Training Evaluation of Hilltribe Farmers in Arabica Coffee Production at the Highland Coffee Research and Development Centre

Abstract

The evaluation was done to find out how the hilltribe farmers reponsed in terms of attitudes, adoption of technology and perception of problems and constraints in arabica coffee production after they were trained by Highland Coffee Research and Development Center. The result show that among the technologies they learned, planting procedure is considered the most useful. On the other hand, the technology they made least use is pesticide application method. The result of farmer attitude toward coffee production shows that farmers had moderate interest (average score 3.25). Adoption of technology show low level of success (average score 0.56). The last issue being evaluated in this study is problems they confronted in arabical coffee production. They found the following constraints; lack of land for cultivation, attack from pests and diseases, insufficient plot maintenance, unfavorable environment, inadequate transporting facility, insufficient capital and harvesting labour, unavailable of consultation when it was required and limitation of market.