E-Arik
Arik means “Agriculture” in the Adi tribal dialect of Arunachal Pradesh
E-Arik is a research project to experiment the application of ICTs in agricultural extension services provision and also to measure its impact on the tribal farmers
It was started in the year 2007 sponsored by the Technology Information Facilitating Programmed (TIFP) , Department of Scientific and Technology and Govt of India
It was first implemented in Yakrung village of East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh and covered 12 remote tribal villages. Five hundred small and marginal tribal farmers were selected, based on their willingness in receiving agricultural advisory services from the e-Arik project, who in turn could educate fellow farmers with what they learnt. Along with farmers, tribal children, rural youth, and school teachers also enrolled for computer education in the e-Arik Village Knowledge Center at Yagrung village.
It proposes single window system for the improved agricultural information and technology delivery to the tribal farmers by using computer , internet , phone , radio and television
It aims to provide all time expert consultation on agriculture production, protection and marketing aspects through ICTs
It also provide the training on ICTs and capacity building among the rural tribal children , youth , women and others
WHY E-ARIK WAS INITIATED?
The e-Arik project was initiated in order to disseminate climate-smart agriculture practices which also improve food security. Such practices include bunds and ridges, water conservation techniques, vermi-composting and settled cultivation patterns.
The focus of the project is on two crops: paddy rice and Khasi mandarin oranges.
OBJECTIVES
It was initiated with three main objectives:
To assess the information needs of the tribal farmers.
To experiment ICT in agricultural extension services provision
To assess the impact of the project on behavioral change (knowledge, attitude, skill, acceptance, adoption of agricultural innovations), socio-economic impact (income and empowerment), and clientele satisfaction on agricultural information services
E-Arik Services
Information about crop cultivation and other agricultural practices
Baseline information from relevant agriculture and rural developmental departments of government
Specific information on government schemes such as farmer welfare programmers
Day to day market information and weather forecasts
IMPACT/OUTCOMES
44 % of farmers implemented climate-smart practices on rice
92 % of farmers implemented climate-smart practices on mandarin
42 % of farmers reported increased production of rice
29 % of farmers reported increased production of mandarin
55 % of farmers moved from slash-and-burn to settled cultivation
Increase of income
CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED
A major challenge was the introduction of ICTs in remote areas , Internet connectivity problems, and telephone lines becoming frequently out these hurdles create trouble in sustaining continuous service.
As scientific resources for agriculture in Arunachal Pradesh are limited, facilitating ICT based knowledge dissemination and integration with the local farming situation becomes very difficult
Tribal farmers generally understand and communicate in local tribal dialect, making it extremely difficult for the visiting trainers to train them
Another challenge was the financial sustainability. Funding of the project was difficult due to skepticism, and some farmers had the perception that services should be provided free of charge by the state.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) that was introduced to lower methane-emissions and conserve water, was only adopted by two farmers. The challenge is to introduce a completely new practice compared to traditional methods.
A lesson learned was that information about agricultural practices is not enough , the whole agricultural supply chain should be included in the extension package.
SUCCESS FACTORS
It is estimated that the e-Arik approach is 3.6 times cheaper than a conventional agricultural extension system and that farmers can access information 16 times faster
Critical success factors were
Use of trusted local intermediaries between experts and farmers
Appropriate use of a wide variety of ICTs
Multi-stakeholder partnership
WHAT HAVE THEY ACHIEVED?
Kasang Talohs (farmer) paddy crops got regularly infested with diseases, till the e-Arik team demonstrated Seed Treatment technology to him and now he regularly follows it. As a result, the disease drastically reduced in his 5 acres of paddy field.
Tabings (farmer) paddy field was infested with Brown Leaf Hopper. But with recommendations from the e-Arik team to drain the water from the paddy field at proper time, he saved his crops spread over 4 acres land. Many other farmers received valuable advice from videos and adopted the IPM measures to contain the pest menace.
Siram (farmer) practiced vermi-compost by seeing multimedia CD at e-Arik center and many Khasi mandarin growing farmers adopted biological and mechanical control measures of citrus trunk borer and fruit fly. Since 2007, the project has seen many such successful case studies
A recent study indicated that 73 out of 300 e-Arik registered farmers, who were growing Khasi mandarin had an average increase of `5,252 in their income. Also, an average of `1,611 increase was seen in the income of 258 paddy farmers of the region.
Pluralism in extension
It is an extension system with multiple providers of services and often with multiple funding sources and multiple extension approaches.
Pluralism raises a number of issues:
Coordination
Roles
Collaboration and competition
Strengthening capacities of extension managers and system at different levels
Objectives
To bring about desirable behavioral changes in rural people
To disseminate need based information
Technology transfer to increase production and productivity of rural enterprises including farming
To bring about socio economic change
To foster people participation
To empower rural people and peasants
Structures
Public
Private
Non-governmental
Voluntary
Client groups
Functions
Information
Technology transfer
Servicing input requirements
Training and human resource development
Educating rural people and peasants
Implementing rural and agricultural development programmers
Methods
Individual method
Group method
Mass contact
Information and communication technology
Traditional media
Benefits of pluralism
Cost sharing by farmer groups
Contracting services to NGOs
Cost recovery programmed by government extension departments on selected services
Increasing involvement of input companies and product marketing companies in transfer of technology
Involvement of agro-processing companies to provide all services to their contract grower
Pluralism in agriculture extension: a growing concern for public and private sector
Usually agricultural extension has been used by various govts to meet the demands for food and to cope with declining availability of land and water resources
It has also served many countries as a vehicle for encouraging technological changes in food and fiber production
Almost all the services provided by public sector extension have been traditionally free
Strategies for change
Le Gouis (1991) observed three major policies adopted by government and farm organizations regarding privatization of extension:
Public funding by the taxpayer only for the kind of services that are of direct concern to the general public
Direct charging for some individual services with direct return
Mixed funding shared between public and private professional association contributions for some services where the benefits are shared.
Rationale for public sector provision
Most agricultural information is a public good
Only government extension services are likely to promote concern for natural resources management
It enhance the education of farmers
It provides information that reduces risks to farmers
The services provide information that reduces transaction cost
Rationale for private sector provision
More efficient delivery of services
Lowered government expenditures
Higher quality of services
Extension pluralism for fisheries development and management
It aims to educate and transfer the improved technologies among the various categories of the clientele system.
Among the three broad divisions in fisheries development such as teaching , research and extension , extension needs sufficient allocation of funds to implement schemes on the popularization of selected technologies
Extension organization have been taking continuous efforts to transfer technologies to the end users in the fields such as marine fisheries , freshwater aquaculture , coastal aquaculture , and fishery industrial areas.
Extension management
The state and central government organizations and NGOs help to activate the extension delivery mechanism and also to improved the extension organizational development programmed.
Some of the important management constraints are:
Manpower and budget
Personnel management
Non-adoption of innovations
4.Monitoring needed
5.Interpersonal communication
6.Participatory management
7.Environmental concerns
8.Peoples organizations
Empowering farmwomen through pluralistic extension approach
In India more than 50% of the farm related works are done by the womenfolk
According to 1991 census 38% of all agricultural laborers , 20 % of cultivators and 29% of all livestock and forestry workers were women
But unfortunately the farmwomen are the most suppressed , resource poor , and marginalized section of Indian rural society
New pluralism extension approach
Promotion of community based private extension services
Promotion of NGOs based private extension services
Promotion of Para-professional based private extension services
Extension pluralism and empowerment
Involving farm women in setting extension Agenda
Implementation of programmed through farm women user groups
Re designing of extension services to reach the farm women
Expanding the sphere of women extension workers
Educating the farm women
Acquisition of skills by farm women
Improving women's access to extension and training
Involving farm women in decision making process regarding various farm activities
Empowerment of women through ownership of land
Constitutional and legal provisions for farm women
Reference
1. Vasantthakumar , R. K. Theodore and M. S.Nataraju 2007. New Dimensions and Approaches in Extension Pluralism for Rural Development.
2.Devadas , R. P Laxmi Santha Rajagopal and A. Ramathilangal. 1988. Home Science, Education and Womens Empowerment, Paper Presented for Association of Women in Development Conference on Global Empowerment of Women , Washington.
3.Le Gouis , M. 1991 . Alternative Financing of Agricultural Extension: Recent Trends and Implications for the Future.
4. In W. M. Rivera and D. J Gustafson ( Eds ) , Agricultural Extension: Worldwide Institutional Evolution and Forces for Change . Amsterdam: Elservier
E-Arik is a research project to experiment the application of ICTs in agricultural extension services provision and also to measure its impact on the tribal farmers
It was started in the year 2007 sponsored by the Technology Information Facilitating Programmed (TIFP) , Department of Scientific and Technology and Govt of India
It was first implemented in Yakrung village of East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh and covered 12 remote tribal villages. Five hundred small and marginal tribal farmers were selected, based on their willingness in receiving agricultural advisory services from the e-Arik project, who in turn could educate fellow farmers with what they learnt. Along with farmers, tribal children, rural youth, and school teachers also enrolled for computer education in the e-Arik Village Knowledge Center at Yagrung village.
It proposes single window system for the improved agricultural information and technology delivery to the tribal farmers by using computer , internet , phone , radio and television
It aims to provide all time expert consultation on agriculture production, protection and marketing aspects through ICTs
It also provide the training on ICTs and capacity building among the rural tribal children , youth , women and others
WHY E-ARIK WAS INITIATED?
The e-Arik project was initiated in order to disseminate climate-smart agriculture practices which also improve food security. Such practices include bunds and ridges, water conservation techniques, vermi-composting and settled cultivation patterns.
The focus of the project is on two crops: paddy rice and Khasi mandarin oranges.
OBJECTIVES
It was initiated with three main objectives:
To assess the information needs of the tribal farmers.
To experiment ICT in agricultural extension services provision
To assess the impact of the project on behavioral change (knowledge, attitude, skill, acceptance, adoption of agricultural innovations), socio-economic impact (income and empowerment), and clientele satisfaction on agricultural information services
E-Arik Services
Information about crop cultivation and other agricultural practices
Baseline information from relevant agriculture and rural developmental departments of government
Specific information on government schemes such as farmer welfare programmers
Day to day market information and weather forecasts
IMPACT/OUTCOMES
44 % of farmers implemented climate-smart practices on rice
92 % of farmers implemented climate-smart practices on mandarin
42 % of farmers reported increased production of rice
29 % of farmers reported increased production of mandarin
55 % of farmers moved from slash-and-burn to settled cultivation
Increase of income
CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED
A major challenge was the introduction of ICTs in remote areas , Internet connectivity problems, and telephone lines becoming frequently out these hurdles create trouble in sustaining continuous service.
As scientific resources for agriculture in Arunachal Pradesh are limited, facilitating ICT based knowledge dissemination and integration with the local farming situation becomes very difficult
Tribal farmers generally understand and communicate in local tribal dialect, making it extremely difficult for the visiting trainers to train them
Another challenge was the financial sustainability. Funding of the project was difficult due to skepticism, and some farmers had the perception that services should be provided free of charge by the state.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) that was introduced to lower methane-emissions and conserve water, was only adopted by two farmers. The challenge is to introduce a completely new practice compared to traditional methods.
A lesson learned was that information about agricultural practices is not enough , the whole agricultural supply chain should be included in the extension package.
SUCCESS FACTORS
It is estimated that the e-Arik approach is 3.6 times cheaper than a conventional agricultural extension system and that farmers can access information 16 times faster
Critical success factors were
Use of trusted local intermediaries between experts and farmers
Appropriate use of a wide variety of ICTs
Multi-stakeholder partnership
WHAT HAVE THEY ACHIEVED?
Kasang Talohs (farmer) paddy crops got regularly infested with diseases, till the e-Arik team demonstrated Seed Treatment technology to him and now he regularly follows it. As a result, the disease drastically reduced in his 5 acres of paddy field.
Tabings (farmer) paddy field was infested with Brown Leaf Hopper. But with recommendations from the e-Arik team to drain the water from the paddy field at proper time, he saved his crops spread over 4 acres land. Many other farmers received valuable advice from videos and adopted the IPM measures to contain the pest menace.
Siram (farmer) practiced vermi-compost by seeing multimedia CD at e-Arik center and many Khasi mandarin growing farmers adopted biological and mechanical control measures of citrus trunk borer and fruit fly. Since 2007, the project has seen many such successful case studies
A recent study indicated that 73 out of 300 e-Arik registered farmers, who were growing Khasi mandarin had an average increase of `5,252 in their income. Also, an average of `1,611 increase was seen in the income of 258 paddy farmers of the region.
Pluralism in extension
It is an extension system with multiple providers of services and often with multiple funding sources and multiple extension approaches.
Pluralism raises a number of issues:
Coordination
Roles
Collaboration and competition
Strengthening capacities of extension managers and system at different levels
Objectives
To bring about desirable behavioral changes in rural people
To disseminate need based information
Technology transfer to increase production and productivity of rural enterprises including farming
To bring about socio economic change
To foster people participation
To empower rural people and peasants
Structures
Public
Private
Non-governmental
Voluntary
Client groups
Functions
Information
Technology transfer
Servicing input requirements
Training and human resource development
Educating rural people and peasants
Implementing rural and agricultural development programmers
Methods
Individual method
Group method
Mass contact
Information and communication technology
Traditional media
Benefits of pluralism
Cost sharing by farmer groups
Contracting services to NGOs
Cost recovery programmed by government extension departments on selected services
Increasing involvement of input companies and product marketing companies in transfer of technology
Involvement of agro-processing companies to provide all services to their contract grower
Pluralism in agriculture extension: a growing concern for public and private sector
Usually agricultural extension has been used by various govts to meet the demands for food and to cope with declining availability of land and water resources
It has also served many countries as a vehicle for encouraging technological changes in food and fiber production
Almost all the services provided by public sector extension have been traditionally free
Strategies for change
Le Gouis (1991) observed three major policies adopted by government and farm organizations regarding privatization of extension:
Public funding by the taxpayer only for the kind of services that are of direct concern to the general public
Direct charging for some individual services with direct return
Mixed funding shared between public and private professional association contributions for some services where the benefits are shared.
Rationale for public sector provision
Most agricultural information is a public good
Only government extension services are likely to promote concern for natural resources management
It enhance the education of farmers
It provides information that reduces risks to farmers
The services provide information that reduces transaction cost
Rationale for private sector provision
More efficient delivery of services
Lowered government expenditures
Higher quality of services
Extension pluralism for fisheries development and management
It aims to educate and transfer the improved technologies among the various categories of the clientele system.
Among the three broad divisions in fisheries development such as teaching , research and extension , extension needs sufficient allocation of funds to implement schemes on the popularization of selected technologies
Extension organization have been taking continuous efforts to transfer technologies to the end users in the fields such as marine fisheries , freshwater aquaculture , coastal aquaculture , and fishery industrial areas.
Extension management
The state and central government organizations and NGOs help to activate the extension delivery mechanism and also to improved the extension organizational development programmed.
Some of the important management constraints are:
Manpower and budget
Personnel management
Non-adoption of innovations
4.Monitoring needed
5.Interpersonal communication
6.Participatory management
7.Environmental concerns
8.Peoples organizations
Empowering farmwomen through pluralistic extension approach
In India more than 50% of the farm related works are done by the womenfolk
According to 1991 census 38% of all agricultural laborers , 20 % of cultivators and 29% of all livestock and forestry workers were women
But unfortunately the farmwomen are the most suppressed , resource poor , and marginalized section of Indian rural society
New pluralism extension approach
Promotion of community based private extension services
Promotion of NGOs based private extension services
Promotion of Para-professional based private extension services
Extension pluralism and empowerment
Involving farm women in setting extension Agenda
Implementation of programmed through farm women user groups
Re designing of extension services to reach the farm women
Expanding the sphere of women extension workers
Educating the farm women
Acquisition of skills by farm women
Improving women's access to extension and training
Involving farm women in decision making process regarding various farm activities
Empowerment of women through ownership of land
Constitutional and legal provisions for farm women
Reference
1. Vasantthakumar , R. K. Theodore and M. S.Nataraju 2007. New Dimensions and Approaches in Extension Pluralism for Rural Development.
2.Devadas , R. P Laxmi Santha Rajagopal and A. Ramathilangal. 1988. Home Science, Education and Womens Empowerment, Paper Presented for Association of Women in Development Conference on Global Empowerment of Women , Washington.
3.Le Gouis , M. 1991 . Alternative Financing of Agricultural Extension: Recent Trends and Implications for the Future.
4. In W. M. Rivera and D. J Gustafson ( Eds ) , Agricultural Extension: Worldwide Institutional Evolution and Forces for Change . Amsterdam: Elservier
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