Yaoundé – Agricultural researchers who have been perched on high pedestals, while largely remaining aloof from the farming community could be in for a rude shock.Farmers now want to be involved in research activities, a position that prominently featured in many themes at the 3rd Africa Rice Congress in Yaoundé, Cameroon from October 21-24.At the Benin-based Africa Rice Centre, farmers’ participation in research has been embraced and Marie-Noelle Ndiondjop, a biologist who develops improved varieties for farmers, says the programme takes three years.During the programme, farmers, extension services and researchers work together on varieties proposed for adoption by the farmers based on the felt problems and needs. “The farmers are trained to plant and when the varieties are at the vegetative stage, the farmers evaluate, select and say why they chose or rejected a particular variety at the end of the three years,” says Ndjiondjop.She adds: “When the farmers reject a particular variety, the researchers turn it into a research question and go back into the laboratory to improve on it based on the farmers’ comments.”David Nanfumba, an agronomist at the Buginyanya Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute in Uganda observes: “When farmers are part of the selection process of a rice variety, they gather knowledge and make informed choices on whether to accept or reject a variety.”Yes, farmers look forward to new varieties meeting their agricultural needs, but that does not mean these varieties should be researched and developed without their input.A similar farmer-participatory rice selection process in Zanzibar revealed that farmers preferred SUPA BC, a variety that has now been released to them, says Khatib Juma Khatib, an agricultural research officer with the Zanzibar Research Institute.
