Training, if done right, can be an effective modality for increasing the adoption of improved farming practices and technologies. The farmer training evaluation found that most trained farmers reported applying at least one technique from the training and cited the new practices’ usefulness, time savings, and positive effects. They also shifted towards higher value crops that the project targeted, such as onions and corn. Strengths of the training included its flexibility to adapt the content to the most relevant crops and techniques and its use of demonstration plots. However, beneficiaries expressed dissatisfaction with the large class sizes. Overly burdensome implementation procedures also reduced the training’s timeliness. It was not delivered when it was needed most. MCC is addressing this lesson by reframing training as a way to achieve long-term outcomes such as farm income growth rather than an end in itself. MCC is also considering ways to enhance the effectiveness of training by connecting it more closely to other functions such as marketing.
Lesson Learned