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

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Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:26:56 +0100
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This is B L Jangid, working as a Principal Scientist (Agricultural Extension) at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Regional Research Station, Pali-Marwar, Rajasthan, India.



I have been going through all the messages of this conference and it's going great. It has been great learning about the issues of the conference in various parts of the world.



I wish to respond to Message 74 of Dr. Mahesh Chander. In this part of western Rajasthan, dryland agriculture is the major agriculture activity of family farms. Though family farms are generally falls under the large category, but mostly due to rainfed-based single cropping the agriculture is still in subsistance mode. However, wherever there is availability of irrigation water, two or even three crops a year are taken up. Livestock rearing forms part and parcel of family farming in this region. So, there exists a complex subsistence family farming phenomenon.



Providing agriculture advisory service is a real challenge. What Dr. Mahesh Chander has pointed out is true within the region for family farming. 



The agro-advisory provided is in pluristic mode. The major player is the state agriculture department with a well-organised extension set up, presently mainly operating through ATMA mode implementing various programmes of State/Central Government's Dept of Agriculture. The other players are: KVKs of/and  SAU's and ICAR institutes, state animal husbandry dept, farmers cooprative societies, dairy cooperative societies, state dept of horticulture, input dealers and suppliers etc. [Following Glendenning et al (2010), the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) model is a central government initiative of the 2005–06 Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms (SSEPER) scheme; the main extension activities of the central autonomous Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) are achieved through the 40 Agriculture Technology Information Centres (ATICs) and 569 district-level Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), or farm science centers; and each India state has a state agricultural university (SAU), which provides extension and training activities through the Directorate of Extension and Education...Moderator].



The radio and televisions channels are regularly broadcasting agro-advisory programmes two or three times a day using inputs from subject matter specialists. The ICTs are also penetrating through continuously increasing accessibility of masses to mobiles through e-KVK service in specific and general increase in telephonic network.



The package of practices for the zone are updated on the basis of inputs of the research and extension systems conversed through the Zonal Research and Extension Advisory Committee (ZREAC) meeting held twice a year (one before Rabi season and another before kharif season) at a designated Zonal research centre. The outcome of ZREAC forms the basis for all major advisory services in the zone. The advisory service is not distinguishing to family farm size but it is for the whole agriculture system of the zone. However, the various extension programmes implemented distinguish between various categories of family farms viz. almost every programme of training, demonstration, subsidized input etc. based on category of marginal/small/medium/scheduled castes (SC)/scheduled tribes (ST)/farm women farmers.



It will be a mammoth task to tailor the advisory according to category of family farms in such a diverse and complex agriculture.



I have tried to share the scenario of this region regarding the issues on which participants of this conference are deliberating. I hope it will help in understanding the same.



Dr. B L Jangid

Principal Scientist (Agricultural Extension) 

ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute 

Regional Research Station, 

Post Box No. 30 

Pali-Marwar  

306401 Rajasthan

India 

Mobile +91 9413784608

Email: jangidbl (at) gmail.com



Reference:

Glendenning, C.J., Babu, S. and K. Asenso-Okyere. 2010. Review of agricultural extension in India: Are farmers’ information needs being met? IFPRI Discussion Paper 01048. http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ifpridp01048.pdf (1.7 MB).



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