Báo cáo nghiên cứu khoa học " Assessing the effectiveness of Farmer Field Schools for Implementation of Citrus IPM in Viet Nam " ppt

In the first year of the project 98 extension workers from 12 provinces were trained and they conducted 24 FFS from which 728 farmers graduated.. In the second year of the project an add

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Assessing the effectiveness of Farmer Field Schools for Implementation of Citrus IPM in Viet Nam

CARD 036/04VIE

Project Completion Report

2008

1 Institute Information

Project Name Assessing the effectiveness of Farmer

Field Schools for Implementation of Citrus IPM in Viet Nam

Vietnamese Institution Plant Protection Department

Vietnamese Project Team Leader Mr Ho Van Chien

Australian Organisation University of Western Sydney

Australian Personnel Oleg Nicetic, Robert Spooner-Hart,

Debbie Rae

Completion date (original) February 2007

Completion date (revised) September 2007

Contact Officer(s)

In Australia: Team Leader

Position: Research Officer Fax: +61245701103

Organisation University of Western Sydney Email: o.nicetic@uws.edu.au

In Australia: Administrative contact

Position: Director, Research Services Fax: +6124736 0905

Organisation University of Western Sydney Email: g.jones@uws.edu.au

In Vietnam

Name: Mr Ho Van Chien Telephone: +8473834476

Organisation Southern Regional Plant Protection

Centre

Email: hvchien@vnn.vn

2 Project Abstract

3 Executive Summary

Citrus is an important fruit crop in Vietnam but the amount of fruit produced per hectare is much lower than in Australia or other major citrus producing countries The aim of this project was to improve citrus production through better control of pests and diseases and improved management of citrus plantations A baseline study showed that the estimated net profit per hectare of citrus varied between 30,000 and 130,000 VND The area of citrus farms and the variety of citrus grown also varied considerably between provinces with mandarins returning the highest profits The aims of the project were successfully achieved by increasing the capacity of the Vietnamese research and extension institutions to teach farmers more effective citriculture methods and by increasing the knowledge of the farmers involved

in the project The key learning model used in the project was Farmer Field Schools (FFS) with the schools providing a platform for a participatory based learning and action based research Initially the key stakeholders developed a training program for extension workers, who trained in citrus integrated pest management (IPM) and developed a curriculum for FFS The trainers then conducted FFS for a season incorporating adaptations for their particular regions during the course of the schools At the end of the season review meetings were held

in central locations to evaluate the FFS and make revisions to the training program and the FFS curriculum Revisions in the second year included extending the duration of the FFS to include all the major stages of citrus growth and development by having less frequent FFS meetings and the focus of training was widened from IPM to include other aspect of citriculture including pruning, plant nutrition in particular production of compost, planning of rejuvenation of orchards, budgeting and planning for the production cycle In the first year of the project 98 extension workers from 12 provinces were trained and they conducted 24 FFS from which 728 farmers graduated In the second year of the project an additional 111 extension workers were trained and they conducted 48 FFS from which 1520 farmers graduated In the first year of the project trainers from Can Tho developed 12 educational posters on major citrus pests and diseases At the beginning of the second year of the project

Citrus is an important fruit crop in Viet Nam but productivity and production are impeded

by pests and diseases Integrated pest management (IPM) is widely recognised as an effective and sustainable method of pest and disease control Viet Nam has a well-developed National IPM program of farmer participatory training and research using Farmer Field Schools (FFS), which has trained more than 500,000 farmers in IPM technologies for rice, vegetable, cotton, tea, soybean, peanut, and sweet potato crops Prior to this project few trainers had specific skills in citrus IPM This project has greatly increased the Vietnamese capacity to train farmers in citrus IPM by training 209 extension workers in the Mekong Delta and the Central Coast regions These extension workers subsequently facilitated a total of 72 FFS during 2005 and 2006 resulting in 2,245 farmers completing season long training in citrus IPM across 12 provinces Assessment of the effectiveness of FFS demonstrated that farmers observed more beneficial organisms in their orchards, they adopted more IPM compatible pesticides, reduced their input costs and increased sharing of knowledge and experiences resulting in formation of cooperatives The cost of FFS per participant represented around 1.6% of average net profit of surveyed farmers

copies of these posters were printed on waterproof material for each FFS using additional funds provided by ACIAR A book entitled “IPM on citrus-Ecological Guide” was also published at the end of the first year of the project and 1030 copies distributed to participating trainers and farmers The book was so well received that an additional photocopied version of the book was produced and distributed to FFS participants At the end

of the project a second book entitled ‘Field guide for pest and diseases of citrus’ was published with 5030 copies being distributed to trainers and FFS participants A survey of the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) of participating farmers conducted at the beginning and end of each FFS school showed that attitudes of farmers were influenced by participation

in FFS Their knowledge about pests and diseases significantly improved and the number of sprays applied decreased At the end of the project an assessment of economic, social and environmental impacts was conducted using individual interviews of 53 farmers from 13 locations This survey found that in the year following FFS, farmer practices changed considerably resulting in a reduction of pesticide use, change of type of pesticide used from broad spectrum pesticides with high negative environmental impacts to softer pesticides, better soil management with increased use of organic material and better canopy management Farmers also increased their awareness about spray application, record keeping, post harvest and marketing A majority of farmers claimed their net profits increased as a result of reduced financial inputs and increased yield and fruit quality Participation in FFS increased mutual respect between FFS participants and facilitated the transition of farm management from men who had employment outside the farm, to their wives The formation of cooperatives after completion of FFSs has been a very important first step in sustaining increased capacity of farming communities to improve citrus production after completion of FFSs However, to sustain these benefits, farming groups need financial support with credit facilities enabling them to open post-harvest operations in order to improve market access Maintenance of the network of trainers developed as result

of this project requires continuing funding Although this could initially be provided by provincial governments, the possibility that farmers contribute to the cost of FFS through a small levy or contribution should be considered in the future, especially if farmers are members of citrus clubs or cooperatives The cost of FFS per participant was estimated at A$ 70.62, which was only 1.60% of the estimated average net profit per hectare Based on these estimates the cost of FFS would be offset in just one season due to the reduction of inputs and increased yield

4 Introduction & Background

Citrus fruit is one of the major fruit crops in Vietnam (MARD 2004) and citrus production is

an important source of income for many Vietnamese farmers However, productivity and production of citrus in Vietnam is considerably lower than in Australia and major citrus producing countries of the world such as Brazil and the USA It has been stated by MARD that “in general, citrus cultivation has not been significantly developed over the past few years, largely because of the serious damage of pests and diseases, especially greening disease (officially known as huanglongbing) and therefore studies on their control methods,

in combination with managing citrus plantations and using advanced and intensive technology is a vital necessity” (MARD 2004)

Background information about citrus production in the regions in which this project was conducted was collected as a part of baseline study and impact assessment using farmer surveys and interviews From the information collected the average size of citrus orchards and farmers net income was estimated for each province It was very difficult to verify farmers’ statements because farmers did not keep accurate records of inputs and outputs However the interviewer did verify with each farmer that they talking about net income not total income It was also verified with each group of farmers that the estimated net income represented the difference between total value of sold fruits and the costs of immediate inputs like fertilizer, pesticide, irrigation fees, cost of petrol used in production, cost of hired labour, cost of packaging and transportation to the market In calculating net profit, farmers did not include costs of their own or family labour inputs, depreciation of equipment and orchard or interest they paid on loans taken to support production The average size of citrus farms varied considerably between provinces and was largest in Kanh Hoa (Figure 1) Estimated net profit values was not related to farm size (Figure 2) and profitability varied between citrus species when averaged over provinces (Figure 3)

There is a high degree of specialisation in the varieties of citrus grown within provinces in Vietnam, with farmers in Dong Thap almost exclusively growing mandarins (Tieu) and farmers in Nhge An provinces almost exclusively growing oranges Pomelo is grown in a majority of provinces and the area planted has increased in the last decade Different varieties

of citrus provide very different returns to farmers While the mean net profit averaged over citrus species and provinces was VND 78,620,000, farmers growing mandarins had the highest average net return of VND 100,000,000 followed by pomelo growers with VND 93,330,000 while farmers growing oranges only had an average profit of VND 37,880,000 (Figure 3) Not surprisingly the highest profits of over 100,000,000 VND were recorded in Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces where mandarins are predominantly grown Compared with the net profit from rice the net returns from citrus is 3 to 6 times higher

Figure 3: Estimated net income per hectare averaged across all provinces surveyed for each

of the three major citrus species

The objectives of the project were to conduct Training of Trainers (TOT) for extension workers in citrus IPM, for these trainers to conduct FFSs in their local region and to assess the effectiveness of the FFS model in increasing farmer knowledge Key aspects of farmer knowledge that were targeted were an increased understanding of the orchard ecosystem, the influence of tree density and tree architecture on orchard productivity, the balance between organic and inorganic nutrients for maintaining soil health, the equilibrium between beneficial and pest arthropods, and optimising pesticide use in citriculture These objectives have contributed to the empowerment of citrus farmers by enhancing their ability to make better-informed decisions about pest and disease management through the adoption of IPM strategies in citrus production in Viet Nam With the establishment of a network of citrus IPM extension workers and these trainers gaining essential practical experience in citrus IPM training by holding at least one season long FFSs in citrus, the Vietnamese capacity to implement citrus IPM programs has been significantly enhanced

The key learning model used in the project was Farmer Field School (FFS) The FFS was used as a platform for a participatory based learning and action based research The model has successfully engaged all stakeholders: farmers, extension workers, researchers, local government officials and private industry and allowed them to direct the learning and research to best meet their needs An equally important aspect of the project was to assess the effectiveness of FFS in changing farmer practices and the economic, social and environmental impact of those changes Although the methodologies for participatory based learning and action based research are well established, those for impact evaluation are still under development and as yet there is no agreed methodological framework It is generally agreed however, that assessment of the FFS impact is complex because of the diversity of impact parameters and the different perspective held by stakeholders on what constitutes impact (van den Berg and Jiggins 2007) Assessments used in this project included self-

evaluation by farmers and self-evaluation by other project stakeholders in order to ensure that parameters evaluated were those that were most relevant to the primary stakeholders Large sample sizes and triangulation (surveys, semi-structured interviews and field observations) were used to minimise bias Impact was measured using a longitudinal comparison (e.g a comparison before and after training) Impacts can sometimes be confounded by temporal variations such as differences in yield and market prices from year to year To reduce the impact of temporal variation the impact study was performed across different regions, in 9 provinces and on different citrus species (oranges, mandarins and pomelo)

5 Progress to Date

5.1 Implementation Highlights

The key objective of this project was to increase the Vietnamese capacity to develop and implement citrus IPM strategies by conducting Training of Trainers (TOT) for extension workers in citrus IPM and these trainers then conducting FFSs in their local districts The key objective was achieved through implementation of all the activities documented in the project contract, and the implementation of additional activities that were formulated through engagement and interactions between Vietnamese stakeholders during the course of the project These additional activities significantly contributed to the positive impact on implementation and sustainability of the implemented project objectives

Details of project implementation are documented in the Milestone reports, and the major highlights are listed below

Project management highlights

1 Project planning meeting held on 25 January 2005 at which project milestones and deliverables were outlined Agreement was reached on personnel that would undertake specific tasks and dates for implementation of the tasks were set

2 Key stakeholder beneficiary meeting on 22 March 2005 The stakeholders meeting provided a stage for interface between stakeholders from research and extension institutions, private industry and NGOs Representatives of institutions and private industry not originally included in the project participated at the stakeholder meeting and expressed their willingness to participate and support the project At the meeting the locations of FFS were decided and the TOT program drafted

3 The review workshops were held in Can Tho on the 23 November, My Tho on the 25 November and Vinh on the 29 November 2005 The review meetings were not planned or budgeted in the project proposal but during the course of the first season of FFSs it became clear that workshops that would provide the opportunity for stakeholders (including farmer representatives from FFSs) to evaluate the first season of FFSs and formulate changes to the curriculum were essential To finance this activity sponsorship from Bayer Vietnam was secured At these meetings the results of demonstration trials conducted by farmer in FFSs were reported by trainers, TOT and FFS training programs were evaluated, feedback provided and revisions to the TOT and FFS curriculum for

2006 were agreed on

4 A stakeholder meeting was held at the Southern Regional Plant Protection Centre on Monday 9 January At this meeting the TOT training program was adjusted to include more practical activities, the revised timing of FFS was agreed on and additional funding

provided by SK Energy from Korea and UWS was committed to provide extra resources

to farmers

5 Final review workshops sponsored by SK Energy were held on 27/11/06 in Can Tho, on 28/11/06 in My Tho and on 30/11/06 in Vinh At the workshops results of the second season of FFSs were evaluated The IPM strategies relevant for specific regions were formulated Suggestions for the implementations of the “new” CARD project 037/06 VIE

on GAP in citrus were noted

Training activities highlights

1 First TOT course for 2005 conducted from 18-29 April in SRPPC Total of 47 extension workers from 12 provinces were trained

2 Second TOT course for 2005 conducted from 9-20 May in SRPPC Total of 51 extension workers from 12 provinces were trained

3 Twenty-four FFSs commenced in 12 provinces at the end of May or early June 2005

4 The additional activity of farmer study tours were conducted from the 24-29 October

2005 with a total of 540 farmers from 18 FFS in 8 provinces in the Mekong Delta visiting

a FFS in another province Farmers from seven provinces visited Lai Vung district in Dong Thap province and farmers from Lai Vung visited Cai Bei district in Tien Giang province (see Box 1)

5 FFSs were completed in late October to early November 2005 A total of 728 farmers were trained

6 Significant changes in TOT and FFSs curriculum were made after the first season of FFSs Focus was widened from IPM to other aspect of citriculture including pruning, plant nutrition in particular production of compost, planning of rejuvenation of orchards, budgeting and planning for the production cycle The focus within IPM that was primarily on control strategies for citrus psillids-citrus greening diseases and mites was extended to include phytophthora disease on citrus Personnel trained as part of CARD 052/04 VIE project “Management of Phytophthora diseases in Vietnamese Horticulture were included in our project

7 First TOT course for 2006 was conducted from 13-26 February in SRPPC Total of 45 extension workers from 9 provinces were trained

8 Second TOT course for 2006 conducted from 27 February – 11 March Total of 45 extension workers from 8 provinces were trained

9 Third TOT course for 2006 conducted from 13-26 March Total of 21 extension workers from 4 provinces were trained

10 Forty-eight FFSs commenced between March and May 2006 in 11 provinces The FFSs were conducted over a longer period of time covering all major phenological fazes of citrus trees from flowering to harvest The FFSs were completed by the end of December

2006 A total of 1530 farmers were trained

Publication of reference material

1 During the first season of FFSs in 2005 trainers from Can Tho PPSD developed a set of

12 educational posters, 8 posters covering major pests on citrus and 4 posters covering the major diseases Posters printed on waterproof plastic material were presented at the first review workshop in November 2005 The project management team evaluated posters and concluded that they could be a valuable teaching tool in FFS In March 2006

posters were produced and distributed to each FFS held in 2006 (Fig 10) Funds were provided from ACIAR (A$ 5,000) and UWS (A$ 3,000)

2 The book entitled “IPM on citrus-Ecological Guide” was published on 15/12/2005 and

1030 copies were distributed to all participating trainers and the majority of farmers in April 2006 The book was very well accepted and an additional photocopied version of the book or parts of the book were produced and distributed to FFS participants (Fig 11) Residual funds from CARD pilot project on citrus (2001-2004) were used to cover the cost of printing

3 The book entitled ‘Field guide for pest and diseases of citrus’ was published on 12/2/2007 and 5030 copies were distributed to trainers and FFS participants

4 A leaflet that outlined IPM strategies for control of major pest and diseases of citrus was printed (10,000 copies) by Saigon Plant Protection Company (SPC) and distributed to participants of FFS and to ‘pesticide shops’ within distribution area of SPC Publishing of the leaflet was a very important step in aligning recommendations and marketing efforts

of pesticide producers with the recommendation of extension services

Assessment of FFSs effectiveness in implementation of IPM

4 Australian and Vietnamese project personnel visited FFS in southern Vietnam and attended meetings at the Southern Regional Plant Protection Centre and Vinafruit in Ho Chi Minh City from 21-24 March 2006

5 Australian and Vietnamese project personnel visited 10 FFS in 9 provinces from 13-24 June 2006 to collect baseline data for FFSs commenced in 2006 and assist with teaching demonstration trials implementation

6 Australian and Vietnamese project personnel visited nine provinces were FFS were being conducted from 17-30 November 2006 and undertook an assessment of economic, social and environmental impacts using individual semi structured interviews and group discussion with farmers that gradated from FFSs at the end of 2005 The additional activity of evaluating each site for compliance with EUREP GAP was conducted in order

to establish the difference between Vietnamese citrus farmer production practices and EUREP GAP requirements

5.2 Smallholder Benefits

The individual situation of small holders was investigated in detail in a farmer practice baseline study conducted at 16 FFS in June 2005 and 10 FFSs in Jun 2006, and during an assessment of economic, social and environmental impacts using individual interviews of 53

farmers from 13 locations in November 2006 It was found that there are marked differences

in the agro-ecological systems and citrus growing practices used in the Mekong Delta and the Central Coast region (including Nghe An province), and also considerable differences between provinces within these regions Detailed results from impact assessment analysis can

be found in Milestone 7 and only the major findings will be presented here

Farmers increased their knowledge and skills for many components of citriculture including density of plantings, pruning, plant nutrition and integrated pest management Farmer awareness about spray application, record keeping, post harvest and marketing was increased but it was found that competence needed to be further increased in these areas Farmers’ ability to critically evaluate the process of production and elements of the agro-ecosystem was improved as a result of FFS In the year following FFS, farmer practices changed considerably resulting in a reduction of pesticide use, change of type of pesticide used from broad spectrum pesticides with high negative environmental impacts to softer pesticides, better soil management with increased use of organic material and better canopy management

The KAP analysis showed that attitudes of farmers were influenced by participation in FFS particularly in relation to pest control methods Farmers increased their level of agreement that pesticide can cause pest resurgence and agreed less to the statements that application of pesticide will increase the yield, that pesticides are cheap and easy to use, and that advanced farmers use a lot of pesticide Farmers’ knowledge about pests and diseases significantly improved as a result of participation in FFSs, with a significant increase in number of farmers giving correct answers recorded across all provinces but with steeper increase at Central coast due to the lower level of knowledge at the beginning of FFSs (Figure 7) As citrus is a perennial crop with a year-long growing season, most practices were not possible to change within the timeframe of FFS The only change of practice recorded was a reduction of number of sprays in Mekong delta from 7 to 6.5 and from 7.7 to 6.0 in 2005 and 2006, respectively

Figure 4: Farmers increased their knowledge and skills for many components of citriculture including density of plantings, pruning, plant nutrition and integrated pest management

Figure 5: Reduction in the number of sprays, change to less toxic pesticide and farmers increased awareness of OH&S issues are some of project outcomes

A majority of farmers claimed that as a result of changed practices their net profits increased, partly as a result of reduced financial inputs and partly from increased yield and fruit quality Overall 47% of interviewed farmers declared reduction in costs Increased yield was also frequently noted with only Vinh Long province farmers not reporting an increase in yield Overall 38% of interviewed farmers mentioned increase in yield, 17% increase in quality of fruit, 17% increase in sale price of fruit and 13% increase in profit It is not possible to establish what proportion of the increased yield declared is due to changed management practices and how much is due to seasonal variation

Participation in FFS increased mutual respect between FFS participants and also increased the status of the farmers within the wider farming community Strengthened networks between farmers facilitated the formation of farmers clubs and cooperatives which include FFS participants and members of the wider farming community Within these farmer associations, FFS participants have taken leadership roles

Although the level of female participation in FFS, particularly in the south, was not high, it resulted in major impacts on the position of women in the family Attendance at FFS facilitated the transition of farm management from men who had employment outside the farm, to their wives As opportunities for finding employment in sectors other than agriculture increase in the future, the need for women to take a leading role in agricultural production will increase This project has demonstrated that FFS training can effectively assist women in this process

There was also a small proportion of children of farming families attending FFS and although

it may seem that their attendance would offer similar opportunities for transition of farm management, as was seen with working husbands and their wives, this potential was not as effectively realised Generational hand over of management is often the subject of contention, and it seems that FFS was best able to facilitate this when children (sons) were provided with a portion of the farm that they independently managed

Fig 6: Farmers learned to indentify major pest, disease and beneficial insects in citrus orchard