Journal of Continuing Education and Extension, 2005; 2(1):67-74
The Uluguru Agricultural Development Project (UMADEP) uses a combination of
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Participatory Technology Development
(PTD), Farmer Groups and Farmer to Farmer extension approaches. Experience
in the use of these approaches show that farmers in collaboration with extension
workers have developed activities which address location specific problems,
generated appropriate technological innovations that are sustainable and take into
account the socio-cultural and economic milieu of the communities. In addition,
this has led to the formation of farmers ' groups which facilitate learning, decisionmaking,
and adoption of agreed innovations. UMADEP's experience shows that
use of participatory approaches can lead to making extension efforts more
responsive to needs offarming communities, cost effective and sustainable.