Capacity Building of Branch Post Masters and Farmers under IARI-Post Office Linkage Extension Model

A one-day training programme on “Improved Wheat Production Technologies” was organized at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sirohi, Rajasthan on March 26, 2015 for capacity building of Branch Post Masters and  farmers under innovative IARI – Post Office Linkage Extension Model.

Scientists and Subject Matter Specialists of the Krishi Vigyan Kendras were the resource persons for the training. Total 50 farmers and postal staff participated in the training. The KVK scientists were the resource persons in the training programme. Improved production technologies of wheat, integrated pest management and post-harvest management were covered in the training.

The model was conceived and validated for using village post masters as change agents for information sharing and technology dissemination to the farmers. Capacity building of farmers and branch post masters is done through training and demonstration. These postmaster/farmers laid out demonstrations of improved IARI varieties on their farms, which became the place of learning for other farmers and the seed produced from such demonstration farms were further made available to other farmers. This way, the coverage of improved varieties substantially increased through ‘farmer-to-farmer’ seed sharing.

(Source: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi)