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Moderated conference on rural advisory services for family farms: 1-18 December 2014

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Dr Mahesh Chander again, this time on the potential of producer groups in providing extension and advisory services (EAS) to member producers.

 

In our recently submitted study of dairy cooperatives in India, we found that: The EAS role was not well recognized by the cooperatives at least when compared with the animal breeding and health service role, the quality and quantity as well as poor professional orientation of practitioners within the cooperatives with regards to EAS was apparent, lack of funding for EAS by cooperatives, social capital, cultural practices and social networking were not taken into account to design EAS by cooperatives. Information and communication technology (ICT), although a powerful tool to inform members for providing EAS, was used very little. Business/entrepreneurship orientation required was also lacking in the context of RAS. Thus, the competence of EAS personnel of producer organizations needs to be improved through training.



The EAS can help link up smallholder farmers, rural entrepreneurs and other members of the producer groups with institutions offering training and education in fields relevant to the agricultural sector. Besides, the EAS has to take up the challenge to develop business management skills among smallholder farmers and other local entrepreneurs. For this to happen, producer organizations have to recognize the importance of EAS as one of their important roles.

 

While most of the large farmers and, to some extent, medium farmers are equipped with some business management skills to cash in on opportunities in entrepreneurship, the smallholders lag far behind in this important area of agribusiness. The big retail chains are now opening shops in developing countries, which often marginalize small scale producers unless they organize themselves into groups. Ever increasing numbers of producer groups, farmer producer organizations, cooperatives are coming in every corner of the world. These groups have a far more important role in poor developing countries in Asia and Africa where the small scale farmers lack capacities individually and so are not capable of competing in rapidly developing markets.



The producer groups having membership of small scale producers need EAS to improve their capacities and skills not only in production and processing but also in business skills. This emerging need for business acumen can be met if producer groups realize and recognize the importance of EAS and take action to improve EAS by strategic planning considering the changing requirements of the members with respect to EAS in particular.



It’s high time producer organizations consider EAS as one of their important roles and take measures to improve their capacities on EAS to be effective brokers for the members.



Dr Mahesh Chander

Head

Division of Extension Education

Indian Veterinary research Institute, 

Izatnagar (UP) 

India

Phone +91 581 2302391, Fax: +91 581 2303284

Email: Mahesh64 (at) email.com



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