Role of Farmers and Their Organization in Providing Agricultural Information for Networking Systems : case of Thailand

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Role of Farmers and Their Organization in
Providing Agricultural Information for
Networking Systems case of Thailand

• Panee Boonyaguakul
• Department of Agricultural Extension
• Ministry of Agriculrure and Cooperatives, Thailand

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THEME

• Introduction
• ATSC structure and it implementation
• ATSC under the participatory approach
• ATSC and its function in an agricultural
  information system
• Reflect the roles of farmers and farmer
  organization in the networking system through ATSC

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Introduction

• Total area about (Million hectors) 51
• - Agricultural area 40
• Total population (millions) 61.974
• -Agricultural population 34.37
• Total labor force (millions ) 34.72
• Agricultural labor force (million ) 13.638
• Total households (house holds) 18.873
• Total Agricultural household 5.34
• GDP about 11

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Forms of information networking

• Traditional networking
• Farmer to farmer cooperatives, farmer
  associations, farmers group , farm women group,
  youth group..
• Farmer to trader contract framing groups
• Farmer to technical organizations
• ATSC
• Supply chain Clustering.
• IT net working

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ATSC is aimed as

• An mechanism for the participation of local
  government, farmer association, organizations,
  communities, NGOs, and private sector in the
  agricultural development process
• Keep track of farmers needs and the subsequent
  sustainability in providing technology

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Why ATSC?

• ATSC act as a median between framers and farmers
  organization on disseminating technology and
  input for development agricultural sector at the
  community level.
• ACST is a channel in the decentralization by
  giving farmers opportunity on reflecting their
  needs to the local administrative organization
  in form of the Agricultural development Plan.

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What is ATSC ?

• ATSC is
• The Agricultural Technology Transfer and
  Service Center established in 1997 at the
  sub-district level

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Its composition

• Offices which located in community area
• Office facilities for learning and planning
• Steering Committee a representative of framers
  in community
• Director of the Center an extension agent form
  DOAE at district level
• Demonstration sites and resources disseminating
  technologies
• Extension farmers act as directors assistant

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ATSC implementation

• community readiness preparation.
• set up communitys information base.
• plan formulations through community based
  approach resources rehabilitation plan,
  technology transfer plan, and business investment
  plan
• technology transfer and learning process
  promotion

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Figure The linkgaes of Institutions, Role and
information Flow
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Information and resources mobilization

• ATSC
• Planning, coordinating unit
• Technology transfer ??
• Service center
• Information warehouse

Farmers organizations
Success Farmers
Farmers
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Key success

• Sense of belonging

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Participatory Apporch for gaining sense of
belonging

• PAP Participatory assessment
• PAR Participatory Action Research
• FFT Farmers School

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Add with 3 principles

• Farmer as the center for self-development
• Extension agent acts as facilitator
• Coordinator with different sectors

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ROLE OF Farmer on the networking

• Farmers was separated in to 2 levels
• member level
• administrative level ( at organization)

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Farmer roles at member level

• fully participation on
• - assessing
• - making decision
• - learning and sharing
• - evaluting

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Farmer roles at administrative level

• facilitators on participation forums
• Coordinator between organizations
• Manager both information manager and
  administrator

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Sustainable of Network System

• All information networking systems need data
  base
• All systems need communication
• The communication need fully participatory
• All participation need management skill
• All management skills need information and
  knowledge

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• Thank you very much
• for your attention..

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Source PTPUT PAIBOONRAT more detail
pisuthp_hatt_at_co.th
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Agricultural information system
Education
ATSC
Research
Extension