Stakeholders’ Participation in Agricultural Farmers’ Extension Services Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) Programme in Uganda

The paper presents findings from a study carried out to assess the contribution of stakeholders’participation on the performance of the national agricultural farmers’extension services programme in Uganda known as Operation Wealth Creation(OWEC).Specifically,the study sought to establish how participatory planning,budgeting,monitoring and evaluation(M&E)respectively contributed to the performance of OWC in selected district in central Uganda.The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design using both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques and employed both questionnaires and interview guides on key participants in the programme.Findings of the study indicated positive relationships between stakeholders’participation and programme performance with participatory planning,budgeting and M&E all having positive significant effects on the performance of OWC programme.The study concluded that indeed stakeholders’participation contributed to improved performance of the OWC programme.The study recommends increased funding and M&E of the agricultural extension programmes for improved performance.

Agricultural Extension in Balochistan, Pakistan:Date Palm Farmers' Access and Satisfaction

This study analyzed information gathered from 200 date palm households in the mountainous Panjgur District of Balochistan in Pakistan with the aim of determining date farmers＇ access to and satisfaction with agricultural extension services. Information was collected through a structured questionnaire survey, group discussions and semi- structured personal interviews. The findings of the analysis revealed very poor access to extension services. The results of logistic regression analysis identified five variables out of six which significantly influence date farmers＇ access to extension services： household bead＇s age, household bead＇s literacy, number of date palm trees owned, mostly inherited date palm trees, and percentage of dead date palm trees. The overwhelming majority of farmers were dissatisfied with all three main types of extension services being provided by public extension officials. Explanations for this as well as for associations between access to extension services and the six independent variables are provided. Important policy conclusions are drawn based on the findings.

A Novel Active Network Architecture Based on Extensible Services Router

Active networks are a new kind of packet-switched networks in which packets have code fragments that are executed on the intermediary nodes (routers). The code can extend or modify the foundation architecture of a network. In this paper, the authors present a novel active network architecture combined with advantages of two major active networks technology based on extensible services router. The architecture consists of extensible service router, active extensible components server and key distribution center (KDC). Users can write extensible service components with programming interface. At the present time, we have finished the extensible services router prototype system based on Highly Efficient Router Operating System (HEROS), active extensible components server and KDC prototype system based on Linux.

Factors in fluencing farmers' participation in crop intensification program in Rwanda

The crop intensification program（CIP）was introduced in Rwanda in 2007 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources（MINAGRI）,Rwanda,as a solution to the land fragmentation,low use of agricultural inputs and low access to extension services.However,due to the voluntary nature of farmers’participation and their reluctance to participate,this study aimed at assessing the factors that influence their participation.Data were collected from 340 respondents through a household survey in Mayange and Rusarabuye sectors.Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used to analyze the data.Results show that the factors that significantly influenced the farmers’participation in the CIP include gender,non-farm income,farmland size,farming experience,land acquisition means,market access,trust and agro-ecological conditions.In fact,the non-farm income significantly increased the farmers’decisions to participate in the CIP（P〈0.001）as it eases the financial capital needed to invest in the CIP activities.On the land acquisition means,the farmers who inherited or bought the land positively and significantly participated in the CIP（P〈0.05）because they had the land tenure security.However,the participation in the CIP was hindered by inadequate irrigation and mechanization facilities,lack of farmers’participation in the CIP planning process,inadequate extension services,inadequate agricultural inputs and inadequate post-harvest technologies.Closer collaboration between farmers,local leaders,extension agents and agricultural service providers as well as the farmers’practical skills in irrigation and mechanization could enhance the participation to the program.Therefore,there is a need on the part of policymakers to empower farmers with adequate knowledge on better cropping practices and agricultural technologies through appropriate extension services and bottom-up based program.

Conflicts of Indigenous Farming Practices and Modern Agriculture in Konso Community, Southern Ethiopia

The study attempted to understand indigenous small farming systems and its challenges with the framework of agricultural modernisation in Konso community, Southern Ethiopia. There were 400 household heads from different wealth rank and farming practices considered for in-depth interview. This was completed by focus group discussions and plot level investigations. The findings indicated that the community and landscape are characterized by heterogeneity, implying the challenges of introducing standard modern agricultural technologies. Moreover, the community has wide range of indigenous soil and water conservation （SWC） measures geared to production and protection. For example, in a single plot with a size of less than 0.4 ha, it was possible to produce up to 35 plant spices with multiple functions. The evaluation of the modern agricultural extension services by the community indicates that about 17% was found to be positive in line to diffusion of new technologies and rehabilitation of degraded lands. However, the strengths seem to be offset by the weaknesses （61%） with respect to food security, resilience to drought, synergy with indigenous knowledge, empowerment in decision-making, The findings underlined that to assure food security and sustainable resource management, creating policy environment for holistic and integrated approach, supporting indigenous practices and empowering community in decision making are fundamental.

Agriculture and Technical Cooperation： Nelson Rockefeller and the Work of AIA in Brazil （ 1946-1961 ）

It aims to analyze the work of American International Association for Economic and Social Development （AIA）, a philanthropic agency founded by Nelson Rockefeller, between 1946 and 1961 in Brazil. Aiming to promote better standards of living to the Latin American rural population, AIA is merged in a historical context of increasing US economic and politic influence over Latin America and Brazil, diffusing and adapting US technical assistance programs to local contexts. However, this research developed the idea of an intense process of political negotiation, including resistance from Brazilian political staff. Also, there were many difficulties in adapting these programs to the local context, leading to constant reorganization of the AIA＇s work in Brazil.