EEI, Hyderabad organized On campus training programme on Documentation Techniques of Farmer Innovations in agri and allied sectors on 12 th – 16 th September, 2023

Farmer innovations and re-inventions are the products of farmers informal experimentation. Such innovative technologies and methodologies are largely confined to some locations. Benefits accrued from such innovative ideas need to be widely shared across the country. And the scientific talents behind such grass root level innovations and re-inventions need to be encouraged and recognized. Valuable ideas and techniques generated by them largely go unnoticed owing to lack of proper documentation and opportunities for wider dissemination. Unfortunately, the farm scientists and extension personnel are still struck up in the concept of “empty vessel fallacy” with regard to farmers and undermining the role of farmers in Innovation Development Process (IDP) in research as well as in transfer of technology. Recognizing this farmers potentiality, documenting their innovations and re-inventions and encouraging them for partnership with the agricultural research are equally important in the long run to effectively face challenges and to fully exploit new opportunities. The innovative farmers are strategically important to design, develop and implement any research and development programme of Indian Agricultural Research. In the view of the above Extension Education Institute, Hyderabad organizde 5 days on campus training programme to improve the knowledge and skills of the extension functionaries in the area of “Documentation Techniques of Farmer Innovations in agri and allied sectors” For the Officers of Department of Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Southern Region from 12th – 16th September, 2023. Training programme covered the content on Documentation Skills for Professional Excellence- An Overview, Identification and documentation of farmer innovations and re-inventions, Documentation of farmer innovations through Success story approach, Data collection tools and techniques for documentation of farmer innovations, Documentation of farmer innovations through case study approach , Facilitation and Feedback Management Skills for Effective Documentation, Visit to Electronic Wing, PJTSAU, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Visit to Innovative farmer field, Hyderabad, Extension strategy for promotion of farmer innovations, GOI schemes and programs in agri and allied sectors and Gender budgeting for gender mainstreaming in agri and allied sector. Training was inaugurated on 12th September 2023 on the hands of Dr.M.Jagan Mohan Reddy, Director, EEI. Where in his inaugural address he oriented the importance of documentation to the participant officers, also instructed them to follow the curriculum of the training programme to grasp different documentation techniques of farmer innovations. As at the farm level, many innovations are “process innovations” that improve production techniques; for example, higher-yielding seeds or more efficient irrigation method etc. and documenting the farmer innovations will provide a gate way for the research, extension and farmers linkage which ultimately leads to the development of agricultural innovations. Training was concluded on 16th September, 2023 and the Director EEI appreciated the course coordinator for the smooth conduct of the training programme. In his valedictory remarks mentioned that clear documentation helps to avoid misunderstandings and confusion that can lead to costly delays and errors, and ultimately leads to professional success. Good documentation helps professional to stay on top their work progress, and ensures that the profession stays on track. Though, initiatives by government and non-government bodies to identify and document the farmer led innovations have taken place in recent past but in a limited scale only. It is therefore necessary to provide sufficient and suitable institutional support to the farmers for the promotion of farmer led innovations and to document, validate and scale up of these innovations. The institutional arrangements for networking of stakeholders need to be devised to translate the challenges faced in the institutionalization of farmer led innovations into opportunities. Thus, the documentation of the success stories of the farmer innovations will not only help the farmers but also to the institutions. Participants felt that digital documentation techniques, practical orientation of the digital tools and gender mainstreaming and budgeting helped them to gain more knowledge in the recent advances of the documentation techniques. And all other sessions also definitely enhanced their knowledge level for the documentation of farmer innovations. Eighteen participants from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu representing the departments of Agriculture, Animal husbandry and Dairy development attended the training programme. Dr.D.Shireesha, Assistant Professor, EEI coordinated the programme.