Agricultural Administration and Extension最新文献

The project management cycle is traditionally utilized in identifying, planning and implementing rural development projects in developing countries. This cycle does not allow for the participation of extension workers and farmers in the decision-making process involved. Typically, their participation is confined to the implementation phase of this cycle. The authors regard it as a ‘top down’ approach to rural development.

Key weaknesses of the project management cycle are highlighted by the process involved in establishing an Arabica coffee project in Northern Thailand. This project illustrates the dysfunctional impact of planning a project upon assumptions, rather than upon field data, farmer consultation and an assessment of farmer needs particularly during the planning phase of the project.

The rolling planning process developed by IFAD and currently used in the Thai-German Highland Development Project is considered more compatible than the project management cycle for applying participatory rural development. This process enables the incorporation of a ‘bottom up’ extension programme planning and implementation methodology. This methodology includes problem census, problem-solving and consensus budget meetings with farmers and requires measurement of resource utilization on farms and by farming households. Since this extension methodology is farmer-centred the authors consider that farmer participation increases in the decision-making at the planning as well as implementation phases of a project. Through increased participation comes farmer commitment and the rapid adoption of relevant new technology.

The unsuitability of current ‘objective’ methods used in agricultural surveys of smallholder farming in Africa has often been stressed but scientifically tested alternative methods that may be used to replace them are yet to be developed. The present paper reports on the ‘Longest Diagonal Method’ of area estimation, with which encouraging results have been obtained in Malawi.

The field work consists of measuring the longest distance within the area (farm plots) from one end to another: in the testing stage, area estimates based on this variable, designated LD, were compared with the ‘known’ area as measured with tape and compass. At an early stage of our experimentation, an approach involving the computation of the mean of a factor F relating LD to the area A was rejected, and this was replaced by regression analysis in which a second diagonal, designated as the perpendicular or P, is also playing a role in combination with LD. This second diagonal P runs at a 90° angle from the midpoint of LD to the edges of the plot, and since the introduction of P the field work consisted of measuring both LD and P. After the introduction of shape classification based on the ratio R = P/LD as an indicator of a field's degree of compactness, valid aggregate area estimates were obtained and as regards farm size classification the results were also quite acceptable.

Hitherto, efforts to find alternative, more cost-effective methods that would enable agricultural surveys to provide reliable information on crop production at project level of disaggregation have focused almost exclusively on the possibility of using farmers' own estimates. However, this method taken in isolation has its limitations and to be fully effective a breakthrough in this direction, one way or another, needs to be complemented by a less cumbersome approach towards area estimation. While improved area estimation has merits in its own right as well, the most significant effect of the present contribution will be found in this combination.

Spatial and seasonal price difference for sorghum in the Sudan are investigated. Results indicate that the producer's share of the consumer price is low. Seasonal price spreads indicate an excess return to the storage function. Causes of these large price differences are poor marketing infrastructure and government policy.

Increasing food production in Africa through augmentation of the area of cultivated land is becoming less feasible thus emphasizing the need for increasing the productivity of the existing area to meet the objectives of national food security programmes. Several factors, however, negate the achievement of this goal. This paper focuses on the eight countries of the West African Sahel and discusses the implication of the lack of a critical mass of indigenous scientists in national programmes for conducting adaptive research on existing technologies or generating new ones for the particular situations of the region. The problems associated with these programmes are presented in the light of the number and calibre of personnel in agricultural research, the place of agriculture in national development, and the impact of foreign technical assistance. Measures for improving the domestic capacity of national programmes especially as they relate to training, are discussed. Regionalisation and networking programmes are also suggested as possible alternatives.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the character and relative importance of obstacles to the adoption of modern rice cultivation practices as perceived by small farmers in Bangladesh. Such farmers form the dominant class in the country's largely agricultural population. The data presented are based on information collected from 205 small farmers near Mymensingh during four months in 1983. The opinions of these farmers were also sought on measures which might be used to remove the obstacles.

Relatively few grew only high-yielding varieties of rice, although approximately a third grew HYVs to some extent. The findings show the prime importance they attach to obstacles to their adoption of plant protection practices as deterrents to their acceptance of a modern rice cultivation system. In particular, because of their poverty they are unable to obtain and service many of the necessary practices, while those which they can acquire are often not available to them at appropriate times. They blame the commercial channels which supply inputs for this to a large extent. The farmers consider that cheaper equipment, greater access to irrigated land, and the timely availability of inputs could overcome many of the obstacles. Extension workers need to appreciate farmers' own perceptions of their problems and means of overcoming them if they are to offer useful advice.

As part of a 1986 regional analysis of public and private sector agricultural technology transfer in Imbabura Province, Ecuador, interviews were conducted with 41 of the 47 extension agents employed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and with owners of 17 of the 23 area farm stores. Presented here are those study results that bear on relationships among extension agents, farm input vendors, and farmers, and a discussion of which groups of farmers are the likely recipients of services from both the public and private sectors.

Agricultural policies, resource allocations and service provisions which fail to recognise the extent of women's participation in farming are irrational, reducing the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural sector investments. Special strategic intervention is required to re-orient ministries of agriculture towards serving women farmers. Data-based policy seminars for senior officials and administrators are one example of actions which help to bring about changes in attitude and practice. The paper concludes with examples of what is being achieved through such interventions, under the headings of: revision of routine agricultural data collection and analysis, agricultural extension, T & V, agricultural research, and training and development of staff commitment.

Two problems can arise when attempting to evaluate the organizational capacity of farmer organizations expected to contribute to agricultural and rural development. First, organizations' capacity is very difficult to assess, as it represents potential rather than just performance. Indirect measures are needed for estimating this important variable in agricultural administration. Second, most approaches to evaluation are themselves ‘top-down’ and thus inconsistent with the capacity they are supposed to assess. Ideally, one would have a system of evaluation that itself supports the value and process of ‘participation’ in development activities. This article presents a methodology initiated with irrigation user groups in Sri Lanka that tackles both these problems.