International and Rural Development Department ,The University of Reading, United Kingdom

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of Eritrea, with support from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and DANIDA, carried out a study of the agricultural knowledge and information system (AKIS) in a sub-zoba (an administrative area similar in extent to a District in other countries in the region). The purpose of the study was to contribute to the development of demand-led extension and advisory services in Eritrea, through a better understanding of the information needs of farmers and of the sources and channels through which they access information.

The specific objectives were to:

The study was carried out in March 2001 with the SDRE Communication for Development Group and DANIDA/Eritrea. The study set out to develop methods for analysis that can be used by advisors in dialogue with farming communities. Findings highlighted local variations in AKIS, the key role played by farmers in introducing and adapting new agricultural technology, and the importance of market opportunities in driving successful innovation. Opportunities for improving the functioning of the AKIS included training to meet specific farmers' needs, participatory adaptive research, improving the reliability of information exchanged through farmer-to-farmer interaction, and the planned use of existing informal channels for enhancing the two-way flow of information between advisors and farmers.