Activities

Dear Digital RAS Group,

Below is the invitation for tomorrow’s webinar, hosted by Anglophone Africa:
Their presentation will focus on:
Uganda: DIGITAL EXTENSION SERVICES PROVIDERS IN UGANDA: A CASE STUDY OF FAMUNERA AGRIBUSINESS MARKETPLACE
Nigeria: CONTEMPORARY DIGITAL INNOVATIONS & SOLUTIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION ADVISORY SERVICS: THE CASE OF NIGERIA FARMERS HELPLINE

The Webinar discussed about the current potentials and challenges of digitalization and Rural Advisory Services in Asia, conducted in collaboration with RASSEA, GFRAS, GIZ and supported by APIRAS and IPB University. Attend in the webinar are Representative of Gov’t of Indonesia, Gov’t of Philippines, Global & Regional RAS Stakeholders and Networks, Indonesia and the Philippines Study Team, and Resource Persons in RAS Technology & Communication Services.

Dr.Hlami Ngwenya from GFRAS Secretariat open the webinar and expressed enthusiasm in following the sharing exchange, expected lesson learn inspire from the recent Digital RAS study that can be share within GFRAS networks, while Chairperson of RASSEA, Dr.Siti Amanah extended welcome speech to all the participants  

Sharing Session By Mr. Erlangga and Mr. Ronny Adhikarya

–  an opportunity towards new concept of knowledge/communication brokering, where in this case ( GFRAS has been developing a concept of knowledge brokering called new extensionist, Inclusive RAS Participation by Formulate involvement RAS actor within AIS,  opportunities towards ICT, and created New Extensionist learning KIT), alternative channels to generated Online Service through Social Media, and other online platform.

Opportunity and challenge to explore A demand driven RAS orientation

– Challenge remaining in RAS tech Infrastructure and Digital Litercy, and measuring Digital RAS effectively use by farmer and extensionist, a need towards Ethic communication, a need smart tool in validating data and Generating financial scheme such as paid digital extension

• Closure and way forward

In a fast changing world, Digital RAS plays as effective tool to closing the gap towards some existing RAS demand. Yet issues towards access, technical, management, and funding are those that become great homework for all, the RAS stakeholders.

The Digitas Ras team held a meeting to prepare for the webinar. The event will be held on Thursday 9 March 2023. Good preparation is done for maximum results.

Topic: REGIONAL WEBINAR ON DIGITAL RAS: ASIA
Time: Thursday, 9 Mar 2023, at 10:00-12:00 CET (Swiss, Berlin)*
16:00-18:00 UTC+7 (Jakarta/Bangkok)/17:00-19:00 UTC+8

The 14th GFRAS Annual Meeting (GAM), hosted by the North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) is scheduled for Tuesday, October 17, through Thursday, October 19, 2023. This in-person event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Union Station in Denver, Colorado, United States and will focus on ‘Building the Next Generation of Leaders in Agriculture’. Additional meeting information will be shared in the coming weeks and months.

We encourage international attendees to begin the visa application process as soon as possible. Contact the NAAAN Secretariat with visa-related questions by emailing csus_naaan@mail.colostate.edu. If you are interested in supporting the event as a sponsor, we encourage you to also contact the NAAAN Secretariat.

The NAAAN is an agricultural advisory service network that links agricultural extension communities with one another and with stakeholders in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. NAAAN connects with counterparts in other countries through membership in GFRAS and is the 17th GFRAS network.

On Tuesday, 13st February 2023 a meeting was held which was initiated by the GFRAS secretariat. This meeting was held in order to evaluate the progress of the Digital Extension project. This meeting was attended by several regions, namely Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Ingrid Oliveira as a GFRAS representative said that the project being worked on was rolling according to the agreed time. If there are obstacles in the region, the team can to solve the problem by simplifying and readjusting it so that the digital extension project can be completed.

Agriculture in Indonesia is currently facing the challenge of reducing productive agricultural human resources. This condition requires the Indonesian government to move to find solutions to these problems.

Agriculture must have a sale value so that the younger generation is interested in pursuing it. One way is to introduce the world of agriculture early to school students. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia are working together to realize this idea through the Merdeka Curriculum. Through the independent curriculum, students are introduced directly to the fields of work, including agriculture, animal husbandry, batik, and others. Students are introduced to these fields starting from kindergarten to high school.

On Monday, 13th February 2023, Students of senior high school (SMA Negeri 3) Pangkalpinang visited the Petaling Experimental Garden belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture in Pangkalpinang. Students are introduced to vegetable cultivation techniques starting from land processing to post-harvest. Through the independent learning program, it is hoped that there will be the regeneration of farmers in Indonesia. So that activities in the agricultural sector can take place continuously to realize food availability for the population in Indonesia.

STRENGTHENING RURAL ADVISORY SERVICES IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC

APIRAS Learning Workshop, Bangkok, Thailand, 24-26 January 2023

Bangkok, Dr. Siti Amanah (Chair, APIRAS, and RASSEA), Dr. Epsi Euriga (Program Officer, RASSEA), and Dr. Johan David Wetik (Chairperson, IFRAS) were involved in the APIRAS Learning Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand. On this, the first day of the workshop, the sub-regional network including Siti Amanah (RAS-SEA), Botir Dosov (CAC-FRAS), Souvanthong Namvong (MELA) Nimisha Mittal (AESA) presented the current status as like key interventions, governance, support to Country Fora (CF), financing, challenges and opportunities, and future plans. The agenda followed by a presentation from regional networks/initiatives:(1) Ravi Khetarpal (APAARI), Pierre Ferrand (FAO-RAP), Roy Murray Prior (APEN), Song Yong-sup (RDA/AFACI) and Eng Chheanghong (GIZ) Delgermaa Chuluunbaatar (FAO-TAP-AIS) also GFRAS initiatives and documentation on Country Fora (CF) by Ingrid Oliveira (GFRAS). Then the final meeting on the first day established CF including Arlene Flores (PhilEASNet-Philippines), Afzal Hossain Bhuiyan (BAEN-Bangladesh), Botir Dosov (KGFRAS-Kyrgyzstan).

The second day began with a wrap-up from day one by Virginia Cardenas (member APIRAS SC) and then followed by the presentation of the current status of the emerging CF (Key interventions, governance, financing, composition, challenges, and opportunities, and future plans) including Krishantha & Ranila (Sri Lanka), Mahesh Chander (India), Chea Sokhon & Heng Choulong (Cambodia), Johan David Wetik & Epsi Euriga (Indonesia), Norsida (Malaysia), Nabira (Uzbekistan), Turmandakh (Mongolia), Bulent Sezer (Turkiye), Kerimbekov (Kazakhstan). After the current status of emerging CF, then followed by groups work sub-region. They have developed a 2-year work plan for the newly emerging CF Based on the learnings from Day 1 and new opportunities that they visualize after that each CF makes a 10 minutes presentation on CF Work Plan. The third day is closed with a presentation of what actions are needed to strengthen APIRAS and the action needed include (identification of key interventions, key responsibilities, implementation plan, and timelines.) on Regional Initiatives; Sub-Regional Initiatives; CF Initiatives; Participation in GFRAS Initiatives (Nutrition Working Group/Digital Extension Study/ Agroecology Initiative, NELK-New modules and Promotion).

The last day of APIRAS learning workshop activities is the Extended Steering Committee Meeting of APIRAS to discuss: (1) Hosting, (2) Governance, (3) Resource Generation, (4) Collaborations, (5) Priorities chaired by Siti Amanah (Chair, APIRAS) and facilitated by Rasheed Sulaiman V.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Agriculture in tropical region has a unique agro-ecology and socio-economic of the community. Unprecedented changes related to nature and human activities have affected the agri-food value chains. Considering the challenges of agriculture in the tropics, Rural Advisory Services for Southeast Asia (RAS-SEA) wishes to organize a side event entitled “The Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) towards the future advisory services and agro-ecology.” The side event aims to share the idea and social innovation on transformation of agriculture/rural advisory services in the new normal era and fast development of digital technology. All stakeholders should have a clear vision for the future agriculture/rural advisory services. The question is how TAP as a platform can assist farmers, female farmers, and youth meet the need? How could extension and advisory services become more professional, sustainable, and agro-ecology oriented? Interested to join? Join us on 30 November 2021 at the designed time.09:30-11:30 Serbia Time15:30-17:30 Jakarta/Bangkok Time 16:30-18:30 KL/Sin/Manila Time

Please fill the link below :https://bit.ly/The12thGFRASAnnualMeetingSideEventThank you!