INTERPAKS, Suggests the development of a farming systems approach for use by on-farm advisors in the developing world. Outlines procedures which could form the basis of a low-cost method of improving the effectiveness of farm-level advice in isolated areas with little recourse to institutional farming systems research organizations.
9 pages., The paper explored the policy options targeted at preventing extreme hunger after surviving the COVID-19 pandemic. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 15 key informants across five purposively selected Local Government Areas in Kaduna and Ogun States for this study. Checklist (administered through recorded telephone calls) was used to elicit responses (qualitative data) on the impacts of COVID-19 on the food system. This paper concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted on the food system thus challenging the AES to employ more innovative and pragmatic approaches to reach the farmers. Major impacts of COVID-19 on food system were disruptions in agricultural production, limitation of field visit by extension personnel and distortion of technology delivery system. Major recommendations include: in response to the stay-at-home order in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Agricultural extension services (AES) should explore virtual means to reach the clientele. To this end, farm operations and new techniques should be packaged into short clips and shared via various platforms. Also, legislative means to consider AEAS as essential services should be sought; and extensionists should be trained and provided with personal protection equipment (PPE) to enable them reach farmers. Such field officers should be insured and provided with adequate tangible mobility.
Sakson, N. (author / Center for Education and Progress in Agriculture, Poznan, Poland) and Center for Education and Progress in Agriculture, Poznan, Poland
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1986
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 61 Document Number: C01890
INTERPAKS, Considers the feasibility of using the US institutional approach to promote agricultural development in developing countries. Noting that farming systems research is concerned about understanding the whole farm in a comprehensive manner, the social and agricultural structures of the USA and developing countries are compared to establish any differences which would affect the implementation of this approach. Six comparisons are made: 1) US farmers were politically active in obtaining a mandate for research, while limited-resources farmers in developing countries are marginal to political power; 2) US farmers and researchers share common goals, while researchers in developing countries tend to be from urban and/or elite backgrounds and have little in common with the farmer; 3) many developing societies do not place an equivalent value on mental and manual energy as in the US; 4) the US farm economy was founded on a husband and wife team sharing management, labor and farm ownership in contrast to the present situation in developing countries; 5) development of US agriculture was assisted by the ability of the non-agricultural sects to absorb noncompetitive farmers; and 6) in the US there has always close cooperation between private and public sectors in developing and disseminating agricultural technology, while developing countries do not have mediating factors.
