Innovation in rural development

The role of agriculture in rural development has recently been overshadowed by discussions about the role of rural industries, small scale business enterprises, growth pole strategies and diversification of other non farm income generating activities. This paper re-analyses and attempts to establish the need for policies and programmes to accelerate agricultural technological development. The study reviews the role of government research stations, extension services, mass media channels and training programmes in accelerating technological change whose advantages within a Kenya rural development context are laid out in the first section of the paper. One the problems highlighted by this study is the fact that there is no adequate or relevant technology or the means to transfer any such technology to the small farmer and also those living in the medium and marginal farming regions of Kenya.