Is a training program sufficient to improve the smallholder farmers’ productivity in Africa? Empirical evidence from a Chinese agricultural technology demonstration center in Tanzania

Abstract

The article aims to analyze the effect of training programs on the yield of smallholder farmers. The empirical analysis employed a sample of data collected from a rice farming household in the Mvomero district of Tanzania. The results indicate that the yield outcome among trained and non‐trained farmers with water access for irrigation was significantly more than double; however, the yield difference between trained and non‐trained farmers was insignificant in non‐irrigated plots. Our findings have policy implications for agricultural development in developing countries where training programs alone may not be a panacea for smallholder farmers’ productivity improvement. Therefore, respective governments, policymakers, and other agricultural stakeholders, should consider both farm and non‐farm factors altogether, which may increase agricultural training effectiveness to address the challenges of low yields.