Facilitating Innovation - and the role of Extension and Advisory Services

[Andrea Bohn]

by Dominique Hounkonnou, Suzanne Nederlof, Niels Röling and Arnold van Huis

“The international consensus was that productivity growth requires a smooth flow of ‘innovations’ from science to ‘ultimate users’. That consensus is shifting to other pathways. One is Innovation Systems: innovation emerges from interaction among diverse but complementary actors in an agricultural domain. Their concerted action can create and interlink the services and conditions that provide realistic opportunity. When the mix is right (when they have voice and access to e.g., credit, inputs, technology, marketing and rights) farmers participate in modern markets. Extension becomes effective when it is part of, or even brokers, the mix and helps actors capture opportunity.

Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming is a serious option for global food security. That option is more resource-efficient than further intensification of industrial agriculture. Researchers agree on a pervasive bias against smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa. When it comes to commercial food production, they face very small windows of opportunity. Innovation platforms on which key actors agree to establish enabling conditions for categories of smallholders are an option. Facilitating them is a role for extension.”

continue reading at: http://www.egfar.org/sites/default/files/dominique_hounkonnou_suzanne_nederlof_niels_roling-facilitating_innovation.pdf

[Bohn, Andrea B]

Dear People

For decreasing poverty increasing labour productivity in farm families is most important. The way this can be realised is not in disagreement with what you say. See my article in the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension of October 2011.

 

Anne van den Ban

 

From: Andrea Boh

Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 1:44 PM

To: worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Facilitating Innovation - and the role of Extension and Advisory Services

 

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[Nelson Ojijo]

Dear Anne,

The way this (increasing labor productivity) can be done is by ensuring positive structural transformation. Highly developed value chains and high caliber human capital are central to this.

Regards,

Nelson

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[Charles Dhewa]

I totally disagree with the consensus ".... that productivity growth requires a smooth flow of ‘innovations’ from science to ‘ultimate users’".  By trying to make things smooth, you are sugar -coating development and learning.  The Industrial Revolution wasn't a smooth process at all, which probably explains why it achieved set out goals.  People should be allowed to make their own mistakes from which they learn much more faster than instructions from far-removed judging observers.

Mobile technology has turned the whole extension model on its head.  In Zimbabwe,  I have enough proof that extension officers are now far behind farmers in terms of what works.  They are having to run while farmers walk. Where farmers used to depend solely on local extension agents, they now have diverse sources of information/messages from traders, transporters and other people living in far away areas.  The extension business is a messy process.  In fact, there is so much reverse extension where extension agents and graduates are learning more from farmers.

Let's not confuse consensus with knowledge.  Sometimes isolated ideas are more useful!  The messier the better for everyone's sake.

Best,

Charles Dhewa

Chief Executive Officer

Knowledge Transfer Africa (KTA)

188 Willowvale Road, Southerton,

Harare, Zimbabwe

Tel: +263-4-669228

Mobile: +263 774 430 309 / 772 137 717/712 737 430

Email: cha...@knowledgetransafrica.com

             charle...@gmail.com

              dhe...@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.knowledgetransafrica.com / www.emkambo.co.zw

Skype: charles.dhewa

[Gary Alex]

From this example, it seems that mobile technology is very effective as a means of smooth flow of ‘innovations’ from science to ‘ultimate users’.

Gary Alex

Farmer-to-Farmer Program Manager

Bureau of Food Security

202-712-4086

[A. van den Ban]

Dear people,

In the Netherlands according  the census of 1947 19% of the labour force worked in agriculture. This has now decreasesed to about 2%, but at the same time the value of agricultural production has increased considerably. We see a similar rural-urban migration in many developing countries, but a difference is that in the Netherlands the people who left agriculture were often well trained for a non-farm job, but this training is seldom available in developing countries. So many change rural poverty for urban poverty. More attention is needed for the way in which the rural poor and especially their children can be prepared for a non-farm job, which offers a good way of life.

Kind regards,

Anne van den Ban

[David Dolly]

This is an important disucssion for the sake of the future of Extension. The discipline is at a crucial crossroad and if it is not understood and redesigned there could be a fallout for agricultural productivity, the diet of consumers, the health of consumers and a delapidated environment throughout the urban and rural landscape . There could also be a demise of the discipline.

 

We live in an era where no one wants to listen carefully to what is appropriate.for him/her and their country. Extension is about the delivery of messages which a good listener would benefit from. Therein lies one of Extension many problems. It is only when there are diseases like those that are currently threatening bananas and cocoa or a foot and mouth disease outbreak among cattle, that the attention becomes valid and everyone rushes to salvage productivity. In some cases good extension practice becomes part of the resolve and in other cases there is still a blind eye to the capacity of Extension. We extensionists must regain our rightful roles regardless. We do need broader outlooks that include socioeconomic reflections like the labour issue. We need to keep up with commuication techniques including all the smart phone devices.We need to define our space.........

 

Regards

 

David Dolly

Trinidad and Tobago

[Joseph Kwarteng]

 

Dear All

While its true that one way out of poverty is to prepare the rural poor and their kin for profitable non-farm jobs, such jobs are often non-existent in the required quantities in developing due to policies that stifle job creation or discourage investment. The agricultural sector continues to receive more of lip service from governments in developing nations especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Another way to help the rural poor who want to remain in agriculture is to facilitate their participation in innovations that increase productivity. Poor farmers should be able to share/participate in technologies and profitable markets through well structured win-win outgrower schemes that do not exploit them. Those who want to remain in farming and agricultural value addition should be encouraged to do so under arrangements that allow them to prosper. I've come across hundreds of farmers who have tried and failed through no fault of theirs. They need a voice now. Maybe well-meaning partners in development like all of us can help deaf governments and development partners hear a little better. Over to us.

All stay blessed

Joe

 

Prof. J.A. Kwarteng,Ph.D., MS. (Ohio State Univ., USA); BSc. (Hons) Agriculture, Dip. Ed. (UCC., Ghana).

Professor of Agricultural Extension

University of Cape Coast, Ghana. West Africa

 

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field." --Jesus Christ. Matt. 13:44 NLT

[Mulder, Martin]

Hi all,

I agree with the last notion of Anne van der Ban. An example. When Poland entered the European Union, the EU suddenly had 1 million farmers more. It was estimated that more than 90% of them would have to leave agriculture as their produce would simply not meet the quality criteria of the EU and there would be no space for them to increase their quality, also because of lack of competence. That required a lot of attention for retraining these people. It also required a new entrepreneurial attitude. This was exactly what happened, and is still going on. If Turkey would enter the European Union, the same would happen. Therefore we have to redefine extension and to think of it as integrated rural development, meaning that new labour-market relevant development opportunities outside agriculture would be given to a large percentage of the current rural agricultural population while increasing the agricultural yield at the same time. In the Netherlands these big economic transitions, like in the metal, textile and mining industries, were alleviated by the socio-economic structure measures and funds. Later on, regions in Europe received a lot of support for training and retraining by the European Social Fund. Extension officers should start thinking (if they not already do so) from the perspective of the diverse development needs of people and regions, include out-of-the-box solutions like retraining people in non-agriculture related sectors, and not just think about knowledge transfer or communicating messages in the field of agriculture.

Martin Mulder

Editor of the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension (by Taylor & Francis)

[Titus Gakwaya]

Dear Colleagues,

As Martin says, lessons have to be learned, and then policies have to be formulated of the INNOVATIONS REQUIRED, for the transformation of the small rural farmers . The agricultural sector has to change, and the practices of productions have to change.

They can not stay on, with the traditional practices of our ancestors. This is a new age. As they have to change, the very changes must be with the extension practices. They have to draw schemes of transforming them.

- Like their small farms under the strain of the hoes, they can bring their lands together (LAND CONSOLIDATION), and have access of machine power of tillage. Rather than , the land be taken by the rich bigger farmer.

- Their productions on small patches, if brought together, and are organised in seeds selection, and the crop, they can have a bigger harvest, that can fetch more money when marketed together. TOGETHER THEY HAVE MORE STRENGTH AND BARGAINING POWER.

- They can even own the processing of their own produce, rather than sell to the bigger organizations, and in so doing, they can get more revenue of their produce than selling primary raw materials !

- Thus, home grown solutions, by each nation, can be more appropriate, if the extension agents draw better befitting programs.

The poor status, has to change. This will be got rid of, by proper works, planned, and giving then a better next step. Thus, all hands, should assist, we can work with the EXTENSION AGENTS, in all our disciplines, and work out what it should be. But each nation, should look carefully where it leads the small farmers,not merely replacing them on the land.

Gakwaya Titus.

[satish]

I agree that the extension is at cross roads and the traditional concept of lab to land through extension does not hold good at these times especially for developing countries like India. Where on one hand, the per capita land holding is shrinking, agricultural land is being diverted to building infrastructure and urbanization and on the other hand, given a choice, majority of the farmers are willing to leave agriculture. In this type of situation, simple extending of information will not suffice.  The role of extension is much more than that. As suggested by Anne van den Ban, how to accommodate the people leaving agriculture in non-agriculture sectors has to be seriously thought off and how to maximize the output from existing farmland in order to make is a viable enterprise and deter farmers leaving agriculture has to be given importance.

Extension has to take over a proactive role of knowledge brokering and empowering of the farm families for making the small farm holdings more profitable and viable. In this direction, the integrated farming systems, value addition and innovative ways of using existing ICTs are crucial .

G.D.Satish Kumar 

Directorate of Oilseeds Research 

Rajendranagar- 500 030 

mobile:7386451601 

alternate email:satis...@rediffmail.com

[A. van den Ban]

Dear colleagues,

One additional point:

For many farmers in developing there are increasing possibilities to earn money from the production of high value products for which there is a growing demand in export markets or by the middle class consumers in their own country. This is discussed in different publications of Burt Swanson and in the book I edited with Samanta in India: Changing roles of agricultural extension in Asian nations, B.R. Publising Corporation, New Delhi, 2006.

Kind regards

Anne van den Ban

[mgo...@unr.edu.ar]

Dears colleagues:

What your think will be the Rural system for producers facilitating
process when your talk about Rural Extension. In the last time the
transfer of technologies was the imperative in all rural services of
Extension. But this focus was not come to the all producers. Especially in
relations with the small producers because they haven´t the same
situations with relation to the big producers and the transfer system put
the questions on the technologies. But the type of technologies does
consider the different positions between the producers. This questions is
very important when is talk over The decade of the 80´s years all work was
in direction to the increase productive but this process was doing the
diffentiation between the producers in different situations in relations
with work, capital and land. But in all countries is can see the decrease
in number of producers and increase the poor in the countries with issues
of development. Are in this context that thinks the role of Rural
Extension. The role is different but we think witch the similar question
with relations of social conditions, with relations with structural
conditions and with relation of the focus of Extension institutional
prevalence. These issues are see daily in the work of extensionist food
security and process of sustainability. The producers need changes but not
only the producers.
Is frequently listen the producers have changes but the questions is only
the producers or issues of security food and others involve all society.
So in this case the role of extensionist and the institution of extension
can think with more participation. If questions is analyzed only as the
problem of transfer and adoption technologies the problems that present
and the effect on small producers.
Marisa Gonnella
Universidad Nacional de Rosario
Argentina

> ?The international consensus was that productivity growth requires a
> smooth flow of ?innovations? from science to ?ultimate users?. That

> consensus is shifting to other pathways. One is Innovation Systems:
> innovation emerges from interaction among diverse but complementary
> actors in an agricultural domain. Their concerted action can create and
> interlink the services and conditions that provide realistic
> opportunity. When the mix is right (when they have voice and access to
> e.g., credit, inputs, technology, marketing and rights) farmers
> participate in modern markets. Extension becomes effective when it is
> part of, or even brokers, the mix and helps actors capture opportunity.
>
>
>
> Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming is a serious option
> for global food security. That option is more resource-efficient than
> further intensification of industrial agriculture. Researchers agree on
> a pervasive bias against smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa. When it
> comes to commercial food production, they face very small windows of
> opportunity. Innovation platforms on which key actors agree to establish
> enabling conditions for categories of smallholders are an option.

> Facilitating them is a role for extension.?

[Charles Dhewa]

I like the way this conversation has snowballed into concrete ideas!  The promise of high value crops and niche markets is one dimension that has destroyed farmers' self-esteem.  Very few farmers can benefit from high value markets where their commodities compete with those from people they don't know.  Many developing countries have devoted resources to the miniscule high value niche market at the expense of domestic mass markets where demand is very high and standards are not used to punish smallholder farmers.  Most contract arrangements are designed in ways that reduce smallholder farmers to labourers who can't break out of the poverty cycle. Extension still has a fundamental role in amplifying the link between food and nutrition through domestic markets where face to face interaction between farmers & consumers happen for mutual benefit.

Waving from Mbare Agriculture Market, Harare!


Charles

--

[Vugar Babayev]

Dear colleagues,

 

I’d like to share with you our experience related with application of ICT in RAS. Any comments or questions are welcome.

 

Yours,

Vugar Babayev, PhD

 

Chairman of Ganja

Agribusiness Association (GABA)

 

47 H.Aliyev ave., Ganja city,

Az 2000, Azerbaijan

tel.: +994 22 256 94 00 (ext.111)

fax:  +994 22 252 12 61

mobile: +994 50 229 08 13; +994 77 477 00 01

URL: www.gaba.az

E-mail: v.ba...@gaba.az

Skype: babayev1972

---

From: worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com [mailto:worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of satish
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2014 11:02 AM
To: worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Facilitating Innovation - and the role of Extension and Advisory Services

 

I agree that the extension is at cross roads and the traditional concept of lab to land through extension does not hold good at these times especially for developing countries like India. Where on one hand, the per capita land holding is shrinking, agricultural land is being diverted to building infrastructure and urbanization and on the other hand, given a choice, majority of the farmers are willing to leave agriculture. In this type of situation, simple extending of information will not suffice.  The role of extension is much more than that. As suggested by Anne van den Ban, how to accommodate the people leaving agriculture in non-agriculture sectors has to be seriously thought off and how to maximize the output from existing farmland in order to make is a viable enterprise and deter farmers leaving agriculture has to be given importance.

--

[mahmoud mekki]

Dear All

It is obvious that several innovations and technologies have not yet reached the farmers. Moreover, it has been observed that very few farmers adopt the full technological package. Usually extension is the victim. However, in my opinion, poor facilitation of innovation and adoption of full technological package could be attributed to isolation of extension and farmers as well from the process of innovation/technology development. This situation necessitate the need for direct  involvement of  both extension agents and farmers in the process of innovation and  technology development as well as transfer. The first issue could be fulfilled through adoption of Participatory Innovation Development (PID). The second issue could be addressed through adoption of Farming System Research  and Extension (FSR & E). 

regards  

 

Mahmoud Awad Mekki
Associate Professor (Extension & Socioeconomic)
Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC)
Agricultural Economics & Policy Research Center (AEPRC)
Mobile phones: +249 910972450
                   or                   
                        +249 122244894

continue reading at: http://www.egfar.org/ sites/default/files/dominique_ hounkonnou_suzanne_nederlof_ niels_roling-facilitating_ innovation.pdf

--

[Ravishankar M]

Hi All

The biggest issue specially in the Indian context is the wide gap of knowledge between the scientific community (SC) and the indigenous knowledge of farmers.(IKF)
AS what the farmers have learnt the hard way, is out of bounds for the SC and what the farmers have is not in text book.
the only way to make the extension more effective is by enriching the IKF, which is far more superior and practical.
Unless effforts are made to preserve IKF, their is no way we can revive the entire extension programs, which might become obsolete.
As today , in india we have large number of KVK's ( krishi vigyan kendras), which is their in every district of the country ( 592), yet they are unable to reach out to the farmers in their respective districts.

Another important challenge is , the entire extension program is top down approach ie the farmer is being pushed what is " assumed" need. This can never work, what needs to be done is understand the needs of the farmers before providing the knowledge. One needs to truly understand the needs,requirments etc. In india despite the vast network  of KVK's yet it has failed to inspire confidence into the farmers to reach out to them for support.

Extension services is not a one way street, its a two mechanism- unless we understand this , it will become Dinosaur.

thank you

Regards
Ravishankar Mantha
Founder
AgRisk
Mumbai 
Mobile: +919892502419
Our Vision: Transforming Business by Providing Agricultural Insights
AgRisk Motto:"Sincerity & Integrity and Originality & Innovation" 
www.agrisk.in
http://rsmagrisk.wordpress.com/
Twitter Handle:rsmagri
Humata        Hukhta      Huvarshta
Good Thought  Good words  Good Deed

[Gary Cramer]

Hello Everyone,

It is very exciting to see so many fresh ideas and critical discussions going on about the role of extension.

I have a concern that doesn't seem to appear in most of the discussions. Who will pay for the provision of these services? Many (most) governments are quickly divesting themselves of financial support in the name of privatization. The problem is extension is not a particularly profitable enterprise. Who will pay the extensionists for their work? I have worked in both Niger and Rwanda and this has been a core problem. There is no lack of fresh ideas and highly dedicated and knowledgeable local actors but when the NGOs finish their projects that often employ these people there is no funding available to pay for wages or support the infrastructure needed to continue their good work. Local farmers are usually not in the position to provide money to pay for wages, especially in the first few years of privization, and dealers will provide only minimal, if any resources. This is not a sustainable financial model.

Kind Regards,

Gary

[Titus Gakwaya]

Dear Colleagues ,

I agree with Mr. Gary Cramer, the forum that has been set up as we exchange the good ideas, this I feel should serve the purpose of awakening some, and reinforcing others to know what should be done to transform the national agriculture production efforts, and the food security and nutrition of our people and the economy at large, where most countries agricultural sector supports more than 70% of the population.

It is true, the extension in Rwanda was as low level as in most African countries, but I can say you can not that the status is not changing. What usually changes the STATUS is the POLICY. If the policy making organ, is aware of what to do, it renews the organ that has to serve the link not served. I do not know, when Mr. Cramer was in Rwanda, but I can say that the Rwanda of the last 20 years, has remarkable steps in the transformation of the agricultural sector.

The policy change, is the main tool - Agricultural production , has been, and is being transformed. The production is being guided, and the next stages have to follow.

There are some NEW POLICIES that I can call out other to try and see the effect that they have given our agriculture:

- i. Land Consolidation (LC) - This breaks the traditional perrennial production of fragmented lands.

-ii. Crop Intensification Program (CIP) - With guided scientific inputs and proper resources this, increases production from N crops to small finite number on the land with more crops,

- iii. Power inputs of machines to production (PIM) - our African agriculture can not meet up the growing population with the ages old tradition hoes and cutlasses! Tractors and Power Tillers hare been introduced.

- iv. Organization of the producers (OP) - our farmers or small holders should not be left at the mercies of the nature. The colonialists supported crops that supplied their industries. But in some cases, power and other inputs were left out and in some countries, even after 50 years of indepandence are following the ageless tradition!

- v. Irrigation Practices (IP) - this is so important, and yet water from our rains flows as the gradients exit, and evaporate at the nature call.

- vi. Environmental care (EC) - this is a key remarkable factor of the AGRICULTURE. The climate change song has lived with us, and some do not give it a grain of thought. I have living example, some years back, here in Rwanda, there some LAKES that would have been marked EXISTED. we had power back outs because of failures of POWER GENERATED. On caring for the environment, the swamps were recreated, the trees on the hills and plains etc. Now show results, to the memories of the then promoted POLICIES>

As Mr. Cramer said, a COST has to be paid. This is paid by the one in charge or at the HELM of the STATE AFFAIRS. Yes the Government has to foot the bill, organize the take off, and support the PRIVATE SECTOR. Or set up the POLICIES THAT CARE FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR. These can not invest their money where it seems no return, as in vENTURES OF EXTENSION, where you have to win the hearts of the producers to take on new practices, with unknown returns. But when the returns, are known, the Private Sector will COMPETE in INVESTING their money! The Private Sector can be compared to the BEES, if the VEGETATION is GROOMING, they will come for the HONEY collection. Investments focus, where are good returns, with minimal inputs. So someone has to prepare their grounds so they can PLAY well.

Thus, my contribution, is on calling the DONORS, THE SMALLHOLDERS, THE INVESTORS, that if we can trace these few trends, we can achieve our MISSIONS and GOALS.

Gakwaya Titus, 

[Sanath Reddy]

Hi Anne:

Remember Sanath Kumar Rreddy ( we worked on the Michigan State Innovations in Rural Societies project at NICD Rajendranaga, Hyderabad, India, in 1966-1968)

It is so nice to see you active in Extension. I moved away from Extension and have been working for USAID for the last 30 ears on a number of projects. I still take interest and keep track of going-ons in Extension

Now I am in DRC/Kinshasa fro the lat one year Directing a Central Africa Regional Environmental project.

Most comments I see on extension are unrealistic and idealistic. We need to accept the fact that classical extension is unsustainable. U.S. institutions like UNIV. of Illinois running the project have no clue to what is practical in the  field. The are out of touch.

I will share my views in the next couple of days

Trust you are keeping good health

Cheers

Sanath

 

​

[Ifidon Ohiomoba]

Dear All,

 

I have followed the discussions and ideas shared. I do believe that Extension and Advisory Services have considerable roles to play in facilitating innovation. To play these roles effectively, the actors in these Services, whether public, private or plural must have the capacity to do so; knowledge of what is innovation and the environment in which it is expected to happen and the skill to facilitate and make it happen are essential.

 

Innovation is about new thinking and action – new knowledge, new technologies, new or better ways of doing old things, more efficient ways of translating information and knowledge into action for greater benefits. Facilitation on the other hand is about enabling, encouraging, persuading, guiding, and all the relevant soft skills required to ensure that the appropriate thing is done by the other party.

 

The other issue is the area of attention for such innovations; that is whether it should be for food security or for improved livelihood in which case focus would be on high value commodities, meeting the needs in the immediate environment or what have you. Most of the contributions thus far seem to concentrate on this aspect. While it is important for Extension and Advisory Services to be able to guide the process of either ensuring food security or better livelihood for the small scale producers, the actors must be empowered to be able to identify the needs and opportunities in the given environment and to be able to guide actions that will uniquely result in effective resolution of the challenges while taking advantage of the available opportunities to develop new means of livelihood.

 

For me, the question is not much about the roles but the how Extension and Advisory Services can effectively facilitate innovation for improved food security and livelihood among smallholders/producers. In which case, it is how Extension and Advisories Services should be positioned with knowledge, skills, policies, and logistics to facilitate innovation among smallholders/producers. To facilitate innovations in terms of enhancing access to knowledge, technologies and inputs to increase productivity, improving quality of produce, enhancing access to markets, obtaining better prices for products, adding value to produce and so on. It is facilitating innovations in these areas that will certainly do the smallholders a world of good.

 

 

Ifidon Ohiomoba

FARA, Accra-Ghana

Tel: +233 302 772823; 541701662

 

 

From: worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com [mailto:worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com]
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2014 7:18 AM
To: sat...@dor-icar.org.in; worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Facilitating Innovation - and the role of Extension and Advisory Services

 

I like the way this conversation has snowballed into concrete ideas!  The promise of high value crops and niche markets is one dimension that has destroyed farmers' self-esteem.  Very few farmers can benefit from high value markets where their commodities compete with those from people they don't know.  Many developing countries have devoted resources to the miniscule high value niche market at the expense of domestic mass markets where demand is very high and standards are not used to punish smallholder farmers.  Most contract arrangements are designed in ways that reduce smallholder farmers to labourers who can't break out of the poverty cycle. Extension still has a fundamental role in amplifying the link between food and nutrition through domestic markets where face to face interaction between farmers & consumers happen for mutual benefit.

[Gary Cramer]

Hi Charles,

Thanks for your email. You address all the good options that are available to the farmers in Rwanda and other developing economies.

I worked for USAID in Rwanda from 2010 - 2012. I had the opportunity to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and was able to fund an extensive study conducted by the the University of Illinois (MEAS Project; Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services). You are absolutely right about the gains made in Rwandan agriculture. The change was really impressive. There were many new well thought out programs. One of the few programs that was still having difficulty getting started was the fertilizer program. The Government of Rwanda (GOR) was subsidising chemical inputs at 100% for a few years, then reduced the amount to 50% and was in the process of ending subsidies. There is a very good reason for this as most governments (the U.S. and Europe included) don't have enough funding for this continued subsidy. Almost all of the subsidies went to a few export crops (potatoes, corn, etc) as the government was trying to emphasise export crops. This leaves the vast majority of the small farmers without support.

Another issue was the requirement that extension agents work monitoring many other subject areas including watching over various projects like housing construction in small towns that have no relationship to agriculture. This spread these agents too thin to focus on extension services. Rwanda is focusing on developing a bottom up approach to extension; an approach most people agree is the way to go.

There are a lot of success stories in Rwanda including the establishment of cooperatives that provide economies of scale to purchase inputs and extension workers. There was also a very interesting program that made appropriately sized equipment available to small farmers. I thought this program had real potential. The GOR is indeed very forward looking, and they will be incorporating the use of technology in the future.

When I left, the primary funding was shifting to the organizations you mentioned; religious groups, NGOs, privately funded projects. These are all outside organizations bringing resources that are applied to specific projects that usually last for a couple of years. There is a need for internal investment in Rwanda (and other countries).

I think there is a need to continue to provide some support for the extension services from the government for at least a few more years (10?) - that number is completely arbitrary. I know there isn't much money available for these services but there needs to be some resources made available. Over 80% of the population lives in rural areas and depend on agriculture. The rush to privatization may be too quick. This is a very difficult issue that has no easy answer but I thought I would bring it up for discussion. It's obvious there are many exceptional people involved in this discussion and I wanted to get input about funding in the near term.

Again, thanks very much for your feedback.

Gary

On Wed, Apr 30, 2014 at 7:14 AM, Charles Dhewa <dhe...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Hie Gary,

To answer your question on who will pay for extension services:

This is a mindset issue.  Farmers should look at extension messages the same way they look at fertiliser, seed and other inputs that they buy.  Mobile technology has opened an avenue for how this can possibly be done.  If farmers are able to buy mobile airtime, surely they can pay for extension messages that are transmitted through mobile phone & ipads.  I know in Africa, there is a strong culture of not wanting to pay for information. To go about  this, my organisation (based in Zimbabwe) has crafted a blended service involving mobile service providers.  Mobile service providers have the transmission service while we have content that farmers are desperate to get.  By embedding our content in airtime, farmers have found themselves paying for extension content without complaining since its part of mobile communication.

By the way, extension is not the domain of government departments alone.  Private companies also dispense extension messages about their inputs and so does religious organisations, particularly of the prosperity gospel type.  By working with private companies, government extension agents can inject a business approach to extension services through which they can recoup their costs.  To the extent that they worry about getting their commodities to the market, farmers are business people in their own right no matter how small. 

Best,

Charles Dhewa

Chief Executive Officer

Knowledge Transfer Africa (KTA)

188 Willowvale Road, Southerton,

Harare, Zimbabwe

Tel: +263-4-669228

Mobile: +263 774 430 309 / 772 137 717/712 737 430

Email: cha...@knowledgetransafrica.com

             charle...@gmail.com

              dhe...@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.knowledgetransafrica.com / www.emkambo.co.zw

Skype: charles.dhewa

 

[Simpson, Brent]

Dear Sanath,

I do hope that you take the time to share with us some of your insights on what practical extension looks like and how it functions.  You have cast your net quite widely in condemning  all U.S. Institutions.  It will instructive for all of us to learn from your experiences.

Best regards,

Brent

 

From: Sanath Reddy <sre...@usaid.gov>
Reply-To: "sre...@usaid.gov" <sre...@usaid.gov>
Date: Friday, May 2, 2014 5:53 AM
To: "avand...@planet.nl" <avand...@planet.nl>
Cc: Titus Gakwaya <tgak...@gmail.com>, "martin...@wur.nl" <martin...@wur.nl>, "farmd...@gmail.com" <farmd...@gmail.com>, "noj...@fara-africa.org" <noj...@fara-africa.org>, Andrea Bohn <andre...@gmail.com>, "worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com" <worldwide-ext...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Facilitating Innovation - and the role of Extension and Advisory Services

Hi Anne:

Remember Sanath KumarRreddy ( we worked on the Michigan State Innovations in Rural Societies project at NICD Rajendranaga, Hyderabad, India, in 1966-1968)

--

[Titus Gakwaya]

Dear Colleagues,

Let us be realistic. Mr. Cramer is right, the extension service is not like a commodity or other services that the small farmers can buy like the fertilizer as said. This is imported in most situations, and its availability is so essential in building up their capacities, such that their productions of whater commodities to be competitive.

The state has to pay up the bills as their farmers are prepared. This can be compared to the care given to our growing children, we give them, whatever needed support, till they are able to stand up on their own.

- The extension services, should be born by the state from the national resources, investments, and even the taxes, as these will soon contribute to the tax schemes, if they are well prepared.

- The other production inputs, can be costed, proportionally to their capacities, untill they find their worth, like mechanization, and other innovations.

- The othe key issue the state should, own up , is the organisation of the small farmers, such that the cost of setting the cooperatives, by the trade owners, such that the small holders do not be bought up out by passive or no farmers. The Confederations, and the likes, should be built by the cooperatives themselves after they have identified their interests.

Then, the extension services can be sold out to the farmers, whatever their costs, to stay in profitable agricultural production.

[Gary Cramer]

Hi Sanath,

I didn't take a copy of the MEAS report with me when I left Rwanda. You may want to contact the Univeristy of Illinois Champaigne Urbana, or the USAID office in Kigali. Both of them should have a copy of the report. It was very interesting. Not all of the recommendations can be, or need to be implemented but the document gives a very good perspective of the situation in 2011 and provides a jumping off point for much more indepth conversations about the evolving agricultural system in Rwanda. At times it is hard to keep up with the government programs as they are charging ahead. Just as this discussion has been developing and evolving, so to the realities in the field will change over the years and extension will need to be more flexible and innovative than ever before. I started my career as an extension agent and I could not have imagined the challenges and potential to effect change that extension agents face today. It is really quite astounding.

Andrea probaby has the contact you need at U. of Illinois.

Good luck in your new position in DRC.

Gary

--

[mahmoud mekki]

Fully agree with you

 

Mahmoud Awad Mekki
Associate Professor (Extension & Socioeconomic)
Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC)
Agricultural Economics & Policy Research Center (AEPRC)
Mobile phones: +249 910972450
                   or                   
                        +249 122244894

[A. van den Ban]

An important article “Briefing the new green revolution”is published in the Economist May 10th pp16-18. It discusses the possibilities to increase rice yields and decrease the cost of production.

Anne van den Ban