5. Farmer–centered extension approach

Transcript

Hi friends, in the previous lectures, so far in this course we studied about the preliminary aspects of dryland agriculture and also technological components. And also in the previous lecture we studied about the participation of the people in identifying the problems and also in developing a technology. Now the question arises. The technology has been initiated. And the technology has been developed. Then how to reach the farmers. This technology has to reach the doorsteps of the farmers. What is the way out? Mere developing technology is not important, but more importantly how this developed technology has to be reached the farmers, is very important.

So while the technology has been developed, we have to see the socio-economic characteristics of the farmer. So in this respect the present lecture has been devised. So which are all the extension strategies. As I have already told you; technological perspectives with the respective socio-economic context of the farmers. This is very much should be kept in mind, while developing a technology. This happens so in case of dryland situation, wherein the farmers they will be in a very aberrant condition. And the farmer will not be able to accept the technology as it is. He will be always in a negative factor( 2:03) Because why it is so. It is so because of two factors.

• The technology may be involved a component of probability of risk
• And also while adopting the technology, what is the cost associated.

Because of these two factors, the farmers will not be in a ready position to accept the technology. What you have to do. You have to convince him about the risk involved. Also if at all the risk is involved. How it can be overcome. And also cost effectiveness of the technology. So the proper rainfed dryland technologies are those which can reduce the risk of failure, produce optimum economic return, and change the conservative attitude of the farmers. Because the dryland farmers are having a conservative attitude about the technology, our dryland technologies should be in such a way that they should be risk free and also they are cost effective. So this cost effective and risk free technologies will be easily acceptable by the farmers.

Extension Strategy for Dryland Agriculture

So what is the extension strategy adopted for dryland agriculture, especially farmers in the dryland areas do not have access to modern sources of information. So when they don’t have modern sources of access to the information, the reaching of the technology is very difficult. So what are the technologies, so what are the strategies should be adopted for this lacuna. So technology transfer in rainfed areas needs special attention, because of the problems unique to such areas. What are the problems unique?

• A limited range of technologies is available from the extension agencies for the rainfed areas.
• And these agencies need to initiate group action.

So technology transfer in rainfed areas needs special attention in rainfed areas. As you know in rainfed area, we would be countering many problems. Because of these problems, the technology transfer to rainfed areas will have to have some special attention. So these extension agencies, they have a limited range of technologies available from extension agencies from rainfed areas. And these extension agencies need to create group action, they say single action is not possible. So these extension agencies have to have a group action. So these two factors have to be considered, while diffusing a technology to the doorsteps of the farmers.

Farmer Centered Extension

So what is the way out. Assured famer participation in technology development and dissemination is the key to success. There is no doubt in that. In the previous lectures we studied the participation of the farmer or the participation of the people in developing a technology is very important. In the same lines while delivering the technology. While disseminating the technology to the fellow farmers, the participation of the farmer is a must. It is a key to transfer the technology in case of dryland situations.

So what is the way out, because why we have the farmers as a agent. Because the farmers have experience and they have a local insight. Because of these two characters. Because the farmer have local experience, and they have local insight, the farmers will be made the agents of technology transfer. So in this respect farmer centered extension; FCE it is called. Farmer centered extension approach works well in this direction, where the farmers act as principle agents of change. In this farmer centered extension strategy, the farmers will be made as principle agents of change. So with the involvement of the farmers, whatever the technology developed, it can easily passed on to the farmer for adoption in their fields.

Let us study, what are the important points in case of farmer centered extension strategy. There are two important extension approaches.

• One is technology centered extension
• Another one is technology centered extension

In a technology centered extension focus is on disseminating the technology. While in the farmer centered extension, it promotes the welfare of the farmers by using the technology as a vehicle for development. In a technology centered strategy, the focus is on only disseminating the technology. But in the farmer centered technology, we will be keeping welfare of the farmer also in due course. We will be keeping in mind the welfare of farmers by adopting the technology. So in a farmer centered technology, the welfare of the farmers will also be taken into care.

Why FCE : So why FCE, why farmer centered extension is required.

• The farmer centered extension approach is more effective as it facilitates the access to remote areas, because the extension agents cannot reach the remote areas in case of dryland situations. If the farmer is made as a technology facilitator, so it enables him to reach the inaccessible areas in case of dryland situations.
• The second thing is establishes quick and better rapport with the farming community. Because a farmer is involved, he knows how to develop the rapport with the fellow farmers. So it involves establishing quick and better rapport with the farming community.
• Then third one is it operates on a low budget. It does not involve any budgetary requirements. Because we are convincing the farmer to act as a facilitator. So it doesn’t involve any budgetary problems.
• Next it provides timely as well as efficient and effective extension services. Because the farmer is involved, it provides timely the technological information in an effective and efficient way. Because here the free communication amongst the farmers is the soul of FCE. Here what happens. Free communication will be get. The free communication will be provided to the fellow farmers by the farmer who is designated as fellow farmer, who is designated as the facilitator farmer. So free communication is the soul of the farmer centered extension strategy.

Who are all involved in FCE :- So who are all involved in farmer centered extension.

• The farmer extensionist
• Government extensionist agents
• Scientists and
• NGO extension agents.

The four fellows will be involved in this. One is farmer’s extensionist, government extensionist, NGO extensionist and a scientist who has developed the technology. So who are all the pillars of farmer centered extension strategy.

• It’s a farmer. Basically he is involved as a facilitator
• Then farmer extensionist.
• Then farmer groups. Here the groups have been formed
• Then the research and training institutions.

So these are the four pillars of FCE. One is farmer, another is farmer extensionist, another is farmer group. As you know, here individual action will not be performed. Here there is a group action. Because of this farmer groups important. Then research and training institutions.

Strategies for FCE :- What are the strategies adopted in FCE?

• The formation of self-reliant groups
• Begin with informal organization
• And identification of the farmer extensionist
• Equipping the farmer extensionist
• And formation farmer professional association

The strategies adopted here. The first and foremost strategy is the formation of self-reliant groups. As I have already told you, in this strategy there is no individual action. Whatever the action, it has to be taken in a group mode. So in this formation of self-reliant groups. Then begin with informal organization. While forming these groups, to begin with there will be informal organization of the group. Then third one is identification of the farmer extensionist, who will influence the other fellow farmers or the farmers involved in the groups. So the identification of farmer extensionist. Then equipping the farmer extensionist. He will be loaded with plenty of technologies. The farmer extensionist is apprised of plenty of technologies, so that he will be equipped well. Then the formation of farmers professional associations. Based on this the farmers professional associations will be formed. That will be taken care of the technology adoption by the farmers.

So the best educators of farmers are farmers themselves. So this is the guideline, this is the thumb rule in case of farmer centered extension strategy, wherein the best educators of farmers are farmers only. It is from the farmer to farmer. So best educators of farmers are farmers themselves. So in this way the farmer centered extension strategy would be adopted especially in case of dryland farmers. So with this the conclusion will be, the natural resources are community assets. So individual action may not bear the fruit. The difficult agro-economic situation calls for the community action.

One thing is natural resources are community assets. In this individual action doesn’t bear the fruit. It doesn’t yield any results. So the community action is utmost needed. Then farmer centered approach is participatory in nature. Promotes the concept of human rights. Then people upon motivation will participate, develop confidence and pride, and sense of responsibility. Because of the farmer’s participatory program or the farmer centered approach which is participatory in nature. It promotes the concept of human rights, and upon the motivation the participant develops confidence and self-pride and a sense of responsibility.

When the farmers are given a job of transferring a technology, they own the responsibility, they own the self of pride, and he develops self-respect. So in this way the farmer centered extension strategy should be adopted, while transferring, while diffusing the technologies to the farmers especially in dryland areas. So with this I am concluding the topic. That is Farmer Centered Extension Approach for dissemination of technology to the dryland farmers. So in a whole gamut, we have studied the Resource Management in Rainfed Drylands. What are the important aspects we have to use for the management of resources most efficiently and most effectively in the rainfed drylands.

I hope these topics will help you immensely in acquiring the knowledge and in the subsequent the dissemination of these technologies in future.

Thank You.