Thursday, 11 June 2009
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Friday, 8 May 2009
PAEM Sierra Leone - Preparations On
In terms of pre-course arrangements, SLARI would need to do the following:
1. Make contacts with one or two farming communities near Freetown with whom we will do PRAs and for whom the participants will produce extension materials as a practical exercise. Usually we involve the local extension service agents so that they can make contacts and maintain follow-up even after the course.
2. Identify one or two graphic artists that will work with the participants groups to do illustrations that might be needed for the materials to be produced on the course.
3. Identify a technician that will assist with desk top publishing software such as MS Publisher or Adobe PageMaker. From the profiles of the participants we have, there is no internal capacity in the groups to do this. Some of the Liberian candidates do not even know how to use MS Word.
4. Secure five desk top computers to be rented for the period. These will be used by each of the groups for producing their materials. A good colour printer should be part of this arrangement.
5. Secure Internet access at the training venue as the Internet is a good channel through which participants can reach sources of information as inputs to the development of their extension materials. If available, agricultural resources in forms of books, brochures, manuals etc. from SLARI library would also be used as needed.
6. Secure the use of a photocopier at the venue.
The Course Director will contact you to make specific requests regarding materials to get in place for the period
Monday, 27 April 2009
The Fiji PAEM Course - A Reflection
It is all over, after two intensive weeks the CTA course on the Production of Agricultural Extension Materials has ended. The certificates displayed tell part of the story. From the responses to the final course evaluation questionnaire by the participants, it is obvious that a lot had been gained especially in terms of the attitude to the production of extension materials. For all the participants, the end of the course signifies the beginning of the challenge - the challenge to make a positive difference to the state of agricultural information in the region.
The CTA approach adopts a participatory philosophy, recognising that farmers have a crucial role to play in identifying the specific agricultural information materials that they need. In general industry terms, this is a marketing approach as opposed to the sales approach where information materials are produced without consultatation with target clients by the agricultural ministries and supplied to the farmers who may or may not find the materials pertinent to their needs. When farmers do not find materials relevant to their information needs, they find other uses (eg. wrapping food) for the materials, discard them or simply ignore them.
Participants on the course particularly appreciated the consultation process with the farmers - the initial introduction by the local extension agents, the PRA discussions on their needs and priorities and the insightful critiquing of the draft products by the farmers at the testing and validation stage.
Some participants had suggested having more practice with computers but the fact is that this was not a computer course, the essential thing is to understand that a team with various skills is needed to produce the final material but the two most critical issues are to identify the real materials needed and then to develop the appropriate content. All other activities support these two issues. Back in the home stations, participants must identify the relevant team members so that their action plans can be achieved.
At the closing ceremony, participants presented their institutional action plans. All plans highlighted the strong need to produce agricultural extensional materials on return and participants feel sufficiently confident to take on the task. SPC will coordinate the action plans so that we can act as a group to see what new extension materials will be produced directly as result of this course.
Here are some of the general comments by participants.
Friday, 24 April 2009
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
South Sea Orchids - Empowering Rural for Higher Productivity in Floriculture
South Sea Orchids commenced a one-day training workshop on heliconias and ginger for rural communities in the Nadi area. The training workshop is organised by Mrs Aileen Burness of SSO and her team and supported by Secretariat of the Pacific Community and ?????????????? SSO has been a recipient of technical and financial support from CTA.
I stopped by in the morning at South Sea Orchids to observe the registration and the commencement of the morning session before going off to the validation visit with the Vavinaqiri community.
Traditional Hospitality - Vavinaqiri Community Style
Testing and Validation Visit to the Vavinaqiri Farming Community
Brochure on cassava production
Desired amendments from the women and youth group were as follows:
Picture of cassava on the cover page should be a colour picture and include image of cassava tuber.
Standardise the colours of green and brown throughout the brochure.
Use pictures from the community farms as opposed to pictures from other countries.
Insert a picture of an adult white fly so the farmers can know what they look like.
Write the fertilizer application rate beside the fertilizer name.
Provide specifics of application of white oil spray.
Use measurement units the community is familiar with. E.g, spoon measurements rather than metric measurements.
Provide alternatives to fertilizers example, crop rotation, composting etc.
Brochure on long bean production
Commendation: The men’s group reported that this was the first time that a brochure had been presented to them for agriculture purposes. They were happy to have been provided that access to agriculture information in the form of a brochure. Colours and text are good.
Desired amendments were as follows:
Quantities and measurements should be in bags rather than in metric measurements of kgs and grams, and areas should be in chains rather than hectares.
Chemical rates should be broken into ha/acre/half-acre/quarter-acre or chain and tabulated for easy applicability.
For chemical and fertilizer application, specify rates/time of application and growth stages.
Provide illustration on chemical rates in terms of cups and spoons rather than metric units.
Provide more images and include advice on planting beans on slopes. Provide images of varieties of beans available in Fiji.
Brochure on pest and disease management of watermelon
Desired amendments were as follows: Provide information and illustration on the planting and production of watermelon.
Provide more information on Anthracnose disease of watermelon, when does it occur.
Provide more information on flower full during excessive wet season. Increase the font size and image sizes for better lisibity.
Monday, 20 April 2009
CTA-SPC Extension Materials Training - The Excitement of production
The general objective of this course is to improve the practical communication skills of agricultural extension agents as well as enhance their ability to write and produce extension materials for field staff and farmers. The course is intended to enable participants to identify sources of agricultural information and acquire skills to develop materials in formats appropriate to the farmer populations they serve.
One intensive week of activities has gone by in which the participants were exposed to the principles and practices among which were :- efficient and effective agricultural extension, characterisation of agricultural audiences, planning to write extension materials, editing styles, briefing artists, illustration and photography; quality of good illustrations, Cultural relevance of illustrations, budgeting and production costs of agricultural extension materials.
During the week, the participants had the opportunity to meet previously selected farmer groups to do a diagnostic survey of their agricultural information needs. The training group members were treated to the rich tradition and cutural protocols of rural Fijian society. The meeting began and ended with long-drawn kava drinking ceremonies. Very interesting dialogues were initiated between participants and the villagers working in four groups. At the end of the half day of interaction, the participants came away with a list of information needs duly prioritised by the farmers themselves. We were then treated to local fruits and foods in a typical demonstration of traditional hospitality.
Based on the information needs identified and prioritised, participants formulated the titles of extension materials and began researching for the content to go into the materials. After a busy period of search involving reference materials from CTA, SPC, the Fijian Ministry of Agriculture and Internet sources, the draft content was developed. The farmers themselves, in some cases, had expressed their preference for the format in which the information was to be produced and presented to them. During a busy weekend half-consumed by work, the rudiments of the materials were being developed.
Today, they have been laid out using MS Publisher and Adobe PageMaker software applications with appropriate illustrations and photographs with the support of graphic artists and desk top publishing specialists from SPC some of whom are also participants on the course. Participants began to be excited as they saw their content appear in the form of agricultural extension materials - brochures and leaflets - that farmers can rely on as sources of agricultural information to support their farming practices.
The group will return to the farmers in the village on Wednesday April 22 to present the draft materials and solicit feedback from the farmers in order to validate and finalise the materials for use.