ADDIS ABABA – Global partners are discussing on possible effects of COVID-19 and solutions towards the future agriculture.
Samson Eshetu, who is currently coordinating the @afaas-africa.org via dgroups.io, online discussion, said COVID-19 is bringing impact on agricultural activities in general and agricultural extension service delivery in particular.
According to him all agricultural extension professionals and farmers should be safe at the first step. For this to happen, it is advisable to strictly follow prevention/precaution measures and advices given by health professionals.
He said government and development partners should support provision of prevention medical equipment and sanitization materials such as gloves, mask, soap and sanitizer.
Agricultural extension workers, especially who are working at grassroots level should deploy various ICT tools in providing agricultural extension services to reduce physical contact. These ICT tools could be effecting using Radio, IVR, phones, TV, Megaphones.
He also suggested the use of social media should be encouraged for information sharing and learning among agricultural extension professionals.
According to the experts, in addition to the challenge related with COVID-19, the desert locust is also a major challenge for the coming production season. In this regard, it will be important that professionals need to come up with some sort of manual on how the agricultural extension workers must work considering the different levels (federal, regional, zonal, woreda and field level DAs).
The experts also suggest that countries with better experiences and all partners would come up with better modalities that would enable farmers to timely start agricultural operations without any risk of COVID-19, DAs and SMSs provided adequate advisory services.
The extension public services including required inputs are delivered effectively to farmers and other actors. It was suggested that colleagues with background and good network draft and share to the discussion group network for comments and suggestions. Once we have a draft that can be communicated to the relevant policy makers.
Peter Gitika member of the discussion group for his part says the extension officers do not have specific message to the farmers on these areas, they are relying largely the general information from the health professionals. The group extension approach is not feasible amid the era of social distancing and discouragement from the administration for group activities. “The extension service providers do not have the appropriate PPEs to visit individual farmers.
There is therefore a need to have a county specific platform where farmers are registered and can get extension messages from their extension officers. Agricultural documentary need to be developed and shared through various platforms including the use of VERNACULAR radio and TVs. Messages on good hygiene practices like hand washing and use of mask need to be customized. There is need to ensure food security amidst corona,” he stressed.
BY HENOK TIBEBU
