Study reveals agricultural extension agents have low competence in delivering services to farmers with disability

A new study found that agricultural extension agents (AEAs) in Ghana have limited capacity to effectively deliver services to farmers with disabilities. The paper, titled "Disability-Inclusive Competency Needs of Agricultural Extension Agents," collected responses from 528 frontline AEAs across all 16 regions. The paper's abstract noted, "The findings showed extension agents' competency levels were very low in most of the areas examined. Noticeable areas where the extension agents need training include skills pertinent to disability inclusion and expertise in designing and implementing disability-inclusive technologies."

The study identified critical training areas, such as the design of adaptive technologies, understanding the psychology of farmers with disabilities, and navigating legal frameworks for disability inclusion, as key areas where AEAs need capacity building. Respondent AEAs reported having 'low competencies' in solving problems of farmers, monitoring and evaluating farming activities, and low internal interest and motivation to support farmers with disabilities. They also reported having 'very low' competencies in designing technologies for effective disability-inclusive extension advisory services. The researchers assessed disability-inclusive competency based on three key dimensions: knowledge, attitudes, and skills. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, about eight per cent of Ghanaians (approximately 2.1 million people) live with some form of disability. Disability prevalence is higher among residents of rural areas, which are dominated by farmers (9.5%), than among those in urban communities (6.5%).

To enhance disability-inclusive competencies, the authors say the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and extension organizations should implement targeted training programs for AEAs. To address both competency deficits and potential bias, extension systems in Ghana should adopt transformative capacity-building approaches that go beyond technical training.