Identifying Limitations of Agricultural Extension Workers in Implementing Farm Business Schools: A Sri Lankan Case Study
M. Wijeratne, A. Dissanayaka, N. de Silva and W. Wijesuriya
ABSTRACT
The Farm Business School (FBS) is an agricultural extension approach currently popular in driving farmers to commercial agriculture with the development of entrepreneurial skills. The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) intends to apply this approach using Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) as the facilitators. Hence, it is important to provide training to AEWs on the concept and related subject matter included in the FBS curriculum. Further, to deploy an effective FBS at the grassroots level, the limitations encountered by the AEWs in performing the role as facilitators have to be well identified and remedial measures have to be applied. The main objective of this paper is to address the above issue. The CSIAP implemented four training of trainers programmes in dry zone areas in Sri Lanka from May to July 2023. PRA technique, pair-wise ranking was conducted with four trainee groups numbered 24,25,28, and 25 in each location, respectively. The PRA techniques and pair-wise ranking are used to rank the grassroots-level limitations of AEWs. Different locations showed priority ranking differently for identified limitations and evaluated the outcomes of the training programme. Yet, some seemed common. The fuel problem was identified as a limitation due to the recent economic crisis experienced in the country. The large extension coverage, contradiction with state policies and farmers' wishes, inability to reach the targets, limited opportunities to refresh knowledge and multi-purpose duties assigned are the main constraints associated with working at the grass-root level.
KEYWORDS: Agricultural extension, Entrepreneurship, PRA