6.1 Updates on status implementation of FAO regional vegetable IPM programme in South and Southeast Asia - phase II
Brief description phase II (2002 to 2007) programme:
This project builds on the success of the phase I of the FAO inter-country programme (ICP) for vegetable IPM in South and Southeast Asia, which, since April 1996, has carried out applied research, extension and farmer education activities to promote and support integrated pest management in vegetables by Asian smallholder farmers. During phase I, the ICP focused on enhancing governments’ and NGO’s capability to implement training programmes in seven countries using the "training of trainers" (ToT) and "farmers’ field school" (FFS) approach. More than 600 trainers and 30 000 farmers and 30 000 farmers have been trained since the beginning of phase I.
Phase II (2002-2007) of the ICP emphasized vegetable IPM farmer participatory training and research in five countries in the greater Mekong sub-region, with a sharper focus on major crops and pests. Specifically the programme will:
- strengthen and expand the capability of government agencies and NGOs to carry out IPM training and continuing field activities;
- create and strengthen groups of smallholder farmers so that they can take collective action in support of ecologically-based vegetable production and marketing; and
- Institute sustainable arrangements for the solution of technical problems. Phase II is programmed to be more sensitive to quality control of participatory training and research activities, gender, impact assessment and regional issues. The project provides advice, organizes training, and arranges exchange of expertise and funds field studies and follow-up activities in the field.
These activities will be carried out in close collaboration with other regional, national and local IPM-related projects funded by governments, donor agencies and NGOs.
6.2 Progress in the FAO-EU IPM programme for cotton in Asia
The programme continues to focus on more innovative ways to address the needs of small scale farmers, such as poverty alleviation, gender equity, minimizing health hazards, protection of the environment, more efficient cotton production and leading towards more sustainable development. The monitoring mission, the PSC meeting and the mid-term review mission took note of these developments in the participating countries. An important activity for the year 2003 is the implementation of annual planning and refresher practicums for all active IPM facilitators in Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan. These practicums provided the opportunity for all active IPM facilitators (both farmer facilitators, NGO and government employed IPM facilitators) to share their experiences in implementing farmer education. An important aspect of the practicum is the setting up of posters illustrating and describing the different activities carried out by the IPM facilitators. In addition to sharing experiences, IPM facilitators were reminded of the need to enhance quality farmer education that will enrich farmer field research, strengthen sustainable farmer groups at village level, and encourage farmers to educate other farmers through F2FS or field days. It is hoped that this activity will be an annual affair focusing on reaching greater heights of farmer education quality.
The first half of the year also saw an international seminar on evaluating the impact studies implemented by most of the countries. This is the first time after setting up baseline studies that scientists, researchers, national IPM programme managers and IPM facilitators were able to get together to examine the data collected thus far and make suggestions to move forward with the impact assessment of the programme in each country. The valuable support from an international team of experts from Germany and Thailand greatly facilitated the seminar.
In line with the resolutions of the programme steering committee meeting in Anhui, China in 2002 and taking cognizance of the recommendations of the mid-term review mission, the Programme Management Unit in Bangkok organized a formulation mission to prepare for a succeeding phase of this programme - participatory IPM Asia programme.
The FAO-EU IPM programme for cotton in Asia continues to move towards achieving the targets set by the project document.
