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Transcript

Hello friends, in our last class we discussed about the concept of Market led Extension, wherein we could see that how the information technology support can be taken up in providing appropriate market information to the farmers, and how farmers can be motivated towards production of the commodities based on the consumer’s demand as well as the market demand. In today’s class we will be talking of the Farmer Field School, which is an innovative extension approach, which was experimented in 1989 by the expert working for Food and Agriculture Organization in Indonesia. The concept of Integrated Pest Management was popularized using this particular concept of Farmer Field School.

Now let us move on to the concept of Farmer Field School. What exactly it is? It is a group of farmers, meet at regularly in the field at weekly interval during a crop season. Again I am drawing your attention, this is another form of group approach, which we have been emphasizing in different extension methodologies. After observation of the crop dynamics they discuss and take economical decisions about the best crop management practices for that particular week under the guidance of a trained facilitator whom we call them as an extension professionals. The core issue under the Farmer Field School is. A group of farmers facing the real life situations are meeting at regular intervals. That is at an interval of a week in a field of a farmer. It is not exactly the training what we give in the four walls of an academic institution. But it is, the training is given in the field itself, that too in the field of a farmer. And they are going to observe the real situation of the crop. Then accordingly they are going to decide upon what is the problem and how it can be tackled and what should be our strategy in the forthcoming week. So these are the various decision making processes that the farmer undergoes over a period of time. And this entire activity is being facilitated by a trained extension professional, who is going to guide the farmers.

When we look into the need for Farmer Field School. Inappropriate and imbalanced nutrient use and declining soil productivity is one of the major issue that the country is facing. So efficient utilization of the resources is one of the prerequisites for maximizing the agricultural production. So in that context, so if the resources are being exploited in an undesirable manner, so it is going to harm the future production possibilities. So that is why we need Farmer Field School. Then indiscriminate use of the plant protection chemicals leading to the increased cost of cultivation. Not only the increased cost of cultivation, it is becoming the source of one of the health hazards also. A good number of problems that are cropping up because of indiscriminate use of chemicals, the health point of view in addition to the increased cost of cultivation. To overcome these issues we need the concepts like the Farmer Field School. Inadequate research and extension support to the small and marginal farmers can be overcome by adopting the models like the Farmer Field School.

Coming to the objectives of Farmer Field School. Increasing the productivity of crops receiving irrigation through the field demonstration and training programs. So as in case of all the extension programs, the similar objective is being set forth here. Then growing of crops as per the prevailing market trend and need. This was what was the issue that we discussed in our previous discussion that is market led extension. The farmers are deciding in group, what is the market need and how we can satisfy the needs of the market and we can maximize our profit levels. Reducing the cost of cultivation by adopting improved management practices. And procuring the critical inputs in time, by utilizing community based approach. Again in the beginning itself I said that it is another form of group approach. So under this approach when you are acquiring the inputs in groups, so that you are reducing much of the cost associated with the cultivation of crops. So that is what is the critical input of Farmer Field School. Finally making the farmer an expert in decision making. That is what is the ultimate objective of Farmer Field School.

The approach that is adopted here is the primary learning material is the crop field. Because they are going to have the meetings throughout the cropping season at the interval of a week. Then they are going to learn by doing, that’s what is the philosophy of extension. That is being satisfied here. Then aims at teaching the science to the farmer in his own field. It is not only we are giving them the precautions or the preventive measures or various inputs. We are going to teach them, we are going to educate them. Then farmers can observe and analyze the dynamics of crop ecology, as it is being discussed in case of theory classes. So the things automatically at their disposal and they will be discussing and understanding the core issues. That is the purpose of extension is being served there. Then training, curriculum based local, nay, it’s because they are following a particular crop system. It is not that they are meeting only once. Throughout the cropping season at an interval of every week they are meeting and through that they are satisfying the local needs.

Then coming to the education of farmers through the Farmer Field School approach is totally different from the traditional methods of extension, which comes under the farmer’s training or the on farm demonstration. So now we are going to compare these three approaches of extension. So how they vary and how they are different. And how Farmer Field School emerges as the better possible or the best possible approach, so that we can train the farmers. So coming to the involvement of the farmers. In case of conventional method or the demonstration it is very very less compared to the Farmer Field School. There is no group approach in case of the conventional methods and demonstrations. But in case of the Farmer Field School it is very high. We have already discussed about that. Then the recommendation of the technology is for creating the awareness here. And here in case of demonstration to disseminate the knowledge. But in case of Farmer Field School, the purpose is to validate the recommendations through the field studies wherein the farmers as well as extension professionals are involved.

The amount of learning in case of conventional method happening, is only to create awareness. But in case of demonstration it is to create knowledge. But in case of Farmer Field School it is learning by doing. It is not that extension worker is telling them and they are understanding it. It is the other way round. They are observing the problem. They are discussing the problem. And extension worker is facilitating them in that process, they are learning by their own actions, by their own involvement. Then farm management decisions are in case of conventional method to create the dependence on the external agencies. But in case of demonstrations it is to create the dependence on the external agencies. But in case of Farmer Field School it empowers the farmers to take the appropriate decisions. Because in the earlier, in the couple of these methods, that is conventional as well as demonstrations, the extension worker is advising them, but here he is only guiding them to take the decision. They are being empowered here.

Then the emphasis on the development of the skill in conventional as well as demonstrations is very less compared to the Farmer Field School. And the as well as the providing technology or science. In case of the conventional as well as demonstrations we are providing only the technology. But in case of Farmer Field School we are transferring the science as well as technology. It means it is not only the transfer of technology. Along with that the cause and effect relationship and the logics behind that and the educational input, which is required to understand that technology and making use of that technology in a more efficient manner is the inbuilt component of Farmer Field School.

Then adaptability of the technology in case of the traditional as well as the demonstration method is comparatively less, which we have been looking at through the various approaches, since independence or the before independence and till date. But by adopting the Farmer Field School, we can increase the adoption of the technology. There is no emphasis on the ecological approach, which are largely regional specific in case of the conventional as well as the demonstration methods. But in case of Farmer Field School it is individual specific. When we are maintaining the ecology of an individual, group, village as a whole and the unit as a whole. Then cost of the technical input or the wisdom are high as well as borrowed in case of the traditional and the demonstration methods. It is comparatively less in case of Farmer Field School. Because it is the synthesis of local, traditional as well as the external wisdom, are automatically because a group of farmers coming together to learn issues related to the crop cultivation.

The essential elements of Farmer Field School include. The summary of the discussion what we had. The farmers are in groups, number one. The field orientation is there. There is one facilitator known as extension worker. Regular weekly meetings and adoption of ecological approach. So these are some of the essential elements of the Farmer Field School.

The quality indicators of successful Farmer Field School include. The difference in productivity is observed and reasons for such increase or decrease in the yield are being discussed by the farmers themselves. They can witness it and they can understand it. Then the causes for the high yields are identified and that will be replicated among their own communities. Then the problems related to the water management are addressed. And the solutions are also achieved. Then all the solutions for effective management of be published through the pamphlets, press, media, tom-tom etc, which are to for the purpose of motivating the fellow farmers. Then the higher yields and higher returns, this is the basic indicator of, for field school. Then reduction in cost of cultivation, because of which the farmers are being motivated to adopt this methodology. Then increase in science of farmers and making farmer expert in scientific information and making the farmer as a role model because now he is not only loaded with the technology, he is also loaded with the logical analysis of the technology and its understanding and its implementation, and analysis of its implication also. Because of that the farmer is emerging as a role model under the model of Farmer Field School. Planning cropping pattern as per the market needs is another indicator of a successful Farmer Field School.

To conclude we can say that the participation in case of Farmer Field School is voluntary in nature. And the learners are, the farmers are going to learn by doing, which is the basic philosophy of extension and extension worker role is limited as a facilitator. Put together with your own involvement, you are going to be a reason for success of your own efforts. Without your involvement how can you be successful. So that is what is the take home message that we can carry with a discussion on the Farmer Field School. In the next class we will be discussing about the farming situation based extension.

Thank You.