Transfer of technology to farmers and its application for the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (I)

Farmers in semi-arid areas of Al Jaffara plain area, south of Tripoli, have no access to technology and always confronted with high prices of farm inputs. In 2018-2019, the Safit Station for Agricultural Research and Studies and the Animal Research Center re-launched the technology transfer programme in order to support farmers. This programme was implemented between 1991-2000, and was aimed to help farmers by applying appropriate agricultural techniques for cultivating crops in arid areas where they live, to learn how to apply a set of agricultural techniques and methods suitable to the arid lands, use of suitable seeds types and varieties, and more importantly, to increase their farm incomes. Initially, the technology transfer was done involving 49 farmers in 2018, and then in 2019, about 136 farmers were involved. This activity resulted to farmers’ enhanced understanding of the importance and necessity of applying agricultural techniques in their harsh and semi-arid environments, and enabled them to make choices and decisions in cultivating crops and varieties and applying appropriate agricultural technologies.