Improving the effectiveness of training and agricultural extension in Nghe An

Continue favorable momentum, proactively adapt

Based on the needs of farmers and the difficulties in implementing and replicating effective models, entering a new phase, the Provincial People's Committee identified one of the key tasks of the work.Nghe An Agricultural Extensionis to popularize processes, technical advances, effective production and business models, and typical advanced models in agriculture and agricultural extension for farmers. Along with that, as the standing agency of the Provincial Agricultural Extension Newsletter, the sector has promptly provided market information, prices of agricultural products and agricultural materials to guide farmers.

Thanh Chuong farmers light lamps on orange hills to drive away insects. Photo: Quang Dung

Checking the soft-shell turtle breeding model in Tan Son commune, Quynh Luu district. Photo: Nguyen Hai

In order to carry out the above tasks, the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center has made efforts to innovate and achieved many positive results. From macro policies on agricultural and rural development to farming techniques, new scientific and technical advances, and new models have all been conveyed to the grassroots in a timely and complete manner.

In 5 years, from 2016 - 2020, the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center coordinated with provincial press agencies to organize 150 pages, agricultural extension columns, and farmer bridges; organized dozens of specialized seminars, forums, and model tours inside and outside the province; regularly published monthly agricultural extension information to provide agricultural extension workers and farmers, regularly updated information on the website khuyennongnghean.com.vn with hundreds of news, articles, and photos to help farmers in the province access and look up information more conveniently and quickly.

Along with providing Agricultural Newspaper publications to agricultural extension collaborators in 6 mountainous districts; the sector also organized 5,478 training courses for 367,360 agricultural extension officers, collaborators and farmers to participate; organized 393 courses/18,170 agricultural extension officers at the provincial, district, commune and village levels.improve agricultural extension capacity; opened 5,085 classes/349,190 farmers to disseminate policies in the agricultural sector and new scientific and technological advances; from 2011-2019, the industry organized training in 11 occupations, 188 classes with a total of 5,472/5,931, reaching 92.2% of graduates.

Staff from the Quynh Luu Agricultural Service Center consulted and worked with the model owner to select breeding chicken eggs to expand the wild chicken crossbred with native chickens in Quynh Thang commune. Photo: Nguyen Hai

From 2020 to now, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Center has been racing against time to complete the assigned information, propaganda, training and coaching plan. Specifically, along with continuing to spend time promoting agricultural extension on newspapers and radio as well as the provincial agricultural extension website, the Center has organized 4 training courses to improve the capacity of provincial and district agricultural extension staff; 119 key training courses for commune/ward/town agricultural extension staff; 83 training courses for rice farmers and disadvantaged areas; assigned the district agricultural service centers to conduct 695 courses...

Innovation, improve training efficiency

The effectiveness and impact of information, propaganda, training and agricultural extension work in recent years have been enormous. However, information, propaganda, training and education work today is posing higher requirements and challenges, especially in the era of 4.0 technology, digital transformation andsafe adaptation to Covid-19.

Selecting and determining the content and form of propaganda, training and coaching is extremely important so that good models and practices at the grassroots level can be spread, have high effects, and meet the need for information learning.

Farmers in Quynh Thanh commune invested in building cement tanks and canvas houses to raise shrimp. Photo: Thu Huyen

To do that, the Agricultural Extension sector and localities need to make efforts and implement well the following orientations:

First of all, stick to policies, plans and projects.restructuring the province's agricultural sectorand specialized projects in the fields of cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, etc. to propagate and provide complete and timely information to the people.

Next, the forms of propaganda, training and coaching need to be continuously innovated in a diverse and flexible manner, suitable for the target audience, content and specific conditions. The results of farmers' application of scientific and technical advances are used as a measure to evaluate information, propaganda and training work. The contents of propaganda and transfer must be determined and selected in accordance with the needs, farming conditions, seasons, levels and agricultural production capacity of each region and locality. Depending on each target audience and need, the curriculum and training and guidance methods are separate.

Training on organic production practices and reducing chemical residues in vegetables for farmers of Quynh Luu Agricultural Service Center. Photo: Nguyen Hai

In addition, in the context of improving food safety and the impact of epidemics and climate change, training lectures must adhere to safe production processes, adapt to climate change, organic production or production according to VietGAP, Organic processes...; producing high-quality goods linked to product processing and consumption.

During the training process, it is necessary to proactively combine propaganda, training, and coaching with effective agricultural extension models, apply teaching methods with the participation of learners, and if necessary, be ready to "hold hands and show work", and visit the training program to improve quality.

Cao Van Tuan - Deputy Director of Nghe An Agricultural Extension Center

Third, continue to cooperate with the provincial press agencies, effectively exploit social networking platforms, establish appropriate Fanpage groups to convey information quickly, promptly and spread to a large number of farmers and grassroots.

Scallion production in Quynh Luong commune, Quynh Luu district. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Finally, in training and transferring science and technology to farmers, the team of provincial and district agricultural extension officers and agricultural extension collaborators play the role and position of the "main machine" that determines the quality and effectiveness of training work, so it is necessary to pay attention to improving capacity in methods, skills, expertise, and consulting services to meet people's expectations; moving forward, it is necessary to build a mechanism to attach responsibility to officers and agricultural extension workers when assigned to direct and take charge of models supported by the State to promote responsibility and voice. To do that, along with investment and equipment support, it is necessary to enhance the ability to master science and technology for agricultural extension officers; regularly inspect and supervise to promptly adjust and select appropriate solutions to improve the effectiveness of information, propaganda, training and coaching activities.