On September 27th 2012, PAEX (Participatory Agricultural Extension Programme in Vietnam) organised its closing workshop in Vung Tau city. Goal was to assess the impacts of the programme on the extension network and hand over materials to the partners. Most of the partners and stakeholders of the programme were represented: VVOB head office; VVOB Vietnam; the PAEX team; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD); the National Agricultural Extension Centre (NAEC); the Institute of Agricultural Scientific Technology for the South (IAS); the Mekong Delta Research and Development Institute (MDI); the College of Rural Development (CRD); and the Agricultural Extension Centres (AECs), the Women’s Unions and the Farmers' Associations of the thirteen provinces in the South.
PAEX
The Participatory Agricultural Extension Programme started in 2008 and will end in December 2012. This programme is promoting the use of participatory agricultural extension with a focus on Participatory Technology Development (PTD). One of the most visible outcomes are the farmer clubs in five provinces (Ba Ria Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc, An Giang, Hau Giang and Soc Trang).
It followed two earlier projects in agricultural extension: PAEP (2005- 2007) and MDAEP (2001-2007). In these activities VVOB has cooperated with the MDI, the CRD, the IAS and the AECs to implement participatory agricultural extension projects in provinces in the south east and the Mekong river delta.
Closing workshop
During the closing workshop there were presentations of reports on sustainability, integration of PTD and effectiveness of clubs and 'Training of Trainers'. They were followed by lively discussions and brief photo stories on these subjects.
In the past five years the programme organised hundreds of training courses, workshops, experiments, sharing meetings and study visits for thousands of extension officers and farmers. The Programme has achieved some significant results, some examples:
- the establishment of a network of 78 extension clubs;
- the farmers’ needs have been integrated in annual agricultural extension plans;
- the establishment of the core groups of 25 trainers of the five provinces;
- the capacity strengthening on participatory extension methodology and field experiences for the staff of the partners;
- the development of ten training packages for the farmers, the extension workers and the core groups of trainers;
- the establishment and consolidation of the cooperation among the clubs, the extension workers and the mass organisations;
- and the multiplication of the participatory extension methods for more than 4,000 extension workers and farmers in the extension system.
Sustainability of the results
Participants stated that PTD was a very appropriate extension method. However they were also realistic about the possible challenges such as the passive attitude of the farmers, the limitation of extension worker’s capacity, the limited budget of the AECs etc. To apply PTD to their extension activities in the future the PAEX and non-PAEX AECs shared their experiences in maintaining farmers’ clubs and in looking for potential resources.
Participants suggested to let the clubs specialise in the same products. This will give the farmers power to negotiate with the others from buying inputs to selling outputs. Other suggestions were: to incorporate PTD in the budget of the AECs, to use the budget for agricultural development of the Department of Scientific and Technology, to use budget of the Mass Organisations, to apply for a separate 'Participatory Agricultural Extension project' within the 'New Rural Communes Programme', etc.
Although there were some limitations in terms of extension workers’ capacity to practice agricultural participatory extension and to respond to the farmers’ needs in the market economy, AECs and the clubs confirmed that the achievements of the PAEX programme would be sustained and replicated.
Closing speeches
The Deputy Director of the NAEC, Ms Ha Thuy Hanh, thanked VVOB for its contribution to the extension network. She promised to use these materials issued by VVOB not only in the South but also in the North of Vietnam. The performance of PAEX to farmers was highly appreciated. She recognised PTD as one of the participatory extension methods that attracted the active participation of farmers and brought many significant changes.
The people who have contributed to the successful implementation of the programme, were briefly celebrated and received a certificate. Ms Kristine Smet, VVOB head office, closed the workshop by thanking the partners for their contribution to the success of the PAEX programme and stated the high hopes that NAEC will take up the good practices in future agricultural extension training.
