1 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Acknowledgement
The concept of farmer field promoter was new to me when I first attended Writeshop training on
30th September to 3rd October 2014 at Dewathang.The facilitator of the training Dr. Julian Gonsalves
explained us about farmer promoters, their roles and responsibilities in society. He told us farmer
promoter plays an important role in agriculture farming. The other interesting topic during the
training was bio intensive gardening, where farmers are encouraged to grow green manure trees in
their fields in order to fix nitrogen to the soil.
I would like to sincerely thank Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative Executive Director Tshewang Dendup for
inviting me over a meeting. Although I work in forestry extension services, the training inputs on
nutrient management, pest management, post harvest and practicing bio intensive gardening were
interesting lessons I learnt.
I accompanied a group of farmer to Orong geog and visited the lead farmers. I was inspired and
motivated by the vegetable production by M.C Guring. He told us that “Interest and hardwork” are
important in farming. I also learned grafting from Memey Jamtsho. He taught us grafting for orange,
apple, pear or peach and few more. It was the most memorable and valuable journey to me.
I would like to thank Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative team Mr.Norbu Samphel, Sherab, Miss Pia
Lindstorm for invaluable support at field works and the guidance in writing this report.
Thank to Dr. Julian Gonsalves for facilitating the write shop.
2 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Part A: Over all work plan………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Part B: Procedure for selection of farmer promoters………………………………………………………. .4
Farmer promoters’ selection criterion shared by farmers………………………………………………….5
Farmer Promoters of Dewathang geog, Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag…………………………… .6
Appointed farmer promoters, Dewathang…………………………………………………………………....... .7
Farmer Promoters’ roles and responsibilities…………………………………………………………………… .8
Promoters’ opportunities………………………………………………………………………………………………… .8
Promoters Tenure……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9
Promoter – promoter competition………………………………………………………………………………….. . 9
Promoters Incentives………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .9
Checking how well the farmers’ promoters are doing their job……………………………………….. . 9
Part C: Bridge, Coordination and monitoring………………………………………………………………..
.10
Knowing the farmers and field situation………………………………………………………………………….. .10
Analysis and prioritisation………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
.10-12
The Communication cycle……………………………………………………………………………………………….. .12
Forward Information interpretation flow………………………………………………………………………… .12
Reversed information interpretation flow………………………………………………………………………. .13
Monitoring format for seeds supplied for promotion ……………………………………………………………….. .13
Farming timetable management for germination and management……………………………….. .13-14
Part D: Farmers promoters were trained by EAs and SJI on following topics………………… .14
Farming problems listing out for study and analysis………………………………………………………… .14
Farming problems identification and damage prioritisation matrix…………………………………. .14-15
Addressing the farming problems……………………………………………………………………………………. .15
Compost making or basic livestock husbandry management…………………………………………… .16-17
Agro-silvo pastoral system advantages……………………………………………………………………………. .18
Soil Management…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .18-20
Integrated nutrient management……………………………………………………………………………………. .20-22
3 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Integrated pest management………………………………………………………………………………………….. .22
.
Pest awareness beforehand is a must for farmers…………………………………………………………… .22
.
Pest behaviour study and record keeping for management…………………………………………….. .23
Part E: Farmers’ Field Day Study………………………………………………………………………………….
.23-24
Discussions and advices received…………………………………………………………………………………….. .24-25
Part F: Farmer promoters’ words at the end of day study…………………………………………
.26
Empty forms …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
.26-28
4 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative tentative plan for farmers’ promoter training, Dewathang
Part A: Overall Work Plan
Date: 17/10/2014
Sl.no Activities
1
2
3
Date
Field visits and identifying interested and 16-17/10/2014
potential farmers
Meeting for promoters and geog Tshogpas, 21-22/10/2014
training them, drawing out interim guidelines
Farmer field day visit to Morong and Lerong for 28/10/2014
study and exposure.
Remarks
8 farmers identified
Initiated by SJI, in
collaboration
with
geog
Agriculture
Extension agent
Escort by SJI team and
geog
agriculture,
Dewathang
Part B: Procedure for selection of farmers’ promoters
Sl.no
Village
1
Martang
Gerwa
Initial active farmers selection by field Nos. of farmers voting
verification team
for the most active
Sonam Lhendup
///// ///// selected
Tuku Lhamo
////
Tashi Yoezer
///// ///// selected
Dawa Norbu
2
Dungkarcholing
Peldon
Samzang
Khotsa
///// ///// selected
/////
/////
3
Domphu
Jampay
Chezom
Rinchen Wangdi
///// ///// // selected
///// /////
///// //
4
Rikhey
Ngawang
Tashi Wangmo
///// ///// ///selected
///// /////
5
Bangtsho
Tshering Gyelpo
Sherab
Kuenga
Karma
Lata Wangdi
Rinchen Lhamo
Dechen Choden
///// ///// // selected
///// //
///// ///// selected
/////
/////
///// ///// / selected
///// //
Kopor
6
Chenary
5 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Farmer promoters’ selection criterion shared by farmers during meeting














Should practice farming consistently and need to have garden at his house
Have interest for learning
Willingness
Should be competitive
All rounder
Credible
Trustworthy
Can communicate and convince
Beneficial to community
Lives full time in the village or stays in the village
Does farming with interest
A person who often migrate should not be chosen
Should be receptive
Should be expert than other farmers in a village
6 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Farmer Promoters of Dewathang geog, Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag
7 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Appointed farmer promoters, Dewathang
8 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Farmer Promoters’ roles and responsibilities
1. Encourage local seeds preservation,
2. Give awareness to farmers for seeds sowing time, collect money from farmers, if
they are interested to buy seeds and forward to agriculture extension agents,
3. Ask and know from agriculture extension agents or geog administration for budget
allocation for seeds supply from government offices for each year.
4. Define farmer promoter. Farmer promoters are usually individuals with little or no
formal education who, through a process of training, experimentation, learning and
practice, increase their knowledge and become capable of sharing it with others,
functioning as extension workers.
5. Formal education is not a necessary requirement for being a farmer promoter. More
important attributes are credibility, community acceptance, and a positive attitude
to take on the challenge of a farmer promoter.
6. The role of the promoter in rural communities is that of a change agent promoting
rural development process.
7. Should undertake theoretical and practical activities.
8. Facilitate courses at the community level
9. Respect the local culture
10. Work as equals, treating others with respect and tolerance.
11. Work with farmers’ groups or with individual farmers.
12. Participate in meetings and workshops
13. Provide training in demonstration plots.
Promoters’ opportunities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Exposure
Study tour
Knowledge and experience
Trainings or workshop
Helping farmers
Income generation
Meetings with institution leaders or high dignitaries
Facilitator of knowledge to farmers
Become experienced and work like professionals
9 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Promoters Tenure
Promoters are supposed to work for 3 years as promised. If he or she does good job, there is
a chance for second or third time too, depending upon the progress shown by promoters. It
is purely election system by village farmers.
Promoter – promoter competition
The Samdrup Jongkhar Initiatives and Dzongkhag Agriculture office would like to observe
the best promoter among the total eight. The criterion shall be his farm management,
vegetable garden management; quantity produced based, sell record quantity, creativity
based, and number of farmers he/she has supported or helped in the village. His/her
performance shall be evaluated closely and shall be rewarded
Promoters Incentives
Farmers and Agriculture Extension agents shall observe the performance and progress of
promoters for one year. If the farmers like the support and progress of promoter, they shall
organize group meetings on convenient time and start paying them if possible. But then, the
decision lies in the hands of gatherings.
Checking how well the farmers’ promoters are doing their job
Sl.n
o
Main
activities
responsibilities
1
Practice or continuity of farming
2
Share knowledge, or
farmers, transmitter role
3
Apply knowledge of composting,
pest
management,
nutrient
management, soil management,
agrobiodiversity practices, trained
topics
Visit other farmers field, identify
active farmers, advice
4
or Indicator
train
Who
monitor
how?
will Responsibi
and lity
Interview or ask
village farmers,
visit promoters
garden
Interview or ask
village farmers,
observe farmers
garden
Visit promoters
field or gardens,
ask farmers
Extension
Agriculture
agents,
geog
Tshogpas
Extension
Agriculture
agents,
geog
Tshogpas
Extension
Agriculture
agents,
geog
Tshogpas
Promoters,
EAs,farmers
Ask
farmers,
visits to farmers
field by EAs
Extension
Agriculture
agents,
geog
Tshogpas
Extension
Agriculture
agents,
geog
Tshogpas
Extension
Agriculture
agents,
geog
Tshogpas
Promoters,
EAs,farmers
5
Local seeds preservation practice,
seeds distribution/supply on
timing
Ask
farmers,
visit to farmers
field by EAs
6
Incorporate EAs, Agency for
planning,administration,relations
hip with EAs, or other offices
Keep record of
EAs field visits
or contact, keep
register records
Promoters,
EAs,farmers
Promoters,
EAs,farmers
Promoters,
EAs,farmers
Promoters,
EAs,farmers
Comment
s
10 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Part C: Bridge and Coordination
Knowing the farmers and field situation. This part have not been discussed with farmers, this is my self
assumption and trial. The list of daily activities depends on farmers. Let farmers list them out.
Listing out the farm activities and daily schedule. EAs have to be clever, do not ask which is more important
while comparing. Ask the real field situations, like where your time is mostly consumed? If asked, which is
more important, the answer would be completely opposite.
1. Vegetable garden visit
2. Fruits trees orchard visit,
3. Cow herding and fodder collection or preparation,
4. Attending meetings or training, woola
5. Compost preparation,
6. At home
7. Usual routine farming
8. Social gatherings, play, fun.
Analysis and prioritisation
Veget
able
garde
n visit
3
Fruits trees
orchard visit,
1
Cow
herdin
g and
fodder
collect
ion
Attending
meetings or
training,
woola
2
7
Vegetable
garden visit
X
Fruits trees
orchard visit,
Veget
able
garde
n visit
Cow
herdi
ng
and
fodde
r
collec
tion
Atten
ding
meeti
ngs
or
traini
ng,
Cow herding
and fodder
managemen
t
Attending
meetings or
training,
woola
X
Cow herding
and
fodder
collection
X
Attending
meetings or
training,
woola
Cow
herdin
g
and
fodder
manag
ement
X
Compost
preparation
1
At
home,weavi
ng,watching
television
3
Maiz
e or
rice
cultiv
ation
5
Social
gathe
rings,
play,
fun
5
11 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
wool
a
Compost
preparation
Veget
able
garde
n visit
Fruits trees
orchard visit,
At
home,weavi
ng,watching
televisions
Veget
able
garde
n visit
At
home,weavi
ng,watching
television
Maize or rice
cultivation
Maiz
e or
rice
cultiv
ation
Maize or rice
cultivation
Social
gathe
rings,
play,
fun
Social
gatherings,
play, fun
Social
gatherings,
play, fun
Cow
herdin
g
and
fodder
manag
ement
Cow
herdin
g
and
fodder
manag
ement
Cow
herdin
g
and
fodder
manag
ement
Cow
herdin
g
and
fodder
manag
ement
Compost
preparation
X
At
home,weavi
ng,watching
television
At
home,weavi
ng,watching
television
X
Maize or rice
cultivation
Maize or rice
cultivation
Maize
or
rice
cultivation
Social
gatherings,
play, fun
Social
gatherings,
play, fun
Graphical representation
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Showing time consumption in daily activities
Social
gatherings,
play, fun
X
Maiz
e or
rice
cultiv
ation
X
12 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Finding these evaluation, we can develop strategies and formulate plan to help farmers.
These prioritisation and table will show the nature of farmers and nature of farming, they
practice. It will very from place to place and people to people. In vegetable growing areas,
like, Wangdue or Paro, the highest point will go to visit to vegetable garden and doing
gardening.
The Communication cycle
Information
Geog Agriculture Extension
Agent
Information
Farmer Promoter
Farmers
Information
Information
Forward Information interpretation flow of communication cycle
Information
Date
from
DAO,
Project Offices
Received
by
EAs
promoter
E.g.
Contact
received from DAO
for Potato supply
Kiran
Rai,
officiating
agriculture
Call to Karma
Tenzin
for
informing farmers
3/11/201
4
Kiran
Rai,
officiating
agriculture
Contacted Rikhey
Tshogpa
10/09/20
14
31/10/2014
DAO
handed 1/09/2014
vegetable seeds
to Date
Promoters
to farmers
Date
Potato
arrived,
informed
farmers
3/11/20
14
Informed
farmers
to
12/10/
2014
13 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Reversed information interpretation flow of communication cycle
Know
the Promoters
farmers plan, action
interests,
messages
Promoters
to EAs
EAs action
On
which
date?
EAs
to
Dzongkhag
Agriculture Comm
Office
ents
E.g.
Pest
infestation
on
cabbage or maize
Phone call to
EAs
on
3/11/2014
EAs visited farmer
fields and find
solution
5/11/201
4
EAs contacted
DAO on date
4/11/2014.Arr
ange
pest
repellents
Promoter
visited farmer
fields
and
record
Passed
EAs forwarded to 5/11/201
Farmers like to Promoters
money to EAs DAO
4
buy veg.seeds
collects
on
3/11/2014
money and
passed
to
EAs
successf
ul
Applied for
seeds
Arrived
demand
on time
Monitoring format for seeds supplied for promotion. To be filled by EAs
Farmers
Village
Karma
Tenzin
Pazor
Nos.of
packets
/quantit
y
supplie
d
50
kg
potatoe
s
Supplie Field
visits Monitore
d date monitoring
d date?
comments by
EAs
Quantity
produced
Comme
nts
3/11/1
4
100 kg
example
Have planted, 15 Dec
on
date
5/01/2015
Farming timetable management for germination and management. To be filled up by
farmers.
When
Mother beds When did Watering
did you preparation you sow? management?
receive
seeds?
How often are Counting
Transplantat
you checking records
of ion date
germination?
healthy/
dead
seedlings?
Potato
supplied
from Geog,
after
seeds
germination
in
mother
beds,
Prepared
mother beds,
used
organic
10/11/2014
250
seeds
planted,200
nos.grew
14 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
MAGIP
support, on
date
3/11/2014
compost
checking regularly
Part D: Farmers promoters were trained by geog extension agent and SJI team on
following topics:







I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Farming problems listing out for study and analysis
Farming problems identification, analysis and finding resolution,
Compost making
Agro-silvo pastoral system advantages,
Soil management for farming
Integrated nutrient management.
Integrated pest management.
Farming problems listing out for study and analysis
Wild boar and elephant damage,
Late seeds arrival at farmers hand,
Pest infestation,
Summer rainfall,
Marketing of vegetables from far villages,
Monitoring by Agriculture Extension Agents,
Farming problems identification and damage prioritisation matrix
Wild
boar,
elephants
5
Wild boar,
elephants
Seeds
supply
delay
Pest
outbreak
Summer
rainfall
x
Wild
boar,
elephants
Wild
boar,
elephants
Wild
boar,
elephants
Seeds
supply
delay
3
Pest
infestation
Summer
rainfall
1
2
x
Seeds
supply
delay
Seeds
supply
delay
x
Pest
outbreak
x
Not
efficient
marketing
channel 2
Monitoring
by EAs
2
15 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Not
efficient
marketing
channel
Monitoring
by EAs
Wild
Seeds
boar,
supply
elephants delay
Not
efficient
marketing
channel
Monitoring Summer
by EAs
rainfall
Summer
rainfall
x
Wild
boar,
elephants
Monitoring Not
by EAs
efficient
marketing
channel
x
Graphical representation of problems
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Addressing the farming problems
Sl.no Problems list
2
3
4
5
Wild boar
damage
Resolution
and
elephant
Comments
Instead of maize cultivation, opt Resolve
from
for ginger, or vegetables which Dzongkhag
wild boars do not attack
Agriculture/Forest
Office, GYT or DYT,
Ministry
or
Headquarters
Not efficient marketing channel Linking or facilitating farmers to SJI and Agriculture
for vegetables
customers(Tshoki Gyatso Institue, extension
agents
Dungsum
private decided to collect
school,Polytecnic,shopkeepers)
phone numbers of
customers and give to
farmer promoters
Monitoring by Agriculture Farmer promoters should often Promoters
should
Extension Agents
share village farmer’s problems or keep registers
keep close contact with EAs
Summer rainfall
Use nets, if possible try to Search fund support
procure
from
Dzongkhag from Projects, if
Agriculture sector or procure possible
yourself
16 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
II.
Compost making or basic livestock husbandry management
Compost Making
1. Construct shed or house for storing cow dung or urine with CGI sheet, with stone
wall or bamboo balep
2. Collect the cow dung and pile up. Water should not be allowed to get mixed up
3. Transfer the cow dung to the compost house and pile up in one corner.
4. Moisture content should be just enough to wet the material, not dripping
5. After reasonable heap, mix with green biomass or leaves (ratio: 3:1, of cow dung and
green biomass). After three days the heap should be warm inside. If not, it’s too wet
or too dry. If too wet, add dry matter. Avoid direct sunlight and rain water
6. After compost become ready, shift the heap into middle and leave it for sometime,
finally shift into last corner. Compost becomes ready for use at around 1-2 months.
Pit compost preparation
To make pit compost you need to dig pit
-length 6Ft,
-breadth 3Ft and
-depth 2½ Ft
17 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Materials required to make pit compost
Cow urine and Dung
Green biomass
Dry biomass
 Mix all these and cover up by soil
 After 25 days turn up side down
 After 2-3 month compost will be ready to use
18 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
III. Agro-silvo pastoral system advantages
1. Farming system consists of the three main components, keeping livestock, growing
fodder trees/grass, and agriculture practice in a combinative pattern at a same time
in a same land.
2. Have multipurpose benefits.
3. Land use is intensified, meant for avoiding land fallow.
4. Good, selected fodder trees/fodder grasses are planted along the terraces or around
the fields.
5. Cattles or other domestic animals are kept at the fields/farms openly, or could be
inside sheds, around or within the farm.
6. Cow dung, compost or manure are utilised within the farms for growing crops or
vegetables.
IV.
Soil Management
Defining soil erosion
Soil erosion is the process of detaching the soil particles by erosive agents such as water,
wind and ice from the land's surface of one place and it’s transportation to another place for
deposition.
SOIL EROSIONAL TYPES
TYPE
CASUAL AGENT
Splash erosion –
Sheet erosion –
Rill erosion Gully erosion -
Water
Water & wind
Water
Water. Severe one
Splash erosion
SPLASH EROSION
Rain Drops
Detaches
soil particles
from
aggregates
18
19 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Suggestion: Cover crops, mulching, agrobiodiversity practice. Practice bio-intensive gardens
SHEET EROSION
Uniform removal of thin layer of soil either by runoff or wind
Suggestion: Stone bunds or hedgerows plantation
GULLY EROSION
Removal of soil particles in gullies of several meters
Suggestion: Plantation of pioneer plant species like, Alnus nepalensis or selected plant
species, vegetatative/coppicing species, bamboo, etc. Natural check dams or bio-engineering
works.
Prevention Measures
1. Stone bunds. Raising stone bunds along the contour lines of sloped farm land helps
prevent soil erosion, make use of local stones and eventually be formed into good
terraces.
2. Hedgerow Plantation. Planting multipurpose trees and plant species along the
contour slopes will reduce rain water erosion and eventually form terraces. The
vegetation planted will provide fodder, timber and biomass as a source for green
manure. Wind erosion can be controlled.
20 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
3. Protecting forest and water sources. Do not cut down trees. Planting new trees and
protecting them will ensure good vegetation coverage and increase water quality
and quantity over longer periods of time.
V.
Integrated nutrient management
1. When possible, test the soil. Based on nutrient analysis, recommendation can be
made.
2. Improve the soil organically by planting green manure trees, like nitrogen fixing
plants, like Cassia siamea, gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, cereals along the
vegetable garden beds.
Cassia siamea
Leucaena leucocephala
Gliricidia sepium
3. Plant legume crops like Daincha to fix nitrogen and add organic matter to the soil.
21 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
4. Planting cover crops protect the soil from sun and rain, retains moisture, and
prevents soil erosion and helps build up soil nutrients.
Dha
Daincha, found in: Pemathang, Phuntshothang, and, and Daifam
5. Use organically prepared compost for farming. Do not opt for inorganic fertilizers
from markets.
6. Intercrop or rotate with legume crops like beans. Legume root nodules help fix
atmospheric nitrogen into the soil.
7. Practice mulching, covering crops with grass and leaf litter, twigs, straw, manure and
food residues adds nutrients and organic matter, retains soil moisture, and
temperature, favours healthy soil organism, suppresses weeds and improve soil
structure.
8. Practice hedgerows plantation along bunds or terrace for controlling soil erosion.
9. Practice bio-intensive gardening with nitrogen fixing trees with such design
22 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
VI.
Integrated pest management
Pests Awareness beforehand is a must for a farmer
Be ready with
water sprinklers
and pipe water
Right pest identification by
Agriculture Extension
agents and their
suggestions
Be ready with
nets, medium
or small sized
Before pest attacks, be
ready with defence
Introduce light systems in
garden. Insects will be
attracted by lights
Plant marigold
flowers in vegetable
gardens
Introduce mixed
cropping or
agrobiodiversity
Use or practice organic pest
repellents
Draining water from a paddy fields every 4-5
days help kill insects. Do not keep stagnant
water in a field for longer time
23 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Pest behaviour study and record keeping for management
Crops
damaged
Example
Potato
Spinach
Pest timing, record Pest identified
starting
date,
daytime or night
time
Winter
Summer
Red ants
example
White patches
cabbage
Carrot
Yanang
khompa(local
name)
At germination time Comments
by
or later stage?
EAs and SJI office
Watering before
ants infestation
Watering before
pest
Watering
the
garden
before
pest attacks
Watering
the
garden
before
pest attacks
Part E: Farmers’ Field day Tour
It was planned on 28/10/2014 to Orong geog. The team from Samdrup Jongkhar Initiatives
in collaboration with geog officiating Agriculture extension agent of Dewathang escorted
the 16 farmers to two expert farmers of Orong geog, one at M.C Gurung field at Morong 28
km, and other at Lerong, at Memey Jamtsho place. Here are some pictures of the day visit to
their fields.
24 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Discussions and advices received
 MC Gurung shared his views that “Personal Interest” is the first and the most
important thing in gardening.
 Secondly, he stresses the point in keeping or following time table or routine. It is a
must for vegetable growers, he said.
25 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
 Third important thing is “Self seeds conservation at home”. This is because the
government seeds supply sometimes arrives late or untimely, he clarified.
 Gardening management and methodology is very important.
 Should not feel boring or lazy to work. We need dedication and commitment.
 Ask help from geog Agriculture extension agents in terms of technical assistance or
anything possible. Relationship and communication with them is important.
 Should not discontinue gardening. Once started, we should keep on working and
learning.
 After seeds germinate from mother beds, we have to visit the farm regularly, do
monitor, count the seedlings, and keep record.
 Plant marigold flowers and artemesia for using as pest repellents. Keep the marigold
soaked inside water overnight in a bucket, and mix with beaten artemesia and spray
with sprayers.
 Pest infestation usually happens in between March-July. Usually butterfly.
 He preserves seeds at his house, like, broccoli, cauliflower, coriander, cabbage,
beans, etc. After producing, he handovers to geog agriculture extension agent. He
earns money from seeds sale.
 The Project Office at Wengkher have trained them, helped them a lot on technical
background.
 The Agriculture Extension agent of Orong geog explained that group formation is a
must. She explained that the criteria for group formation or registration is to have
interested farmers, and need account opening of a group. By laws are needed while
group formation. By laws are composed by farmers themselves, in the presence of
geog agriculture extension agent as a facilitator.
 The RAMCO Office of Mongar have been providing seeds support to the farmers of
Orong, with 25% seeds cost charge.
 Memey Jamtsho taught the farmers on grafting techniques. He told that grafting
time starts with 1st month of Bhutanese calendar.
 Explained the farmers on pit composting, letting us visit the sites.
 Sometimes, one needs to be creative and try our own idea, Memey Jamtsho told.
 The farmer groups of Orong supply vegetables to Orong Higher Secondary School,
boarding school on a tender basis. Each groups supply 1500 kilograms of vegetables
weekly. Farmers have hard time for rest, they pointed out.
 Farmers are able to generate good income and live happier life.
26 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Part F: Farmer promoters’ words at the end of day study
1. They would also like to try vegetable farming in their garden or villages in a similar
ways.
2. They feel inspired and encouraged by the training and study tour.
3. They would like to form farmers’ vegetable groups here after.
4. They would like to buy seeds personally from Morong, MC Guring fields and do
gardening.
5. They would like to initiate marketing channels or farmers-customers linkages in
order to activate farmers gardening.
Agriculture Farming Field Diary
Farming timetable management for germination and management
When
Mother beds When did Watering
did you preparation you sow? management?
receive
seeds?
How often are Counting
Transplantat
you checking records
of ion date
germination?
healthy/
dead
seedlings?
Forward Information interpretation flow of communication cycle (Both EAs and Promoters
need to maintain)
Information
Date
of Received
from
DAO, informatio by
Project Offices
n received
EAs
Promoters
to Date
Promoters
to Farmers
Date
27 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Reversed information interpretation flow of communication cycle (Both EAs and
Promoters need to maintain)
Know
the Promoters
farmers plan, action
interests,
messages
Promoters
to EAs
EAs action
On
which
date?
EAS
to
Dzongkhag
Agriculture Comm
office
ents
Monitoring format for seeds supplied for promotion. (For free seeds supply only).To be filled by
EAs
Farmers
Village
Nos.of
packets
/quantit
y
supplie
d
Distrib
uted
date
Field
visits Monitore
monitoring
d date?
comments by
EAs
Quantity
produced
Comme
nts
Pest behaviour study and record keeping for management
Crops
damaged
Pest timing, record starting Pest
date, daytime or night time identified
Summer
Winter
At germination time Comments
or later stage?
EAs
by
28 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.
Checking how well the farmers’ promoters are doing their job. Evaluation to be done by
EAs
Sl.n
o
Main
activities
responsibilities
or Indicator
Who
monitor
how?
will Responsibi
and lity
Comment
s
1
2
3
4
5
6
Reference: Dr.Gonslave power point presentation on farmer field promoters and bio
intensive gardening.
Report prepared by:
(Kiran Rai)
29 Farmer promoters nomination and training, and field day visit report.