Farming Systems Research and Extension Approach

• It was initiated in a Farming Systems Research and Extension (FSRE) project under a single umbrella (and line of command) to generate technology in the research outreach sites with the participation of farmers to avail inputs locally and to expand the adoption of proven agricultural technologies within the Extension Command Area (ECA).
• There were only two divisions in the project namely, technical and administration.
• The integrated approach, however, confined itself within the project for inputs delivery and not much attention was paid to the existence of private stakeholders for future sustainability in marketing and enterprise development.
• At the later stage, the project extended partnership with the T and V System in the hills, in the western region, but the coordination and linkage were weak due to differences in management aspects in separate projects funded by different donors.
• Though the extension service under the project established good contact with farmers, the high extension cost could not be sustained by the government.