Strengthening the Department of Agricultural Extension Services Malawi 2010

Duration: 2010-2013

Budget: 2.000.000 euro

The support to the Department of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES) runs in parallel with the programme that is aimed at building the capacity of agricultural extension workers.

Duration and budget

The Government of Flanders invests 2 million euros in the extension of the material used by the Malawi Department of Agricultural Extension Services. This project started in 2010 and ends in 2013.

Problem definition

It is the duty of DAES to provide good and accurate agricultural information to farmers in Malawi. To that end it uses a network of agricultural extension workers. However, due to problems of capacity within the department, and more specifically within the Agricultural Communication Division, the extension workers do not always succeed in disseminating their information.

Practical implementation

Flanders intends to contribute to the creation of a whole range of improved extension services for smallholder farmers. This contribution focuses on better access to agricultural information and on the development of the required extension material. It involves methodologies and materials which will make it possible to reach a large number of farmers, even in remote areas.

The activities are aimed at the following result areas:

• improving institutional capacity by distributing agricultural publications of better quality, increasing the number of these publications and gaining access to multimedia
• building the capacity of personnel in the production, packaging and distribution of agricultural information and publications
• improving programme management in terms of coordination, the preparation of work plans and budgets, the management and purchase of material, and monitoring and evaluation

Partner

Department of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES)