentially influential role in farmers’ knowledge levels hence a need for relevant authorities to identify and address gaps in knowledge transfer between agricultural extension agents and farmers in order to improve knowledge adequacy in post-harvest management practices, protect farmers’ income, stabilise food prices and achieve the sustainable development goal of reducing post-harvest losses.