Review: Agriculture-industry linkage and technology adoption in Ethiopia: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Sisay T. 2018. Review: Agriculture-industry linkage and technology adoption in Ethiopia: Challenges and opportunities. Trop Drylands 2: 18-27. High rate of agricultural growth has far-reaching positive implications for economic development of low-income countries in terms of increasing employment and accelerating poverty reduction. For Ethiopia to achieve middle-income status by 2025 and make substantial inroads against food insecurity, concerted and strategic investment and strategic choices in the agricultural sector are vital. Agricultural linkage encloses generating and transferring agricultural technologies to enhance productivity, reduce loss, and improve the livelihoods of beneficiaries as well as the country’s economy. The objective of this paper was to review the current status of linkage between agriculture-industry actors, extent of technology adoption system, challenges and opportunities in Ethiopia. The result of the review study shows that different factors are constraining the system. Most of the agriculture industry linkage and technologies promoted through the extension system and adoption levels are far below the possible expectation in the country. Agriculture research industries lack effective mechanisms of transferring their technologies to the end users, inadequate technological skilled manpower, poor market linkage between technology multiplication enterprises and technology users, lack of responsible body to transfer technology were the major challenges in Ethiopia. Factors constraining the linkage between stakeholders and technology adoption level of Universities, TEVTs, agriculture Research institutions and agriculture sector are wide ranging from poor linkage between stakeholders and weak involvement of professionals are among the main problems that constraining the system. Weak link between research, education, and extension and the contact of these organizations have with farmers is among the main bottlenecks in agricultural technology development, adoption level. Therefore, strong University and Research-industry linkage is needed in the country.