AGRICULTURE EXTENTION DELIVERY AND MONITORY SERVICES

Monitoring is a key component in Agricultural Extension delivery. It is a process of ensuring that planned activity implementation is carried out specification to meet target.

The Director of Agric. (MDA) and his team set out to monitor the activities being implemented by all Agric. Extension Agents (AEAs) and Municipal Agric Officers (MAOs) in the Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) work plan.

The quarter under review is from April to June, 2023, and the monitoring is 10 days to cover all Operational Areas within the Municipality.

1. DETAILS OF THE MONITORING
2. WHO COMPLETED THE MONITORING

1. WHEN AND WHERE WAS THE MONITORING COMPLETED

• WHAT WAS MONITORED
• Field demonstrations established
• PERD field establishment
• Oil palm seedlings distribution from minerals commission
• Coconut seedlings distribution from minerals commission
• Interaction with various FBOs within the municipality
• Fall army worm situation
• Monitoring of general crop performance

1. OUTCOME OF MONITORING

1. Positive findings of monitoring

• Farmers’ motivation is evident; many more farmers are willing to participate in the Agric activities.
• Farmers are now willing to practice/ incorporate a soil conservation practice in the course of their production.
• The erratic nature of the rainfall this year has forced the farmers to take the concept of climate smart agriculture.
• Most farmers are now fully aware of the existence of the fall army worm.
• All beneficiaries of the oil palm seedlings from the PERD project have intercropped their field with one commodity or the other.
• Farmers who took delivery of the seedlings from Minerals Commission have planted.

2. Negative findings of monitoring

• Inadequate knowledge on the part of most farmers renders them ineffective in the area of adoption of new technologies.
• Late release of MAG funds negatively affected the implementation of planned activities.
• Lack of commitment on the part of some FBO executives make the group dormant.
• The problem of some youth stealing the produce of farmers still continues thereby demoralizing victim farmers to expand their works.

1. WHAT ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED

• The pilfering of some food items from farmer’s field.
• The problem of FBO formation and sustainability.
• Untimely release of funds for the conduct of activities.
• Inadequate release of funds at the time when prices of input continue to escalate.

1. WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS LEARNT

• Monitoring as an activity can achieve magic. Farmers get enthusiastic when monitoring team visit them and so tend to do more and better express themselves.
• Central administration involvement in the monitoring afford them the opportunity to understand the workings of the Agric department.
• Farmers tend to be motivated by visitors. Usually more questions are asked when new faces appear.
• Extension delivery using the demonstration approach is the best.

1. WHAT IS THE MONITORING PLAN FOR THE FOLLOWING PERIOD

• This will be intensified in August to monitor the collection of field data (MRACLS).
• Focus will mostly be on the suggested corrective measures proposed.
• Monitor the performance of the PERD fields and seedlings supplied by Minerals commission.

1. CONCLUSION

The department of Agriculture is on course of achieving the ultimate outcome of the MAG programme through the achievement of the intermediate outcomes, in the area of;

• Increased adoption of relevant production enhancing technology by farmers.
• Increased adoption of market oriented approaches to farm management by farmers.
• Increased private sector investment in sustainable agriculture input supply, production, marketing and processing.

Table 1.10: Key Monitoring Findings and Recommendations

Source: DAD, 2023