Last Mile Programme (LMP)

A “Cheque Handover Ceremony” under the Last Mile Programme (LMP) of Innovation Grant (IG) Fund was held on 14th June, 2023. It was organized by Bangladesh Agricultural Extension Network (BAEN) at Hortex Foundation, Sech Bhaban, Manik Mia Avenue, Dhaka. Kbd. Mr. Badal Chandra Biswas, Director General, Department of Agricultural Extension graced the ceremony as the Chief Guest. Dr. Md. Baktear Hossain Director, SAARC Agriculture Centre, Dr. Md. Saifullah, Member Director, Administration and Finance division, BARC was presented as Special Guests. Krishibid Dr. Md. Hamidur Rahman, President, BAEN and former Director General, DAE chaired the ceremony. Around 40 participants were attended the program from Government, NGO, INGO, private and international organizations and introduced among themselves. Krishibid Md. Afzal Hossain Bhuiyan, Lead Coordinator- LMP and Organizing Secretary, BAEN cordially welcomed the honorable guests and other participants of this meeting. The main objective of this ceremony was to stimulate innovation in extension and therefore the IG can be used as a contribution to a wider initiative he highlighted in the meeting. A brief presentation of BAEN was presented by Prof. Dr. Md. Sekandar Ali, Secretary, BAEN.

IFAD supervision mission was organised at Nairobi, Kenya, during 28 September – 1 October 2022

IFAD supervision mission was organised at Nairobi, Kenya, during 28 September – 1 October 2022 in the framework of the Last Mile Project (LMP) by IFAD and GFRAS to assess the achievements and progress in project implementation and setting out the course of rest of the project. The participants ranged from representatives of the IFAD from its Headquarters in Rome, representatives of the targeted GFRAS country platforms (Country Fora -CF), as well as representatives of GFRAS regional Networks and Global Secretariat.

Two organizations are awarded the Innovation Grant.

  • Title of the first project is “Sustained the fresh Vegetable supply Chain for build Healthy and Prosper Citizens. (SVC4HPC)” awarded by the Organization of Development Services for Distress (ODSD) in collaboration with AR Malik Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
  • Title of the second project is “Empowering Farmers with 4IR-Enhanced Online Vet Services for Safe Animal Protein Production” awarded by adorsho praniSheba Limited in collaboration with Gono University, Savar.

Delivering Extension Services to the Last-Mile: Improving smallholders’ access to innovation and pluralistic, demand-driven extension services

Smallholder producers need more than just technical information related to production aspects. There is rarely a “one size fits all” solution to address the mix of technical, economic, commercial, social and environmental and climate change aspects that farming problems consist of. With the goal to accelerate farmers’ access to and utilisation of technologies and innovations, the IFAD-supported Last-Mile Program was designed and launched in 2019, to be implemented in two phases of three years each, plus a third phase of four years.

COVID-19 & EAS

Experience sharing through webinar on the topic “Extension and Advisory Services: At the frontline of COVID-19 response in ensuring food security in Asia”.

AESA Published 24 Blogs and 12 Filed Notes – Specifically on how EAS responded to these issues.
https://www.aesanetwork.org/category/covid-19-field-notes/

AESA and MELA, two sub-regional networks of APIRAS, also shared their experiences with the ongoing challenges in South Asia and the Mekong region in the Webinar organized by the FAO and GFRAS on 19 May 2020

AESA created a dedicated section on COVID-19 & EAS on its website for showcasing the role Played by Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) in supporting farmers to adapt to COVID-19. Farmers faced many challenges in accessing input and output markets, and harvesting and transporting their produce during the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

National Workshop on Advanced Research Methodology for Social Sciences

Networking undertaking partnership activities and initiating support for RAS capacity development, professionalization and RAS innovation.

AESA co-organized a national workshop on ‘Advanced Research Methodology for Social Sciences’ from 6 to 11 January 2020 at ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region (ICAR-RC-NEH), Umiam, Meghalaya. This was done in collaboration with National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI), Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) and ICAR-RC-NEH.
https://www.aesanetwork.org/national-workshop-on-advanced-research-methodology-for-social-sciences/

AESA STRATEGIC PLAN-2021-26

Reviewing short- and medium-term priorities and results framework and develop strategic Plan-AESA 2025. It was only seven years back, in 2014 that AESA (Agricultural Extension in South Asia) started its journey in Asia. Despite the funds limitation AESA has performed extremely well, though it could have probably done much more if it had adequate funds. This has happened primarily because of the dedication of its founding members to keep moving against all odds. Today AESA is very well-known within the agriculture extension fraternity. Its knowledge management products are highly appreciated. AESA’s founding members strongly feel that the time has now come to take a leap and achieve much more – systematically and sustainably. These founding members strongly feel that the priorities that were identified in 2014 are extremely good and are valid even today.

Taking these priorities into the next six years, AESA needs to consolidate what it does well and find ways to achieve what it hasn’t been able to achieve yet. Analyzing the current status of the priorities, strength and weakness of AESA, in the next five years AESA will focus on the following strategic directions:

  • Consolidating knowledge management
  • Strengthening capacity building
  • Increasing members and followers
  • Establishing remaining country forums
  • Institutionalizing AESA
  • Enhancing resource mobilization
  • Continuing with its global contributions on extension and advisory services

GOOD PRACTICES: Public Private Partnerships in Extension and Advisory Services

AESA, through its website, published a Good Practices on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in EAS. In this Good Practices Note, S Baskar Reddy, Rajendra Jog, Parikrama Chowdhry and Aravind Thumbur reflect on their experiences here.

Please click the Links Below:
https://www.aesanetwork.org/good-practices-public-private-partnerships-in-extension-and-advisory-services/
https://www.aesanetwork.org/public-private-partnerships-to-reduce-malnutrition-among-women-and-children/
https://www.aesanetwork.org/pubic-private-partnership-in-fodder-seed-production/

The APIRAS team also Participated in the Virtual Supervision Mission of the Last Mile Programme (LMP) During 2-5 December 2020.

Dialogue on Public-Private Partnership Policy and its role in Agricultural Extension- 25 September 2021

Bangladesh Agricultural Extension Network (BAEN) under the IFAD-funded Last Mile Programme (LMP), organized a Dialogue on ‘Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy and its role in Agricultural Extension’ on 25 September 2021, at Dhaka, Bangladesh. It discussed the draft findings from the recent analysis conducted by BAEN on PPPs in Agricultural Extension in Bangladesh and charted potential ways forward for strengthening PPP initiatives to reach farmers at the last mile with advice and services.

Training for Rural Youth Lead Farmers -07 to 08 January 2022.

Bangladesh Agricultural Extension Network (BAEN), under the IFAD-funded Last Mile Programme (LMP), co-organized a ‘Leadership training for rural youth lead farmers’ from 07 to 08 January 2022, in collaboration with Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). It was a two-day residential training where 21 trainees from five NGO partner organization of PKSF participated.

Bangladesh Agricultural Extension Network (BAEN)

A meeting to reflect on the progress of the Last Mile Project implemented by BAEN (with IFAD support) was organized at the BAEN Office, Sech Bhavan, Dhaka on 23 April 2022.
The meeting was chaired by Md. Hamizur Rahman President BAEN and was attended by Md Sekender Ali, Secretary General, BAEN; Md Afzal Hossain Buiyan, Organising Secretary BAEN; Ashoke Kumar Roy, Office Secretary, BAEN; Md. Younus Ali (Member, BAEN) Fatema Nasrin Jahan (Member, BAEN) and the CRISP/AESA team comprising Rasheed Sulaiman V, Nimisha Mittal and Taslima Taznur.

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