Training Programme On "Farmer To Farmer Extension" Concluded At PAU

Ludhiana, October 21, 2015: Farmer to Farmer extension is emerging as a faster mechanism for technology dissemination in the rural areas. It is highly credible and effective technology transfer mechanism as majority of farmers listen to the fellow progressive farmers, observe technologies at their farms and adopt those. There are different patterns of this operating in the country. Most common of this is the provision of training by farmers to farmers, often through the creation of a structure of farmer promoters and farmer trainers in the form of Farmer Friend, Farmer Field Schools, Farm Schools and Kisan Doots. Other than this, Farmers Organizations and Federations are also seen as useful organizational mechanism for mobilizing farmer’s collective self-help action aimed at improving their own economic and social situation and that of their communities as a whole. Various Information and Communication Technologies can also be used to strengthen the above interactions among the farmers.

It is very important to understand these different patterns and develop the skills in the extension workers to clearly identify key communicators so that the widening gap between large number of farmers and few extension functionaries can be reduced.

In view of this, a training programme on “Farmer-to-Farmer Extension” was organized at PAMETI from 19-21 October, 2015 in which 21 extension officials from State Agriculture and Allied departments participated. Programme was inaugurated by Dr H S Dhaliwal, Director PAMETI who emphasized the fact that farmers prefer listening and adopting technology from peer farmers rather than extension functionaries. During the programme, Mr Pardeep Sharma, General Manager, PAGERXCO, Chandigarh interacted with the participants and explained the concept of Farmer Producer Organizations. Dr A M Narula, Former Zonal Project Director, Zone-1, Ludhiana discussed the role of success stories in Extension. He narrated stories of various successful farmers which became role models for fellow farmers. Progressive farmers Sardar Gurdit Singh from Roopnagar and Sardar Jaswant Singh Tiwana from Doraha also shared their experiences of innovating new technological ideas and disseminating them to other farmers in their neighboring area. Programme ended with a valedictory session by Director, PAMETI and faculty.