As a farmer to farmer extension approach, with fund supports from CARLEP-IFAD, Agriculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC Wengkhar) has coordinated third batch of Lead farmer training to 25 lead farmers from six eastern dzongkhags under CARLEP starting from May 14th, 2019 to May 21st, 2019 at the center.

Following the Lead farmer model course 1 on “Awareness of the farming technology” and course 2 on “Crop establishment and management practices” which were conducted in the month of November 2018 and January, 2019 respectively, the farmers have now successfully completed course 3 on “Crop management technologies” of training program. The course 4 on “Post-harvest and marketing” is yet to begin in few months and the training for third batch will end in September, 2019.

Throughout the course, farmers were provided with the theoretical session on crop management technologies. Further, farmers were also provided with hands on practices on integrated pest management, sustainable land management, integrated soil management, efficient irrigation system (drip irrigation) and fruit thinning.

As every course of the training is conducted based on seasons, it is expected that farmers would disseminate skills acquired from the training program to their neighbors and help other farmers in replicating similar activities in their respective geog.

Reported by : Chhimi Lhamo, GKMO, CARLEP