An Expert Consultation on Planning for Aquaculture Development, organized by the ADCP in Policoro, Italy in 1988 (see ADCP/REP/89/33), identified an integrated set of opportunities for technical assistance to developing countries. These were predominantly a group of needs or ideas which collectively would assist in guiding investment decisions, primarily at the national level in both the public and private sectors.
One of the needs identified by the participants to better local infrastructure in support of producers was to improve ways of delivering appropriate extension information, particularly when new technology was involved. Countries which have large numbers of small-scale farmers were specifically requiring such help, especially those in Africa.
The Consultation noted, "that extension was an important interface between national producers and advancing technology. All current national projects involved in production had a component of extension, and this practice must be continued. Extension was a national function (and in many cases local) because of the diversity of aquaculture practices, languages, environment, and social and economic conditions. One immediate action at the national level was to seek wider involvement of agriculturists, particularly agriculture extension workers, to provide channels for improving the promotion of aquaculture in rural populations. However, support to the improvement of national extension could also be provided at the regional and sub-regional level to (i) organize and provide appropriate training for extension leaders at focal centres, (ii) transmit information about the concepts and importance of extension to senior management in government administrations through sensitization seminars, and (iii) assist in the translation of extension materials to national languages, and even local dialects."
The Consultation also proposed appropriate actions at the interregional level, specifically to (i) examine and analyse known effective extension services, and catalogue, (ii) explore new approaches to extension, and (iii) disseminate new information to the regions. To the first of these ends, "A Review of Extension Methodologies" was commissioned by ADCP, and prepared by Carole R. Engle and Nathan M. Stone. It is intended to be a background document for future regional workshops which might explore new approaches to extension and subsequently produce new information for development. The document is also intended as a resource paper for training courses.
Colin E. Nash
Craig B. KenslerRome, 1989
Photograph Front Cover - Courtesy FAO and F. Botts.
Future extension workers and technicians from Bangladesh learning fish culture methods at the Kwangchow Centre, Canton, China.
