Farmers Field School

Presentation by:
Syed Hassan Bux Rashdi &
Syed Amanullah Shah
Agriculture officers CMP-II
District Sanghar
What is Farmers
Field School
In general Farmer Field
Schools (FFS) consist of
groups of people with a
common interest, who get
together on a regular basis to
study the “how and why” of a
particular topic. The topics
covered can vary considerably.
The FFS however are
particularly adapted to field
study, where specific hands-on
management skills and
conceptual understanding is
required. (Kevin Gallagher :
Fundamental Elements of a Non-formal education approaches used through
FFS, Leisa Magazine March
2
2003)
FFS can be also defined as: “[...] a
platform for learning and experience
sharing among farmers. Farmers groups
meet regularly during a season or
enterprise cycle under the guidance of a
skilled facilitator. The learning tool and
methods build on experiential learning
and action research principles and all
learning in hands-on, practical and takes
place in farmers own fields.” (From : FFS
Promotion Service)
3
FFS model is historically connected with the
Integrated Pest Management (IPM). It
developed in the eighties as a model to
introduce more appropriate and
environmentally sustainable techniques
coming out of a reduction in the use of
pesticides among cotton farmers in Asia.
The approach „was in the making‟ from the
beginning, because the problems of plant
diseases were constantly evolving.

4
A community based, field
study programm.

5
Cont…

6
 Structure and
characteristics of FFS:
 2 facilitators who have undergone
season-long IPM training will run
FFS
 Trainees: 25-30 cotton farmers
from a village
 Duration: Season-long
 Frequency : Usually once a week
(20 sessions) 7
Practice Farmers Field
Schools

8
Develop observation skills

9
 ToF - FFS

Training of
Facilitators (ToF)
(25 – 30 Trainees)

Become
Facilitators Become Farmer
(Extn Staff – Facilitators
Dept./NGO)
Farmer Field School (FFS)
(25 – 30 Farmers Trainees)

Additional
2 – 4 Selected
Apprenticeship
Farmers/FFS
Training

10
Cotton Eco-System Analysis

11
Participatory, Practical,
Field Oriented

12
Cont…

13
 Discovery Based
(“Learning by Doing”)

Plant population by Stick Method 14

Farmers discover & make
decisions

15
Make field observations, conduct Cotton
Eco-system Analysis (CESA) and make
informed crop management decision

16
Able to organize quality FFS

17
Carry out simple field studies – to identify
and count pests and diseases)

18
Cont…

19
 In the FFS:
 The farmers are assisted in solving their
problems by themselves; they are not
provided with ready made solutions
 The facilitators expose farmers to ideas
and are not trying to convince the
farmers to adopt a particular technology
 The facilitators help them in analyzing
the situation and make informed
decisions

20
Learn how plant compensates
for damage by pests

21
 Contd…

• Conduct Insect zoo studies and discover functions of

organisms in the eco-system 22
Carry out studies to compare
sprayed and unsprayed plots

23
24
 RESULTS

• Reduction in pesticide applications,

Plant protection costs.
• Increased use of bio-agents and
botanicals.
• Judiciary use of inorganic fertilizers
• Higher returns

25
 FFS Alumni

 FFS Farmers forming IPM clubs

 Continue to run FFS on their own to train
other farmers

26
 Social Changes

 FFS trained farmers working in cohesive

groups

 Groups actively pursuing community

development work, such as
organizing/leading social functions, village
sanitary works, tree planting, teaching
children on IPM, bio diversity.

27
 Contd…
Expectations from Govt. of
Pakistan

 Allotment of funds for conducting ToF and

FFS
 Channelizing all schemes under IPM to
FFS approach
 Flexibility in guidelines to adopt FAO
model

28
Appriciated by:
• Mr. Ghulam Qadir Mangrio DPM.
• Mr. Piran Dino Chakrani C&VO.
• Mr. Habibullah Hingorjo PT&RWO District
Sanghar @ Shadadpur

29
30