Dimapur, Sep. 26 (EMN): State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (Sameti), Medziphema, organised a two-day online training programme on “Extension strategies for linking farmers to markets” for Atma functionaries on September 24 and the 25th.
The training was organised to train Atma field functionaries at creating awareness and understanding the issues and challenges in linking farmers to the market and how value chain approach could be adopted to enable farmers to have better access to markets, an update from Sameti stated.
Dr. Watimongla Jamir, director of Sameti and principal in-charge of IETC, in her inaugural speech, emphasised on how small farmers could benefit and prosper from the emerging markets and value chains if linked effectively.
She also advised the trainees to adopt “bottom-up” approach of identifying farmers to work with and linking farmers to markets so that they could sell their products.
She encouraged the trainees to play the role of extension agents effectively in order to contribute in improving the farming system in the state.
The resource persons of the training programme were Vikaho Chophy, Sameti deputy project director; Tiajungla Longchar, Sameti deputy project director; and Dr. Mary N Odyuo, department of Rural Development from NU SASRD, Medziphema campus.
The topics covered during the online training included ‘Linking farmers to markets: An overview’, ‘Issues and challenges’, ‘Extension role in marketing approach, group approach – An extension strategy to link farmers to markets’.
It stated that feedback was received from all the participants and e-certificates were issued to the participants. Altogether, 22 Atma functionaries from 11 districts of the state attended the online training programme.
