Decentralizing the Farmer-to-Farmer extension approach to the local level
World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development
ISSN: 2042-5945
Article publication date: 1 April 2014
Abstract
Purpose
As the government extension services are less effective in reaching the remote areas and mid-hills of Nepal, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of community-based management in technology transfer.
Design/methodology/approach
The Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) extension approach as a better alternative to government extension services will be adopted in the research.
Findings
The FtF approach is a cost effective and sustainable service delivery mechanism for extending basic and innovative technologies to rural farmers, especially in remote areas. Even marginalized, poor and disadvantaged groups, often excluded from mainstream assistance, have better access to extension services disseminated through the FtF approach. The agriculture committees established at the Village Development Committee (VDC) level are much entrusted by the people as they facilitates their participation in the planning-to-implementation processes related to local agriculture development programmes. Consequently, there is much local support for the establishment of the local committees and the FtF approach. Several challenges remain however, one being the committee members’ management capacity.
Originality/value
Decentralizing the FtF extension approach to the local level, the VDCs.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to the SSMP team, and to HELVETAS Nepal and SDC for support towards the participation in the conference. The author is indebted to the World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD) for selecting the paper and for giving the author an opportunity to participate in the conference. Special thanks to Mr Richard Allen, International Programme Officer SSMP and Ms Rudriksha Rai Parajuli, Team Leader of SSMP, for their cooperation and assistance.
Citation
Kumar Shrestha, S. (2014), "Decentralizing the Farmer-to-Farmer extension approach to the local level", World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 66-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-08-2013-0028
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited