Pre-extension demonstration of sorghum thresher in Diga and Guto Gidda Woreda, western Oromia

Abstract

The pre-extension demonstration of engine driven sorghum thresher was conducted in 2021 with the objectives of demonstrating and evaluating, creating awareness through giving training and enhance stakeholder’s participation. A total of 30 farmers were selected from two potential sorghum growing kebeles of the two districts; Lalisa Dimtu kebele of Digga and Meti kebele of Guto Gidda woredas of East Wollega zone. Two FRGs having 30 farmers (24 male and 6 female) were established. Theoretical and practical training on advantage, usage and handling of an engine operated sorghum thresher was given to 30 (24 male and 6 female) farmers, 6(1 female) Development agents and 3 experts at Llisa dimtu and Meti kebeles. Data was collected through focus group discussions and observation. The collected data was grouped, summarized using Microsoft excel and analyzed qualitatively through narration and quantitively by simple discriptive statics like mean and percentage. The results indicated that the machines were demonstrated and found to be 95.88-97.2% efficient with output capacity of about 500-600 kg hr-1 at 520 rpm with no grain breakage. The traditional practices are inefficient; requiring a lot of labor and time and also it is one of the major problems which facilitate physical damage. Hence farmers preferred an engine driven sorghum thresher to alleviate sorghum post-harvest loss, save labor and time, minimize seeds wastage. Therefore, the thresher is preferred from every angle and thus should be widely available and disseminated.