The Future Perspectives of Agricultural Graduates and Sustainable Agriculture in Sudan

The objectives of this study were to assess the Quality of Agricultural Graduates, employers’ perceptions of the employability and skills. A descriptive, analytical statistics, multistage random sampling method was adopted. Where two types of questionnaires were distributed to the Graduates and institutions associated with Sustainable agriculture (SA). The collected data was analyzed by Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed some respondents began higher education in Arabic (66.7%), while others in English (33.3%). The respondents faced with difficulties in understanding the courses due to teaching methods (36.7%), language (33.3%), and curriculum (30%). The result indicated some respondents (56.7%) do not have back ground about (SA). The respondents in the Ministries of Agriculture assessed the Graduates in regard to agricultural skills, and confidence to perform duties as fair (10%), and good (23.3%), but, for reliability, managerial skills, tactic and ability to participate in forums as fair (6.7%). Good (27.7%), fair (3.3%), and good (30%) respectively. Assessment of the Graduates at Research Centers, were assessed in relation to Research methodology, statistical analysis, and writing scientific papers as good (40 %,). While for Software skills as excellent (100%), and for Agricultural Technology Transfer as very good (80%). While; the respondents from Faculties of Agriculture, assessed the Graduated for practical skills, teaching ability, skills of writing scientific papers, participation in workshops and seminars as good (93.3%), very good (6.7%), fair (6.7) and very good (33.3%), respectively. The Graduates’ quality is below the expectations. Based on the above findings, the study recommends the review of the whole educational system, Faculties of Agriculture to include the concepts of sustainable agriculture in their curriculum and give high consideration to practical part. In the same context, further study is recommended including the whole Country. DOI: 10.14302/issn.2639-3166.jar-19-2732 Corresponding author: Dr. Abubaker Haroun Mohamed Adam, Associate Prof. of Agronomy and Environmental Studies, Cell: (+249)0912892429, Email: abubakerharoun@gmail.com


Introduction
Agriculture is an important sector in our life, for it constitutes the main source of food, feed, fiber and earning 1. Sudan; like other third world countries which characterized by low crop productivity despite the advancement in the field of science and technology 2 .
However, the issue of low yield is of great concern.It is attributed to several interrelated and interacted factors, among these, natural factors (Rain-fall irregularity, scarcity, fluctuation, and frequent spells of drought, land degradation, desertification, climate change, pests and diseases etc….), institutional (research, extension), organizational (farmers' unions), and agricultural policy (finance, infrastructures, technology, taxes, marketing) 3 .
Today, in Sudan, the revolution in higher education drew the attentions of many scholars from various disciplines to cast light on issues like quality of education in relation labor market and sustainable agricultural development.Nevertheless, it is important to understand the concept of quality in terms of qualifications which links the developed knowledge of the graduates during the education to the demands from the labor market 4 .
It is observed that the attendances of higher education is increasing every year, but are the graduates learn the essential skills required by labor market and economic development.
Despite the importance of this issue, only few studies were carried out.Generally, this study sought to assess the quality of graduates of Faculties of Agriculture, based on educational ability and employers' perceptions of employability and skills which can prepare the new graduates for career in sustainable agriculture.
Based on this, the following objectives were formulated as guidelines for this study: 1. Measure the academic and thinking skills of the graduates, with emphasis on the aspects of sustainable agricultural development.7. Give/receive feedback.
Sustainable agriculture: The term 'sustainability' was used by a German scientist 5 .Then it has evolved from three perspectives: as a system of production to achieve food self-reliance; as a concept of stewardship; and as a vehicle for sustaining rural communities 6 .But, the term has been first widely used by Lord Northbourn (1940) describing the farming systems that focused on the farm as a dynamic, living, balanced, organic 7 .
Later on, the term had broader meaning than just the use of materials to achieve farming objectives.
Albert Howard and William Albrecht were among the scientists in the USA and Europe who investigated and promoted sustainability in agriculture.However, other important historical influence on the development of sustainable agriculture was the research on the connection between the condition of the soil, food quality, and human health, Furthermore, ecology and Agro-ecosystems contributed much to sustainable agriculture.
Recently, Christopher Chapman and Spencer Cheshire were the leader for concept of sustainable agriculture in Canada in 1950s, where many environmental and sustainable agriculture organizations were created.
The need for sustainable agriculture owes to its origin to the philosophy of 'holism', which enunciates that all things are connected and their interactions in nature are complex.Stimulus to one component creates response to that as well as the system as a whole also responds 8 .

Assessment
It is the key to develop the graduates' qualities, aiming at providing a significant incentive for the graduates (give/ receive feedback), and at the same time gives stakeholders the assurance that the graduates have actually achieved the graduate qualities.Some researchers 9 , described different methods and tools used to assess the quality of the graduates.
Few examples can be mentioned, among these the Graduate Employability Indicators (GEI), Graduate

Materials and Methods
This study was carried out during the period from August to October, 2017.It considered several Faculties /Colleges of Agriculture, Research Centres and Ministries of Agriculture in Khartoum State-Sudan.

Questionnaire Design
Two types of questionnaires were designed .One for the graduates and the other for the employers.

Sample Types, Sampling Techniques and Data Collection
In the Light of the Said Objectives, the Following Methods were Adopted A descriptive, analytical statistics, multistage; random sampling method was followed.The Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS) approach was used, where the generic skills, technical skills and work readiness of graduates were assessed.Moreover, for quality Indicators, both the graduates as well as the employers were asked.The graduates were asked about the acquired knowledge and skills, while the employers asked about their views on some indicators.Moreover, direct interviews and observation were considered.
Randomly, two types of samples were considered.First, the graduates (2-5 years) from different governmental sectors associated with agricultural activities.The second type targeted the employers.Where randomly; three Faculties/Colleges of Agriculture were selected from five Universities.Then, administrative were chosen from three departments in each Faculty/College of Agriculture.
Moreover, administrative from Ministries of Agriculture as well as Research Centers were considered too.

Data analysis
The collected data were statistically analyzed by Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) Software,

Version 23
The results of the said data were presented in form of tables.

Results and Discussion
Two types of results were obtained, the descriptive and statistical analysis which includes the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and T-test which are presented in Tables (1-7).

The Descriptive
The result showed the majority of the respondents were Male (63.3%).
Great number of respondents began higher education in Arabic (66.7%), while the other group began in English (33.3%).However, the respondents faced with difficulties in understanding the courses

2 .
Examine the factors which affect the skill gains 3. Identify the constraints which face the graduates throughout the study period.

4 . 5 .
Quantify the strength and weakness of the graduates.To understand view of the employers.What do employers think and want? 6. Test the graduates' quality and their ability to contribute in teaching, research and sustainable agriculture.

Table 1 .
Mean Squares for ANOVA of different questions in basic information -Khartoum State (2017).

Table 2 .
Mean Squares for ANOVA of different questions in Education -Khartoum State (2017)

Table 3 .
Mean Square for ANOVA of different questions in Sustainable Agriculture-Khartoum State (2017).

Table 4 .
Mean Squares for ANOVA of different questions in Extension -Khartoum State (2017) NB: cv* = Sig., cv** = Highly Sig., ns = Non Sig Q. No. Question: How can you assess the Graduates in regard to:

Table 5 .
Mean Squares for ANOVA of different questions in Ministries of Agriculture-Khartoum NB: cv* = Sig., cv** = Highly Sig., ns = Non Sig