EXPERIENCES WITH DISTRICT AGRICULTURE EXTENSION SERVICES

SYSTEM IN SALIMA ADD

By

Mphatso Magombo

PRESENTED DURING MAFAAS EXTENSION WEEK

Presentation outline

• Salima ADD Profile• Background information• Extension Systems• Aims of DAESS• Activities done by SLADD to strengthen DAESS structures• Activities done by DAESS structures• Positive experience with DAESS• Negative experiences with DAESS• Challenges experiences with DAESS• Conclusion

SALIMA ADD PROFILE • Salima ADD is one of the 8 ADDs in Malawi situated along the central

lakeshore.• Comprises of 2 districts namely Salima and Nkhotakota. • Has14 Extension Planning Areas.• Has a total of 232 sections, but to date only157 sections have been demarcated • 102 are manned and AEDO to farmer ration is 1:2166. • Has a total of 221,928 Farming HH( 132, 454 MHH; 89,429 FHH; 85

CHH)• 16 Traditional Authorities.• Six technical department ( DAES; DAHLD; LRCD; DCD; ISD & DoF )• Headed by the Programme Manager

Background of agriculture extension

• Malawi’s economy depends on agriculture ( Livestock, Crops, Fisheries)

• The success of programmmes ( Livestock, Land Resources, Crops, Fisheries, Irrigation) depends on the type and amount of support farmers receive from extension services

• Agricultural extension• is the major vehicle for diffusing agriculture related technologies• Has an important role to play for sustainable agriculture development

and farm household livelihood

Objectives of agricultural extension• Promote farmers access to and use of recommended farmer inputs• Promote dietary diversification, food processing, preservation and utilization• Increase contact with male and female farmers using appropriate and well

targeted messages• Strengthening research extension farmer linkages• Mainstream gender and HIV and AIDS in implementation ovf agric. Programs• Ensure joint and coordinated planning, implementation and monitoring• Conduct extension campaigns, field days, tours, trainings, meetings• Promote land resources, fisheries, crops, livestock, irrigation, food and

nutrition technologies inorder to facilitate availability of appropriate technologies to farmers• A system is needed to ensure that the objectives of extension are met

Extension System• Provision of extension is guided by agriculture extension policy (Agricultural

Extension In the New Millennium: Towards pluralistic and demand driven extension services )

• To operationalize the Extension Policy , DAESS is used.• DAESS is a mechanism for enabling farmers to identify and organize their

agricultural felt needs for appropriate action by relevant stakeholders.• The overall objective is empower farmers to demand high quality services

from those that are best able to provide them.• Some of the NGOs include (TLC; MLB; Red Cross; CWW; CADECOM; NASO;

World Vision; AG- CARE; ADRA, COOPI; NASFAM)• Extension activities are therefore implemented by the Government and

NGOs and Private sectors.

Aims of DAESS

• Organizing farmers demands• Pooling service providers and related resources• Foster coordination • Self reliance and ownership among farmers

Activities done by the ADD to strengthen DAESS

• Briefing NGOs, local leaders and communities on DAESS and extension policy

• Formation and Training of DAESS structures: • 2 District Agriculture Extension Coordinating Committee • 1 District Stakeholder Panel ( Only in NKK)• 16 Area Stakeholder Panels• 77 Village Agriculture Committee ( At GVH Level)

• Strengthening DAESS structures activities through• Local tours• Trainings• Technical supportive visits• Review meetings

ADD and District Team supervising ASP and VAC activities

ACTIVITES DONE BY DAESS STRUCTURES ( VACs, ASPs)

• Identification and aggregation of farmers demands• Monitoring implementation of agriculture extension activities • Initiating self help agriculture extension projects• Linking of farmers’ demands to stakeholders• Formulation of proposals• Initiating construction of office at Ntosa and Kasitu EPA• Jointly hosted field days and manure launch

Mtondo Irrigation Scheme in Chipoka EPA initiated by VAC

Office construction in Mtosa EPA initiated by ASP

VACs initiating Goat pass on programmmes

Model Village ( linking farmers to stakeholders)

VAC facilitating identification of village demands

Conservation Agriculture and Manure Making Campaign intensification by VACs

Linkage between DAESS structures and Local government structures

• Strength of the linkage depends on the role of the local leaders and how the DAESS structures were formed.• 70% of the DAESS structures have a positive linkage with district

council structures• DAESS structure members participate in district council

structures meetings where they share issues affecting agriculture activities

• DAESS structures together with district council structures supervise agriculture activities

Some of the farmers demands• Low production

• Land degradation• Drought/ dry spells• Incomplete technology packages• Inadequate extension services

• Few Small stock (goats, chicken)• Malnutrition• Small land holding sizes• No office space for some EPAs• No house accommodation

Positive experiences with DAESS• ASP and VACs are performing their function in terms of articulation

and aggregation of farmers’ demands.• There is good quality participation of farmers in extension activities

due to farmer mobilization by VACs• Increased adoption of agriculture technologies like (CA,

agroforestry, use of hybrid maize, food and nutrition, ) • Self help projects are being initiated like office construction; goat

pass on programmmes; CA; Irrigation)• ASPs initiating joint marketing of agriculture produce.• VACs facilitating goat and chicken pass on programmmes under

SAPP• ASPs coordinating stakeholder activities

NEGATIVES EXPERINCES WITH DAESS• Most of the ASPs are farmers’ forum due to low participation

by NGOs• Only the MoAIWD personnel's initiate the DAESS maybe

because its in their AWB.• Poor coordination among actors (Competition, Conflicting

messages, duplication – Implementing activities without following DAESS structures)

• Poor quality response to farmers demands (Stakeholders dominate and dictate what they offer)

CHALLENGES WITH OPERATIONALIZING DAESS

• Low participation of NGOs in DAESS operationalization (taken as MoAIWD core function)

• Inadequate knowledge among implementers on DAESS• No source of funding for DAESS activities (meetings, trainings, tours, farmer

responses)• Poor mobility of ASPs, VAC, DSP members- Move long distances• Incomplete system in terms of ( ASP, DSPs not in place/ not performing their

functions)• Poor quality extension service• Some local leaders are not interested in formation of ASPs

WAY FORWARD• Community sensitizations• Capacity building to DAESS structure, stakeholders and

local leaders ( Trainings, Tours)• Sourcing funding for DAESS activities.• Form and strengthen VACs, ASPs, DSPs.• Participatory monitoring and evaluation• Joint planning, implementation , monitoring and evaluation• Review the extension policy and DAESS system ( National)• Link MaFAAS to DAESS structures

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION

ZIKOMO KWAMBIRI