| Project Detail |
The Project for the Improved Extension for Value-Added Agriculture in Palestine (EVAP Phase 3) The Palestinian agricultural sector plays an important role in food security, community reconstruction, farmland preservation, security, and even economic development in conflict-affected areas. The Agricultural Agency is engaged in agricultural extension activities aimed at sustainable agricultural development. However, Palestinian agricultural production is less productive than that of neighboring countries, and in addition, there are many challenges specific to the conflict zone. In addition, there are many farmers who are inaccessible to extension workers due to the conflict, nomadic pastoralists who travel extensively for grazing, and women farmers whose religious practices make it difficult for them to participate in group extension, among others. This project aims to strengthen the extension implementation system of the Agency and the capacity of extension agents so that they can provide market-oriented agricultural technical guidance. In particular, the project is targeting farmers who have difficulty participating in face-to-face agricultural extension, and is working to ensure that a diverse range of farmers can receive extension support to improve their livelihoods. We also promote opportunities for farmers to learn from each other through interactions and actively conduct extension activities among farmers. In addition to low agricultural productivity in general, Palestinian agriculture has many conflict-specific problems that affect the psychology of farmers. Through careful interviews with farmers and field surveys, this project is identifying issues specific to conflict areas and implementing remedial measures. In addition, by talking with farmers in the same conflict-affected areas who are also devising ways to improve their business, the project helps the target farmers to have a positive attitude. In Palestine, where there is a major external factor of conflict, it is important to fully understand the unique challenges and mentality of farmers, and to devise and implement extension methods based on this understanding. [Project Objective. To improve the livelihoods of diverse farmers through the development and implementation of a sustainable integrated EVAP extension package (* integrated face-to-face group agricultural extension and extension system including the use of IT) and its essence, thereby contributing to the improvement and sustainable expansion of extension services. |
