Experts to table challenges and discuss innovative solutions − smallholder farmers across Africa to maximize potential for improved livelihoods
Nairobi, Kenya (23 April, 2015) — Key Stakeholders in the agriculture value chain, particularly smallholder farmers, stand to benefit from outcomes of a workshop on agricultural extension and advisory services organized by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in Nairobi April 23, 2015. The workshop, which is in response to challenges confronting farmers with regard to extension and advisory services, brings together over 30 key stakeholders from Africa and beyond. The workshop creates the platform to discuss specific challenges and propose sustainable solutions that will impact positively on agricultural productivity of many smallholder farmers in Africa. This is essential for achieving food security in Africa.
Specifically, the workshop will share experiences and innovative solutions to challenges associated with extension and advisory services; identify strategies for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of extension services including use of private and community-led extension services; share lessons on the use of ICT for extension and advisory services, and identify policy constraints and practical solutions that could be deployed at national and regional levels to address these constraints.
“We recognize that Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services are very necessary and account, largely, for higher agriculture productivity among many smallholder farmers across Africa. We are also aware that many Governments and development partners have been very slow or reluctant to invest in this sector, resulting in weak and dysfunctional public extension systems, particularly in the last three decades. From this background, we are committed to help revitalize the sector.” says Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President, AGRA.
Extension and advisory service challenges faced by farmers include low ratio of extension officers to farmers, hence many farmers not receiving up to date information; inadequate competencies by extension staff on value chain approach; inadequate or lack of policies on agricultural extension; low involvement of private sector in providing extension services to smallholder farmers; poor reach out to women farmers and women-led agribusinesses, and private sector not getting extension services that ideally should be provided by public institutions.
There is renewed interest by many African governments and the private sector, in recent times, in investing in extension using technology such as Information and Communications Technology (ICT). This emphasizes the fact that extension services are considered as potentially important tools for improving agricultural productivity and increasing farmers’ incomes. This renewed interest from key players must be supported for the benefit of our smallholders across Africa.
“Through AGRA’s Soil Health Program (SHP), we have facilitated the use of innovative extension approaches in partnership with diverse organizations ranging from public to the private sector to enhance delivery of extension services. This has helped bridge the gap that leaves most farmers with very little choices to increase their productivity in many countries in Africa,” said Dr. Bashir Jama, SHP Program Director, AGRA. “We will continue to work with partners to help our cherished smallholder farmers obtain and update information and technologies to maximize their potential to be able to improve their general wellbeing.”
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