LEADS; To lead

LEADS; To lead

LEADS (Lead Farmer Oriented Extension Advisory Services) project is a new agricultural extension programme  implemented on a pilot basis in four districts In Kerala ie. Kollam, Palakkad, Kannur and Wayanad. The institutions involved in the implementation of the progarmme are Department of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, IIITMK and SAMETI.

 In order to revitalize the present system of agricultural extension, a concept of Frontier extension system revolved around Lead Farmer-Satellite Farmer Concept on an Agro-Ecological Zone basis within a district is proposed for pilot testing. The lead farmers are an important agent in the chain of transfer of technology in agriculture. We have not fully utilized the services of lead farmers for technology dissemination in the state. The concept is based on scientific delineation of the districts into Agro Ecological Zones (AEZ) and Agro Ecological Units (AEU). Farmers are the end users of all agricultural technology. Agricultural development depends on adoption of scientific technology by farmers and hence the technology should reach the farmers in time

 Objectives

1. To utilize the potential of Lead Farmers for transfer of technology.

2. To solve the field level problems through regular visit by technical officers.

3. To introduce a regular and systematic field visit oriented extension system in the state, integrating ATMA.

4. To intervene and advise farmers through the preparation of Monthly technology Advice with the support of KVK, Research Stations and Development specialists.

5. Generation of location specific Technologies through Participatory Technology Development (PTD).

6. Technology refinement through Frontline Demonstrations (FLD’s) and On Farm Trials (OFT’s).

7. Facilitating expert level consultation through audio conferencing.

8. Constitution of multidisciplinary team in research institution for field visit on demand.

9. To enhance technical knowledge of field level technical officers.

10. To develop a farm net work of extension teams, Lead Farmers and farmer groups at district level.

11. To implement the programme with certain modifications based on the experiences of the programmes in the pilot districts.

Salient features

1. Regular field visit oriented extension system.

2. The Project is implemented in 266 Panchayats of the four districts and 798 Lead Farmers and 798 Satellite Farmer Groups has to be formed at the rate of three groups per Panchayat each group comprising of 10 selected farmers for effective technology dissemination.

3. Mobile based communications and audio conferencing system are utilised for technology transfer.

4. Monthly Technology Advice (MTA)  prepared at the nodal institution with the support of the associating institution identified for the project, officials of the department of Agriculture and other support organizations. 

5. The Regular field visit is done by Field Assistants The Agricultural Officer and Agricultural Assistant will conduct at least one visit each per month to the field of Lead Farmer.

6. The project districts is divided into two Agro Ecological Zones (AEZ) and each Agro Ecological Zone will be divided into two Agro Ecological Units (AEU). Visit schedule as well as technology advice for every month is prepared on Agro Ecological Unit-wise.

7. The crops suggested for implementation during the pilot phase are paddy, coconut, vegetables and banana.

8. The Kerala Agricultural university is closely associated with the project and KVK Kollam, RARS Pattambi , KVK Kannur and KVK Ambalavayal are the nodal institution for the project for preparing monthly technology advice, need based field visit through a Multi Disciplinary Team, expert consultation and technology refinement. The FSRS Kollam, KVK Palakkad, RARS (Northern Region) Pilicode, Kasaragode and RARS Wayanad are the associating institutions.

9. The Lead Farmers, groups of satellite farmers, department officials of the Krishi Bhavans, block level Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors and other associating officials, Field Assistants, Technology Managers, nodal institutions and associating institutions are provided with BSNL mobile phones with prepaid connections under the CUG net work for audio consultations. The SMS based advisory service is also implemented in association with Kissan project.

10. The technology refinement part of the project are implemented by the institutions under the KAU. The FSRS Kollam, RARS Pattambi, RARS Pilicode and RARS Wayanad of KAU implements the Participatory Technology Development (PTD) and KVK Kollam, KVK Palakkad, KVK Kannur and KVK Wayanad are implemented the On Farm Trial (OFT) and Front Line Demonstration (FLD). The OFT and FLD is done as far as possible in the field of Lead Farmer and Satellite Farmer.

11. The Project Director (ATMA) is the nodal officer of the project in the district and the Assistant Directors and Agricultural Officers are closely involved in the project.

In order to ensure the effective implementation of the programme the following activities should be implemented.

1. Quarterly meet of LEAD farmers should be organized at Block level in association with the nodal institution identified in each district. The quarterly meet should be convened by the Assistant Director of Agriculture at block level. Panchayat level and District level workshop should be conducted.

2. The Monthly Technology Advice (MTA) should be prepared at the nodal institution before the 25th of every month.

3. There should not be any change in the field visit schedule finalized for a month

4. Capacity building and awareness programmes should be conducted at District Level

Selection of Lead farmers / Satellite farmers

Three lead farmers are to be selected from each Panchyat and a group of 10 farmers around lead farmers have to be selected for the implementation of the project. Award winners if any in the panchayat, such farmers could be identified as the lead farmer. Income optimizing or yield maximizing farmers could be identified. One farmer in each group could be designated as technology leader. The Lead Farmers could be the best achievers of the Panchyat in terms of yield or income from unit area and should be the models. Farmers having effective communication skills and willing to spare time for group visit and technology transfer should be selected as lead farmers. Selection

criteria for Lead Farmers /Satellite Farmers

The criteria for selection of Lead Farmers /Satellite Groups are given below.

1. Farmers with diversified cropping pattern and allied activities having minimum 50 cent land under cultivation should be considered. He should be an occupant of the same Panchayat.

2. Should have good communication skill, socially acceptable and innovative.

3. Willing to devote time to spare for interacting with satellite farmers.

4. Minimum 50% of the income should be from agriculture alone.

5. Should have the tendency of keeping records of yield, income etc.

6. Award winning farmers, best achievers in terms of maximum crop productivity or income from unit area, those honoured during Chingam 1 (Karshaka dhinam) celebrations etc. can be identified as Lead Farmers.

7. He should adopt latest agricultural technology in his field and maintain his field as a technology demonstration plot.

8. Lead Farmer should be preferably a member of the existing group like Padasekhara Samithi/ Coconut clusters/ VFPCK group etc. and interested in group management.

9. Farmers interested in group activity and sharing of experience and achievements with others may be brought in to the Satellite Farmer Group.

10. The Satellite Farmers should be willing to adopt the new technologies.

11. The Satellite Farmer Group after one year may be registered as Commodity Interest Group (CIG) in Krishi Bhavans under ATMA/ similar schemes.

12. The Agricultural Officers of the Krishi Bhavan should select the Lead Farmers of the Panchayat and get the approval of the committee consisting of the Standing Committee Chairman (Development), Assistant Director of Agriculture of the Block and the concerned Agricultural Officer.

LEADS is undoubtedly a benefit to the farmers, since technology dissemination to the farmers is effective in this. Earlier, there was a barrier in transfer of new technologies from lab to land, but LEADS broke the barriers. So it is of no doubt that the project implemented on pilot basis is a good innovative one and it will turn out to be a great success among farmer.