Success Story: Cocoa Farming Communities Lead Extension Delivery in Cross River State
One of the challenges facing cocoa production in Nigeria is the low participation of non-public organizations including private sector entities, non-governmental organizations and farmers in the packaging and delivery of extension services. Agricultural extension has been the traditional role of government agencies. With dwindling budgets, the sustainability of this role is now questionable.
The farmer field school (FFS) approach has the potential to promote farmers’ active involvement, not only in developing appropriate agricultural practices but also in co-financing extension delivery. This is being demonstrated by some cocoa farming communities in Cross River State, Nigeria.
In 2005, STCP-Nigeria implemented a pilot FFS cycle in Cross River State under the auspices of a USAID-funded project managed by ARD: Sustainable Practices in Agriculture for Critical Environments (SPACE). The success of the pilot scheme stimulated local demand for more FFS.
In 2006, 16 communities who were not part of the pilot scheme expressed interest, not only to host FFS but also to co-finance them. It was an exciting development and opportunity, which both the SPACE and STCP teams felt should be encouraged and supported.
With complementary financial support from SPACE and technical assistance from STCP-Nigeria, 16 FFS were successfully hosted by the communities to the admiration of their neighbors. In total, the 16 schools ‘graduated’ 480 farmers, apart from those who benefited through farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing.
Reacting to the development, a Director in the Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Chris Idu, remarked, “It is the first time this is happening in Nigeria. It is a pathway that can reduce cost of extension delivery.” In the current cropping season (2007), about 50 new communities have indicated interest and approached their state government for partnership in establishing FFS in their communities.
The Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture has responded with equal level enthusiasm and willingness to partner with the communities. STCP-Nigeria is helping the communities and the Ministry to develop a protocol of engagement that can be replicated elsewhere in the country. When fully developed, this extension delivery approach, which is a marked departure from the traditional approach, will place farmers in a position to take ownership of extension delivery.
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