Annual Report Usaid Agricultural Extension

USAID AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SUPPORT ACTIVITY ANNUAL REPORT November 2015 USAID AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SUPPORT ACTIVITY Annual Report 2015 01 October 2014 - 30 September 2015 Submitted to United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Dhaka, Bangladesh Submitted by Dhaka Ahsania Mission CARE-Bangladesh & mPower November 2015 USAID AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SUPPORT ACTIVITY Annual Report 2015 01 October 2014 - 30 September 2015 Prepared by Ag Extension Project Team Published by Ag Extension Project Management Dhaka, Bangladesh Prepared in November 2015 Design and Printed by Real Printing, Dhaka, Bangladesh USAID Disclaimer: This report is made possible through support provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Agency for International Development or the United States Government. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. INTRODUCTION 3 1.1. Background 3 1.2. Project Goal, Objectives and Approach 3 1.3. Project Area 4 1.4. Project M&E System 5 2. SUMMARY OF FtF INDICATOR REPORT 7 3. RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 10 3.1. Agricultural Extension Service Provision Enhanced (IR 1) 10 3.1.1. Capacity of Agricultural Extension Agents Enhanced 10 3.1.1.1. Capacity development of public extension agents 10 3.1.1.2. Capacity development of private extension agents 12 3.1.2. Increased Outreach to Farmers by Agriculture Extension Agents 13 3.1.2.1. Establishment of agricultural extension service centers 13 3.1.2.2. Support to the extension agents for improved services 14 3.2. Smallholder Farmers in Agriculture Empowered (IR 2) 15 3.2.1. Community Mobilized and Farmer Producer Groups Formed 15 3.2.2. Enhanced Farmers' Knowledge and Capacity in Agriculture 17 3.2.2.1. Needs assessment and producer group action plans 17 3.2.2.2. Capacity building for farmer leaders 18 3.2.2.3. Capacity building of farmer producer groups 19 3.2.2.4. Learning through demonstration plots and ponds 20 3.2.2.5. Access to formal financial services 21 3.2.2.6. Farmers' awareness creation on health and nutrition 22 3.2.3. Producer (Farmer) Groups Strengthened 22 3.2.3.1. Link producer groups to extension agents 22 AESA Annual Report Year 3 iii 3.2.3.2. Access to inputs and output markets 24 3.3. Strengthened Application of ICT in Agriculture (IR 3) 26 3.3.1. Improved National Agriculture Information System 26 3.3.1.1. Collaboration with AIS 26 3.3.1.2. Development of agriculture knowledge portal 28 3.3.1.3. Development of ICT applications 29 3.3.1.4. Development of Audio Visual products 31 3.3.2. Increased Use of ICT by Agricultural Extension Agents 31 3.3.2.1. Training on use of ICT applications 31 3.3.3. Increased Use of ICT by Farmers 31 3.3.3.1. ToT of ICT champions on the use of basic ICT tools 31 3.4. Cross-cutting Issues 33 3.4.1. Gender Awareness 33 3.4.2. Environmental Compliance 34 4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT 36 4.1. Administration and Coordination 36 4.1.1. Project Management Meeting 36 4.1.2. Management and Coordination in regions and districts 36 4.1.3. Project Staffing 37 4.2. Partnerships and Coordination 39 4.3. Visits 40 4.4. Monitoring and Evaluation 40 4.5. Communications 43 5. LESSONS LEARNED 45 ANNEXES 46 Annex 1: Case Studies 46 Annex 2: Training and Capacity Building 56 iv AESA Annual Report Year 3 List of Tables and Figures List of Tables Table 1.1: Project working are with supported beneficiaries 5 Table 2.1: Area (ha) under improved technology or management practices 7 Table 2.2: USG supported farmers applying new technologies or managementpractices 8 Table 2.3: Beneficiaries who received USG supported short-term training 8 Table 3.1: Training provided to the government extension agents 11 Table 3.2: Training to government extension agents in four demo upazilas 12 Table 3.3: Retailers and service providers identified within AESA project area 12 Table 3.4: Distribution of FPGs by districts and value chains 17 Table 3.5: ToT course for farmer leaders 19 Table 3.6: Summary of courtyard sessions on improved practices for FPGs 19 Table 3.7: Distribution of demonstration plots and ponds in project area 20 Table 4.1: Summary breakdown of the project staff 37 Table 4.2: Summary of MoU and agreements signed with other organizations 39 List of Figures Figure 1.1: Map showing project work area 4 Figure 1.2: Project results framework 6 Figure 3.1: Launching of AESC at Chowgachha upazila, Jessore 13 Figure 3.2: DAE Additional Director's visit at Chowgachha, Jessore 14 Figure 3.3: DAE extension agents receive motorcycle from the project 14 Figure 3.4: Beneficiary farmer distribution by landholding size 15 AESA Annual Report Year 3 v Figure 3.5: Distribution of group members by selected value chains 16 Figure 3.6: Farmer groups' participatory need assessment in Terokhada 17 Figure 3.7: Farmer leaders' ToT on fish culture in Pirojpur 18 Figure 3.8: Farmer groups' learning session on mung bean cultivation 19 Figure 3.9: Demonstration plot of jute in Magura sadar upazila 20 Figure 3.10: Farmers' field day on Jute cultivation in Magura 21 Figure 3.11: Project staff trained on access to loan 22 Figure 3.12: SAAO conducting a learning session for farmer 23 Figure 3.13: Match making workshop in Amtali, Barguna 24 Figure 3.14: Vaccination camp in Rupsha Upazila, Khulna 26 Figure 3.15: MoU signing ceremony with AIS, MoA 27 Figure 3.16: e-Ag conference in December 2014 28 Figure 3.17: SAAO training on use of ICT applications 31 Figure 3.18 : ICT champion training in Keshabpur, Jessore 32 Figure 3.19: Project staff conducting gender training on daily time use 33 Figure 3.20: Farmers' cross visit on fodder cultivation plot in Magura 34 Figure 4.1: Staff are in group work for AIP workshop 38 Figure 4.2: USAID visitor with the Baniali dairy producer group at Jessore 40 Figure 4.3: DQA team checking documentation process at Jessore office 42 Figure 4.4: A TANGO consultant conducting FGD with SAAOs 42 Figure 4.5: Project brochure 43 Figure 4.6: Beef fattening flip chart 44 Figure 4.7: One pager project brief (Bangla & English) 44 vi AESA Annual Report Year 3 Acronyms Ag Extension Project USAID Agriculture Extension Support Activity AESC Agricultural Extension Service Center AICC Agricultural Information and Communication Center AIP Annual Implementation Plan AIRN Agriculture Inputs Retailers Network AIS Agriculture Information Service AVC USAID Agricultural Value Chains project CBO Community-Based Organization DAE Department of Agriculture Extension DoF Department of Fisheries DLS Department of Livestock Services DAM Dhaka Ahsania Mission DAM Department of Ag Marketing DoF Department of Fisheries DLS Department of Livestock FA Fisheries Assistant FF Field Facilitator FPG Farmer Producer Group FtF Feed the Future ICT Information Communication Technology IVR Interactive Voice Response IEE Initial Environmental Examination LOP Life of Project M&E Monitoring and Evaluation AESA Annual Report Year 3 vii MFI Microfinance Institution MoA Ministry of Agriculture NGOAB NGO Affairs Bureau PNGOS Partner NGOs PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PNA Participatory Needs Assessment PMEP Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan PAC Project Advisory Committee PCO Project Central Office PIRS Performance Indicator Reference Sheet PSC Project Steering Committee PSMT Project Senior Management Team SAC Special Award Conditions SAAO Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer SRDI Soil Resources Development Institute TNA Training Needs Assessment UACC Upazila Agricultural Extension Coordination Committee VFA Veterinary Field Assistant WBA Well-being analysis viii AESA Annual Report Year 3 Acknowledgements This report is prepared to describe briefly the major achievements and key activities of the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity. The period of reporting is from October 2014 to September 2015. The Chief of Party would like to acknowledge the work done by the project staff through a year period and the excellent contribution they have made to the preparation of this report. I hope that the Annual Report 2015 will enable the reader to have an overview of the project, its achievements and the challenges ahead. I take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to the Dhaka Ahsania Mission, CARE- Bangladesh and mPower for their continuing support in implementing the project activities for the betterment of the smallholder farming families in the central and southwest areas of Bangladesh. Bidyuth K. Mahalder Chief of Party Dhaka 30 November 2015 AESA Annual Report Year 3 ix Executive Summary The USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity (AESA) is a five years US$ 19 million project funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-13-00001 between USAID and Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM). The project is being implemented by Dhaka Ahsania Mission through partnerships with CARE-Bangladesh and mPower from October 2012 to October 2017. The Project works in the central and southwest areas of Bangladesh (Barisal, Dhaka, and Khulna divisions) to implement capacity building and support creation of a farmer demand-driven agricultural extension system, synergized by use of information and communication technology (ICT). The goal of the project is to strengthen the existing agricultural extension system in 12 districts within USAID's Feed the Future zone in Bangladesh in order to sustainably improve food security and nutrition for 110,000 smallholder farmers. The present progress report describes in greater detail the various intervention strategies and activities implemented during Year 3 (from 01 October 2014 to 30 September 2015), as well as the major results achieved during this period.The project has expanded its activities with a focus on intensively increasing the quality of support to beneficiaries (farmers and extension agents) in the reporting period.

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