Planned promotion of approved technologies in veterinary extension services

Dr Lalhumliana Tochhawng *

Introduction

Around the globe, technology adoption in farming is considered an important accomplishment in the 20th century in optimizing agricultural productivity there- by improving livelihoods. In spite of many technology interventions poverty still poses a major problem in achieving better outcomes in improving socio-economic conditions of the rural population as a whole where many are still living below the poverty line, the majority of whom are primarily dependent on agriculture for livelihood.

One of the key reasons for such dismal situation is the low agricultural productivity, which is the conse- quence of using sub-standard agricultural inputs and sub-optimal agricultural technologies by the farmers.

Agriculture is becoming more integrated in the ago-food chain and the global market, while environmental, food safety and quality, and animal welfare regulations are also increasingly impacting on the sector. It is faced with new challenges to meet growing demands for food, to be internationally competitive and come out in the global economic reforms.

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to improve condition of human life. Diffusion of the applied and scientific knowledge is an important factor for upliftment of agriculture and allied services so as to increase the overall income from the industry. To achieve doubling of farmers’ income, approaches should focus on incorporation of applied and scientific knowhow into the farming condition and to infuse such technology in the farming context.

The adoption of technologies for sustainable farming systems is a challenging and dynamic issue for farmers, extension services, agri-business and policymakers. The agricultural sector needs to employ a wide range of evolving technologies and farm practices across many different farming systems and structures to meet a variety of changing and heterogeneous demands from consumers and the public for food, fibre and other goods and services provided by agriculture, often with uncertain outcomes in terms of their effects on sustainability.

Increase in demand is major driving factor for adoption of technologies. Farmers have always looked to new technologies to overcome low productivity and thereby reduce costs. In addition, higher incomes, greater knowledge and improved channels of communication are leading consumers to demand low-cost food of higher quality for instances like demand on organic produce in many countries, with more variety, consistency and year- round availability.

At the same time, consumers are increasingly demanding that their food be produced using techniques that conserve natural resources, limit environmental pressures and pay greater attention to rural viability and animal welfare.

Therefore, planned promotion of improved and sustainable technology in farming development of agriculture as a whole and animal husbandry in particular for the farmers is an important factor for holistic approach to improvement of farmer’s’ socio-economic conditions without hampering the environment for sustainable growth.

Way forward in promotion of planned technology

1. Technology and its diffusion

Technologies that are developed and adopted differ across regions. The different priorities and concerns related to achieving sustainable agriculture growth have resulted in a range of approaches and levels at which they are implemented. Government policy and frameworks in promotion plays a vital role in achieving the desired outcome of any planned programmes for example the key village scheme that was implemented for upliftment of cattle population in the country having its objective to strengthen the existing germplasm and thereby increasing the milk production in the country.

Such government involvement ranges from a facilitating to a mandatory role, and includes direct funding for research, payments for dissemination and adoption, legal restrictions, awareness and advice. Moreover, the overall context of agricultural policies and the level of support is a key factor in determining which technologies are adopted at the farm level and in which locations at the farm level.

2. Research effort and Training programmes

Research efforts, farmers education and training, advice and information are shifting towards balancing economic efficiency with environmental and social sustainability. These two factors playa major role in dissemination and thereby adoption of any programmes and schemes that are deemed necessary for economic upliftment.

Launching of any schemes and programmes were mainly focusing on research and advice to increase production, productivity and profits, without taking into consideration the farmers felt and unfelt needs whereas now the emphasis is on achieving those aims in a sustainable way, which often implies changing farm practices and using different technologies.

Therefore, research and training should be directed towards problem based on situation analysis of the present farming scenario to achieve a planned behavioural change on part of the learners or the famers. In the past, research was often directed at solving technical problems; now it is also aimed at defining research priorities and best technology to address current and future demands by society.

Those priorities include in animal husbandry may include propagation of superior germplasm, eradication of viral borne disease, biotechnology information technology, integrated and organic farming systems. Other issues, however, related to the educational and training system, institutions and the relative role of public and private research efforts are also important.

Moreover, some sustainability issues are not necessarily best addressed through technological options, but simply by changing the level and type of agricultural production and its location.

3. Inputs from multi-disciplinary team

Concept of multi-disciplinary team in promotion of planned technology has always been an important approach and the government have also done infused this system to tackle the problems of the farmers.

Establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Agriculture Technology Information Centre (ATIC) are such undertakings. Adopting technologies for sustainable farming systems is multi-disciplinary itself taking into account the wider range of objectives related to moving towards a more sustainable agriculture, compared to those targeting farm production, more disciplines have to work together to achieve the targeted goals.

4. Technology itself

Technologies are increasingly being developed with the advances in science and technology, but application of these technologies in the farm level is major issues as technology must be compatible, trail able, have relative advantage, less complexity in understanding and its applicability and overall cot of the technology so as to obtain sustainability beyond the farm.

There are many technologies generated which cannot be tested in farmers' fields resulting in difficulty in dissemination of the technology. On Field Trials (OFT) and Front-Line Demonstration (FLD) needs to be carried out in order to achieve better outcome of technology in the long run.

5. Convergence of different institutions and undertakings

One of the major drawbacks in diffusion and implementation of different schemes and proposed projects is the players of many organizations and institutions in the country. A holistic framework must be in place for convergence of programs by different institutions so that farmers get benefited which ultimately leads to achieving the desired objectives of any planned programs.

6. Other factors

Other factors In constraints of adoption of technologies are conflicting messages which hinder the uptake of technology. Some agricultural policies are encouraging the expansion of agriculture on environmentally fragile land, overexploiting natural resources and not requiring farmers to take account of environmental spill-overs into other sectors like the loss of our indigenous germplasm in cattle due to introduction of exotic breeds without proper breeding policy or indiscriminate breeding that are followed.

Many support policies get capitalised into the value of land, encouraging a greater intensity of production and influencing the kind of technologies adopted. Some agricultural policies impose environmental constraints on farmers as a condition for receiving support, but at levels higher than otherwise to compensate for environmental damage caused by other agricultural policies.

Inadequate levels of education, access to advice and pressures on financial resources for some farmers slow the adoption of some technologies, especially those that require a larger scale of operations and where the initial investment costs required are high.

Future strategies in promotion of planned technology

The overall policy framework needs to be consistent and coherent, in the context of technology formulation in research to the farmers’ field. This requires a more integrated approach in terms of setting objectives for sustainable agriculture, defining research and development priorities, and targeting and implementing policy measures at the appropriate level.

For example, where the sustainability issue is local, objectives might best be addressed through local solutions. However, in practice it is a considerable challenge to achieve policy coherence across a range of government, ministries, and other institutions.

The challenge is to identify what technologies work best in specific circumstances, and define and provide the right incentive framework, so as to facilitate the achievement of sustainability goals in ways that enhance better adoption of any planned technology, in accordance with policy principles. Sometimes goals can be reconciled simply by changing the level, type, and location of agricultural production.

Reconciling those goals, however, also means that the rights and responsibilities of farmers regarding the adoption of technologies and practices need to be clearly defined and applied (taking into account the current distribution of property rights), and thus the situations under which they are entitled to remuneration (provider gets) or obliged to pay (polluter pays). The attribution of property rights has important implications for the distribution of income, wealth and equity.

There is a need for greater follow-up in tracking the adoption of technologies for sustainable farming systems and in the accountability of research efforts and policies for technology dissemination and adoption. Rigorous ex-post assessments of results could help ensure that corrections are made before too much is invested in the wrong technology.

This is important as technologies affecting agriculture arise from a wide range of sources; ranking technologies and identifying possible future trends can help the policy making process in moving towards sustainable agriculture.

They can also provide information on what is helping and what is hindering the adoption of technologies able to achieve sustainability goals by contributing to the development of criteria to assess technology adoption, analysing the appropriate ways to measure and assess progress, and outlining alternative policy and market options.


For further details contact: -
Public Relations & Media Management Cell,
CAU, Imphal.
Email: [email protected]