Extending Educational Outreach to Farmers in Uzbekistan

Transcription

1 Extending Educational Outreach to Farmers in Uzbekistan A Project conducted by the University of Maryland Funded by United States Department of State Newly Independent States College & University Partnerships Program Project Overview The transition from a command to a free market economy in Uzbekistan created an adverse business environment for agriculture. It has been difficult for farmers to adapt to the changing economy. There are few government and educational resources to aid them in this transition. The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland completed a four-year project to work with universities and other institutions in Uzbekistan to extend their educational outreach to the agricultural sector. These institutions did not have Extension (educational outreach) programs. Through this project, faculty exchanges helped them understand how Extension works and assisted them in developing and implementing Extension programs that helped farmers improve production, marketing, and profits. 1

2 Cooperating Institutions Table of Contents Cooperating Institutions pages 2-3 Uzbek Faculty Workshops in Maryland pages 4-5 Maryland Faculty in Uzbekistan......pages 6-7 Extension Education Programs for Farmers in Uzbekistan......pages 8-9 Applied Research and Publications in Uzbekistan.....pages Tashkent Uzbekistan, June 2001 Uzbekistan Minister of Education Saidakhror Gulyamov and University of Maryland President Daniel C. Mote sign Memorandum of Understanding. Project Directors James C. Hanson, Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Maryland Dale M. Johnson, Farm Management Specialist, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Maryland Raymond J. Miller, Director, International Programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland Saidasror Gulyamov, Vice Rector, Tashkent State Agrarian University In January of 2000, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) at the University of Maryland (UMD) developed a joint project with Uzbekistan universities to train Uzbek educators how to plan and conduct Extension education programs for farmers and agribusinesses in rural communities. This four-year project focused on the geographic regions of Tashkent (the capital), Namangan, and Bukhara. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of State s Newly Independent State College & University Partnerships Program. This publication details the activities of this project and illustrates specific success stories extending educational outreach to farmers. College of Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Maryland Located in College Park, Maryland, UMD is a major research and teaching institution with the land grant mission of improving agriculture in the state of Maryland. AGNR s faculty conduct research and teaching programs, and its outreach arm, Maryland Cooperative Extension, extends this research to the agricultural community to improve productivity and profitability of farms and agribusinesses. AGNR s impacts extend beyond Maryland s borders, as it conducts agriculture projects worldwide. Participating Uzbekistan Institutions Tashkent State Agrarian University Khasan C. Buriev, Rector Namangan Economic Engineering Institute Khamid T. Akhmedkhodjaev, Rector Bukhara State University Komil Mukimov, Rector Bukhara Agriculture College Abdurakhmon Bozorov, Rector Tashkent State Agrarian University Located in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent State Agrarian University (TSAU) was the lead Uzbekistan institution in helping UMD plan and conduct the project. With a scientific and teaching staff of over 400, TSAU is well positioned to conduct Extension outreach programs for the agricultural sector. TSAU Vice Rector Saidasror Gulyamov played a key role in organizing and directing the project. Synopsis of Project Activities Above: At Tashkent State Agrarian University Left to right: Vice Rector S. Gulyamov, R. Miller, AGNR Dean T. Fretz, Rector K. Buriev, N. Irgasheva (interpreter), J. Hanson, D. Johnson. Below: Welcome sign at the entrance of Tashkent State Agrarian University UMD Project Directors Hanson, Johnson, and Miller travel to Uzbekistan to organize project. Funding is granted by U.S. Department of State Extension centers are established in the Tashkent, Namangan, and Bukhara regions of Uzbekistan. Uzbek educators participate in training program at UMD. Uzbek administrators travel to UMD to consult on project. UMD administrators travel to Uzbekistan to formalize partnerships. UMD faculty conduct economic training in Uzbekistan. Uzbek faculty conduct Extension programs for farmers and agribusinesses Applied research and on-farm demonstration projects in Uzbekistan are funded. UMD faculty conduct Extension training in Uzbekistan. Uzbek educators participate in training program at UMD. Uzbek faculty conduct Extension programs for farmers and agribusinesses Applied research and on-farm demonstration projects in Uzbekistan are completed. Uzbek educators participate in training program at UMD. UMD faculty conduct Extension training in Uzbekistan. Uzbek faculty conduct Extension programs for farmers and agribusinesses UMD Project Director travels to Uzbekistan to consult on future Extension projects. 2 3

3 Uzbek Faculty Workshops in Maryland Below: Participants of first University of Maryland Workshop. Uzbekistan National Minister of Education Saidakhror Gulyamov (sixth from right) traveled to U.S. to observe workshop. Three workshops were conducted at the University of Maryland to train 22 Uzbek faculty and Extension educators. These 2-4 week workshops consisted of classroom instruction in business management and other topics. Field trips were conducted to familiarize participants with Maryland Cooperative Extension and agriculture in the mid-atlantic region. Left: Extension Educator Paul Gunther and fertilizer company field man, Jonathan King, demonstrate field mapping of corn yields using global positioning systems. Above: UMD Viticulturalist Joe Fiola (center) conducted tours of AGNR research vineyards and experimental wine lab. Workshop Educational Topics Farm management Business plans Marketing Crop & livestock production Extension programming Grant proposal writing Below: At a pasture walk conducted by Extension Educator Don Schwartz, Uzbek educators join Maryland dairy farmers to learn about intensive grazing management. Workshop Activities Visited farms and agribusinesses Attended Extension workshops Visited agricultural experiment stations Observed research projects Attended seminars conducted by faculty Met with University administrators Evaluated workshop Ray Miller presents Uzbek Educator Nurillo Khalmurzaev a certificate of graduation witnessed by Boris Maydanik and Dale Johnson. Above: Participants of the third workshop. Farm owner Dick Waybright (center - dark blue shirt) operates one of the most innovative large dairy farms in the United States. Farm Management Specialist Dale Johnson conducted a fourday seminar on business planning. Participants developed business plans for crop and livestock farms on laptop computers which were donated for their use in Uzbekistan. They learned to use spreadsheets, word processors, and presentation software. On the final day of the workshop, participants gave oral presentations on their plans. Business plan notebooks were translated into Russian to assist Extension workers in helping Uzbek farmers develop business plans. Maryland has a wide diversity of agriculture in a small geographic area a collage of American agriculture. Uzbek educators visited the following: Farms Grain & soybean Tobacco Fruit Vegetable Greenhouse Nursery Large dairy Small dairy Pastured dairy Beef Sheep Equine Poultry broiler Poultry layer Turkey Aquaculture Markets Grain elevator Terminal vegetable market Farmers market Roadside direct market Pick your own farm and market 4 5

4 Maryland Faculty in Uzbekistan Seven UMD faculty members traveled to Uzbekistan to conduct training programs which included conferences, classroom instruction, farm visits, and one-on-one training. UMD provided an abundance of technical information in the form of bulletins, fact sheets, reports, and videos for use by Uzbek faculty in their Extension efforts. Stan Fultz describes optimal maturity for corn silage harvest to dairy farmer and Extension worker Yokub Fattoev. UMD dairy Extension educators Stan Fultz and Michael Bell conducted training programs on crop production, feed storage, nutrition, housing, breeding and genetics, herd management, animal health, milking procedures, calf and heifer management, labor management, and dairy processing. They focused on low-cost technologies. With their Uzbek colleagues, they visited 16 dairy farms and two milk processing plants to demonstrate how to conduct Extension education programs. They compiled PowerPoint presentations with many picture examples which could be used to show Uzbek dairy farmers improved dairy management techniques. Above: Jim Hanson explains Extension to reporters of a television station in the Bukhara region. Uzbekistan has a significant problem with high soil and water salinity levels. UMD professor Adel Shirmohammadi demonstrated salinity mitigation methods including soil monitoring, plant placement, salt leaching, and drainage. He consulted with researchers on setting up research plots and on-farm demonstrations to promote better irrigation and salinity management. One low-cost method suggested was to mulch cotton rows with wheat straw to decrease evapotranspiration. This would reduce irrigation water needs and also reducing upward migration of salt into the root zone area. UMD Professors Raymond Miller and Jim Hanson have years of experience in Extension administration and operation, as well as agricultural research. They worked closely with Uzbek University administrators in setting up the Extension offices in the three regions in Uzbekistan. They also assisted Uzbek faculty in conducting applied research projects (pages 10-11). Michael Bell explains how to dehorn calves to a group of dairy farmers. Specialist Subject matter # weeks Boris Maydanik Economics 4 Stan Fultz Dairy production 3 Michael Bell Dairy production 2 Adel Shirmohammadi Soil & water 1 Dale Johnson Farm management 3 Jim Hanson Extension methods 3 Ray Miller Administration 3 They also provided dairy management manuals in Russian for Uzbek Extension to use. Over the course of the project, dairy farmers in Uzbekistan reported increases in production by applying these methods. Above: Soil & water specialist Adel Shirmohammadi (left) discusses soil desalinization with a cotton farmer. Left: Dale Johnson discusses computer record keeping with a dairy farmer and his son. UMD specialist Boris Maydanik conducted workshops in Uzbekistan for university faculty and Extension workers. He taught economic principles with a particular focus on marketing in a free market system. UMD Farm Management Specialist Dale Johnson conducted workshops on business planning, financial management, and computer record keeping. He also taught seminars on dairy economics to help dairy farmers pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in their operations. 6 7

5 Extension Education Programs for Uzbek The primary purpose of this project was to help Uzbekistan farmers improve production, marketing, and profitability. Through the Extension centers established by this project in Tashkent, Namangan, and Bukhara, Uzbek agricultural educators used a variety of educational methods to introduce improved farming technologies to thousands of farmers. As a result of this effort, farmers have reported increased yields, greater efficiency, new crop and livestock alternatives, improved markets, and better access to credit. Extension education methods Farmer schools Conferences Workshops Seminars Television shows Computer labs with Internet access to information Computer programs Multi-media video and CD presentations On-farm demonstrations One-on-one consultations Reports, bulletins, fact sheets Uzbekistan farmers attend an Extension workshop. Uzbek Educators Rustam Israilov (above left) and Muhammad Tadjibaev (far left) work with vegetable farmers in the Namangan region of Uzbekistan. The Tashkent Extension Center conducted comprehensive schools for farmers four times a year. Each school was 24 days long, with six hours of instruction each day. About 50 faculty from TSAU, many with international experience, were involved in conducting the schools. Topics included crop and livestock production, marketing, record keeping and financial analysis, irrigation technology, and government laws & regulations. The Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture assisted by providing funds for food and lodging for farmers attending the schools. About 300 farmers have attended these schools. Based on his experience with the project, TSAU Vice Rector Saidasror Gulyamov authored a book describing the function of government and education in structuring, funding, and conducting effective Extension outreach programs. This book has been widely distributed among government and education institutions in Central Asia as a textbook for establishing Extension programs. In the Namangan region, the Extension Center works closely with local farmers associations to conduct education programs. Farmer association directors help to schedule, organize, and conduct workshops and farm demonstrations. In some districts of the Namangan region, the farmer association offices also house the Extension offices. This synergy has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the Extension education programs. Yokub Fattoev is an influential farmer-businessman-educator who helped establish the Bukhara Extension Center. He helped organize a television show titled, Vision of Businessmen, broadcast twice monthly by two Bukhara television stations. The show, widely viewed by farmers in the region, is a roundtable format that features interviews with successful farmers and illustrates innovative technologies and production methods. Jim Hanson with TSAU Vice Rector Saidasror Gulyamov and granddaughter. Above: Farmer Association Director Zohidjon Halilovich (far end of table) helps to lead a farmer discussion at an Extension meeting held at a dairy farm. Left: Yokub Fattoev (center) and his Extension coworkers have conducted Extension education programs for hundreds of farmers in the Bukhara region. 8 9

6 Applied Research and Publications in Uzbekistan Applied Research Projects Reducing soil salinity Reducing soil compaction Converting desert land into crop land without harming the environment Growing and processing medicinal plants Land leveling for irrigation fields Improving the farm credit system Best management practices for irrigation and soil fertility Improving markets for farmers Understanding the supply and demand for farm credit Farm financial analysis Farmer Publications Irrigation Controlling sheep and cow diseases Vegetable production Fruit production Wine production Crop fertilization Fall plowing recommendations Controlling tomato diseases Preparing business plans Potato production Beneficial insects Melon production Cotton production Ten grants for conducting applied research were awarded to Uzbek faculty members in Tashkent, Namangan, and Bukhara. Faculty members worked with farmers on this research so that new information gained could be utilized immediately by the agricultural community. Thirteen farmer publications were written as practical guides for profitable and productive agriculture. Record keeping Legal services Marketing Developing business plans Business management Information technology M. Shaumarov and N. Khalmurzaev report the results of a credit survey. Extension services requested to assist in credit acquisition 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Percent of farms requesting services Researchers Mahmud Shaumarov and Nurillo Khalmurzaev conducted a survey of 10 major banks and 50 commercial farms to analyze farmers credit needs, to determine the main problems and barriers of farmers in getting credit, and to determine farmers need for Extension service in obtaining credit. Through this survey they were able to make recommendations to the government for mediating credit problems in the agriculture sector. One particularly useful outcome of the survey was to identify services and information that Extension could offer farmers to better prepare them to obtain credit. Samples of medicinal herbs and products. Above: Cotton harvest in Uzbekistan. Left: Uzbek Educator Saitjon Davlatov and Rector Abdurakhmon Bozorov at the Galaba Farm. With an agricultural economy dependent on cotton and small grains, farmers are looking for highvalue alternatives. At Bukhara State University, Ilhom Rakhmatov conducted research on medicinal herbs. He grew test plots of over 20 different plant varieties and processed them into various products. Through Extension programs, he shares the results of his research with farmers who are interested in these new crop alternatives. Over 70 percent of Uzbekistan is desert land. It must be irrigated for crop production. Currently, irrigated lands are suffering from salinity and a decreasing supply of irrigated water due to competing claims by other Central Asian countries. R. Yunusov, Bukhara State University, explored ways to expand onto new land without harming the environment and how to maximize the use of limited water supplies. The Galaba Farm in the Bukhara region has been conducting an onfarm demonstration and applied research. In addition, this farm hosted a field day for 25 farmers to come and observe the progress. Since joining the program, the owner of the Galaba farm has increased dairy production from 8 liters to 17 liters of milk per day per cow. He accomplished this improvement by substituting better feed (corn silage) for wheat straw

7 Improving the lives of Uzbek farmers through educational programs that increase productivity and profit Livestock ration balancing, credit acquisition, medicinal herbs, high tunnel fruit production, business planning, soil desalinization, on-farm processing, genetic improvements Through four years of workshops, seminars, farm visits, and research projects, dozens of agricultural educators were trained and hundreds of farmers learned new production and marketing methods. Five universities and two countries were brought closer together. Professional relationships were established and lifelong friendships were formed. Bukhara Sharif Bukhara the Great This ancient Silk Road city is home to Bukhara State University and Bukhara Agricultural College. Above: University of Maryland Extension Educator Michael Bell (back row center) with Uzbek educators and generations of farmers in Namangan, Uzbekistan. Left: Rector Abdurakhmon Bozorov and Jim Hanson at the most distant Maryland Extension office - in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Extending Educational Outreach to Farmers in Uzbekistan Authors: Dale M. Johnson, James C. Hanson, Raymond J. Miller Information Series March 2004 Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics University of Maryland, College Park, MD Telephone Equal Access Programs 12