Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: In 2010, the Iraq Agricultural Extension Revitalization Project staff focused efforts primarily on follow-up activities from the US training courses. In 2009, 62 Iraqi Extension agents and university faculty visited consortium land-grant universities in the US for six week training program in Extension and technical subject matter. The Iraqi Extension agents and faculty created work plans at the end of their time in the US and committed to implementing their plans upon return to Iraq. IAER staff monitored participant progress in implementing the work plans with great results. In March 2010, IAER staff was invited to observe a three day workshop organized by seven of the NMSU trainees. Approximately 20 Extension agents from Kurdistan attended the workshop that covered topics such as agribusiness marketing, extension methodology and business feasibility. The workshop was supported financially by the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources - KRG (MOAWR) and taught entirely by Extension agents and university faculty who attended the training course at NMSU. In May 2010, IAER hosted a conference in Erbil, Iraq, to present highlights from the US training program to Iraqi stakeholders and to hear progress reports from Iraqi participants. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture - Baghdad (MOA), Ministry of Higher Education - Baghdad, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources - KRG attended the conference with faculty from consortium universities and 80 Iraqi Extension participants. Five Iraqi participants were select to share their successes in implementing their work plan, and the Ministries of Agriculture expressed their appreciation for the training program. The conference also provided an opportunity for consortium universities to meet with their group of trainees for two days to follow up on any issues the trainees faced as they implemented their work plan as well as some technical training to supplement their activities. Washington State University and the University of California - Davis faculty planned an additional week long technical training program for their trainees. Additionally, faculty from the Agriculture Communications Department at New Mexico State University met at the conference with the group of Iraqi trainees who attended the communication and advanced communications courses. They used the time for some technical training, and they reviewed the publications and videos produced by the trainees since the training. In the fall of 2010, IAER staff planned a series of five training courses to address specific topics requested by the Ministry of Agriculture. The topics included ruminant nutrition, modern wheat production, horticulture/hoop house management, irrigation and agribusiness. IAER staff and the MOA - Baghdad and KRG agreed to host the series of courses in Erbil, Iraq, beginning in December 2010 through June 2011. The MOA agreed to pay all participant expenses including travel, lodging and per diem. TAMU faculty led the first course in ruminant nutrition in December 2010 with 29 participants from the MOA-Baghdad and MOAWR - KRG. PARTICIPANTS: Katherine Whitney is the Project Director and is responsible for managing project activities and coordinating consortium efforts. Roland Smith is a Senior Advisor to the project. He advises the project director based on his experience in Texas AgriLife Extension, and he manages consortium communication. Shamal Shareef is the Iraq Program Coordinator. Shamal coordinates logistics for activities in Iraq and serves as a liaison with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture. Natalie Hering is the Business Coordinator. She provides support for all purchasing and logistics issues. Ministry of Agriculture - Baghdad Ministry of Higher Education - Baghdad Baghdad University Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources - KRG Salahaddin University Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications Department at Texas A&M University Zozik Group TARGET AUDIENCES: Iraqi Extension agents Faculty from Baghdad University and Salahaddin University Farmers in Iraq PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Due to lack of support from the Ministry of Agriculture - Baghdad, the IAER staff did not implement the small grant projects that were originally proposed. The funds were reprogrammed to support training courses requested by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Impacts
At the follow-up conference in Erbil in May 2010, Iraqi participants completed a questionnaire regarding the training program in the US and their activities following the US training program. IAER staff compiled the results from the 47 completed questionnaires and found that 96 percent of trainees reported an increase in knowledge and skills. 74 percent of trainees reported that they held train-the-trainer events for their colleagues and peers. 51 percent reported that the training and following activities improved the quality of extension services in Iraq. Of the Iraqi faculty who attended training, 72 percent reported increased capacity of higher education to support agricultural extension. 36 percent reported an increased awareness of technologies and methodologies in the agricultural sector. The results correspond to the results-oriented framework that the IAER consortium developed with USDA/FAS and USDA/NIFA. Many of the Iraqi Extension agents and university faculty reported anecdotal information about training programs they led and positive farmer response. For example, one trainee who attended the course in livestock and rangeland management course at TAMU reported that he provided several training courses to farmers. In one particular course, the trainee shared techniques to reduce Mastitis in their cows and to increase milk production. He reported that many farmers adopted the technique to improve their production. Another trainee is a faculty member at the University of Baghdad who attended the horticulture course at the University of California - Davis. He reported that he led multiple training courses for extension agents and approximately 30 percent of his extension agent trainees are women. The IAER staff received numerous anecdotal reports similar to these two examples.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
Phase II of the Iraq Agricultural Extension Revitalization (IAER) Project is focused on training a group of specialized Iraqi extension agents at consortium universities in the United States with the anticipation that the trained extension specialists will conduct a series of workshops and seminars for their extension peers and local communities. Each training program involved a series of lecture, classroom discussion, tours, lab and field work, and interaction with US faculty and extension staff. The University of California-Davis led the first US-based training course for 12 Iraqi extension specialists from 28 April - 5 July 2009. The ten week course covered horticulture/greenhouse production and postharvest/food safety. The group of Iraqis was made up of 10 extension professionals from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and two faculty members from Iraqi universities; of the ten MOA employees, two were from the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). The group was comprised of 10 men and two women. Washington State University hosted a six week course for 12 extension specialists beginning 6 June through 17 July 2009 and covering a range of topics about dryland agronomy. Ten of the participants were from the MOA, including two from the KRG. Two participants attended from Baghdad University. The group was made up of 11 men and one woman. Utah State University led a course in irrigation and water resources on 27 September - 9 November 2009. The group attending the course at USU included six from the MOA, including one from the KRG, and one from Baghdad University. To target the appropriate audience and build collaboration between ministries, the group also included five from the Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR), including two from the MOWR in the KRG. New Mexico State University conducted a course in agribusiness and food management on 28 September - 7 November 2009. The twelve participants included three from Iraqi universities and nine from the Ministry of Agriculture, of which two were from the KRG. In addition, NMSU led a three week Advance Communications course in Erbil, Iraq for a specialized group of extension communicators, 21 June - 9 July 2009. The advanced team spent two weeks in in-depth training with specialized equipment and followed with a week to train a new group of extension personnel in agriculture communication techniques. Each participant created a work plan to outline how they would apply the training in their local offices. All consortium partners indicated a significant increase in knowledge of extension specialists as a result of their participation at US-based training. In addition, trainees exhibited an increase in skill competencies for their related fields. Each of the 60 trained extension specialists created an extension work plan for their return to Iraq. The work plans in clued details for future seminars, workshops and demonstrations that the specialists will offer for their extension peers and local farmers. Specialists will be expected to report on activities to IAER Project staff. PRODUCTS: IAER hosted five six-week training programs at consortium partner universities in the US for a total of 61 Iraqi participants. Each university led the training in their particular subject area responsibility (dryland farming, livestock, irrigation, horticulture, agribusiness, etc.) and extension methodology. Iraqi extension specialists from the Kurdish Region who attended the US-based training will be awarded small grant funds for a demonstration project in Iraq that will be used to train farmers in their communities. Iraqi participants and their consortium counterparts will attend a follow-up conference in Iraq to discuss progress of work plans, evaluation programs, review subject material and present progress to Ministry of Agriculture officials. Trainees who attended the Advanced Communications course in Erbil, Iraq, in June 2009 are producing extension publications and brochures for distribution to farmers and agriculture communities. The project has generated course material in both English and Arabic. Material may be found at http://agriportal.info. OUTCOMES: Each consortium university saw improved knowledge of extension specialists of their related agriculture subject areas and extension methodology. Scores on pre and post subject matter tests show an increased level of knowledge among participants. During the US-based training, IAER Project team members identified a set of skill competencies that extension specialists would learn throughout the course of the training. Participants were graded on mastery of the skills and ability to demonstrate them. All participants showed competency in each skill set and proved an ability to teach the particular skill to their peers and farmers. Each extension specialist completed a work plan for their return to their home offices in Iraq. The work plans include a series of workshops or demonstrations that will address a specific need in their particular provinces. Some trainees collaborated to plan regional workshops. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Dissemination activities primarily consist of trainees returning to their communities and universities in Iraq to enrich curriculums and extension programs for farmers and agriculture communities. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Iraqi participants and their consortium counterparts will attend a follow-up conference in Iraq to discuss progress of work plans, evaluation programs, review subject material and present progress to Ministry of Agriculture officials.
Impacts
An indirect goal of the US-based training was to show the collaboration between research and extension within the land-grant university system. Both Iraqi university faculty and Ministry of Agriculture extension employees stated their comprehension of the system, and informal linkages between the university faculty and extension agents will further the collaboration between the two institutions in Iraq. Small grant projects will allow extension specialists the opportunity and funding to carry out demonstration projects and training workshops in their local communities. This will increase the engagement of extension agents with their local clients. Projects include cooperation with university faculty to improve collaboration between extension and the universities. In addition, the projects will introduce new technology or innovations that the participants learned at the US-based training to help improve agriculture production in Iraq. Trainees who attended the US-based courses learned effective teaching methods and demonstration skills along with technical agriculture skills. Upon completion of the course, each trainee demonstrated abilities to effectively transfer knowledge to their farmers. Trainees are expected to lead seminars for other extension agents in Iraq about effective teaching methods in addition to training farmers.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
IAER is beginning the new year with three conferences in January. NMSU led a course in Farm Business Management January 5-12 with 31 participants. Drs. Jadoa Ahmad and Ismail Ahmad from Tikrit University worked with the NMSU faculty to co-teach the course. The trainees attended five days of lecture and a tour of the local market in downtown Amman, agricultural input suppliers, and the statistical reporting office. WSU taught a course on Cropping Demonstration at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas facilities in Aleppo, Syria. Thirty-one trainees attended the course, including Mr. Qais Aziz Jawad, General Manager for the State Board of Agriculture Extension and Cooperation. In addition, USU led part two of their Irrigation Course in Amman, Jordan, January 13-17. Twenty-nine trainees attended lectures and performed water quality tests in the Jordan Valley. IAER will host a Water Needs Assessment Forum February 3-5 in Amman, Jordan. USU and
USDA representatives in Baghdad have invited 70 officials from several different ministries and universities in Iraq including: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of the Environment, University of Baghdad, Tikrit University, and University of Salahadin. UCD is hosting an Advanced Post-Harvest Course February 9-14 in Amman, Jordan. Dr. Awad Hussein from the University of Alexandria and Dr. Najib El Assi from the University of Jordan will work with UCD faculty to present the course to approximately 30 trainees with a field day to post-harvest operations in the Jordan Valley. TAMU will also be hosting a course the week of February 10-14 in Amman, Jordan. Drs. Frank Jones and Keith Bramwell from the University of Arkansas will lead the course for 30 participants. NMSU will lead a Project Planning Course February 17-21 in Amman, Jordan. We also expect 30 participants to attend this course.
PRODUCTS: This project has generated course content and training materials in both Arabic and English. This includes written, online, and multimedia content. All content is publically posted on the USDA/FAS sponsored http://www.agriportal.info website.
OUTCOMES: To date, there have been 308 Iraqi extension professionals and faculty trained through the programs of IAER. These trainees are spread over eight courses. These courses have been an opening introductory course, irrigation, beekeeping, dairy production, horticulture, farm business management, irrigation 2, and cropping demonstrations.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Dissemination activities primarily consist of students returning to their communities and universities in Iraq to enrich curriculums and extension programs for agricultural end users. The primary mechanism for this is the extension micro-grant funds. These funds are available to the Ministries of Agriculture to provide its employees the opportunity to practically implement the lessons learned from IAER.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: Listed below is the schedule for remainder of project life. IAER University Training Program Schedule (Unless noted programs are in Amman, Jordan) 24 Training Programs, 1 USA/IRAQI Tour and 1 Follow-up Conference Scheduled TAMU February 10-14 Poultry April 13-17 Advanced Beekeeping (Irbid, Jordan) May 4-8 Small Ruminant (Dine/Prairie View/TAMU/NMSU) June 22-26 Fisheries (Lebanon) USU February 3-5 Water Ministries - Needs Assessment April 27 - May 1 Specialty Advanced Water Training UCD February 9-14 - Post Harvest Training - University/Advanced Training April 26-May 1 - Pest Management, Fertility, Irrigation Training Summer 08 - Horticulture Training WSU March 8-15 - Weeds, plant pests, quality May 10-17 - Tillage, Pasture, Forage Production June 15-28 - Women in Agriculture (exact dates in June are TBA) Summer 08- Developing Extension Publications NMSU February 17-21 - Project Planning and Management March 5-13 - Developing Multimedia Communications July 22-31 -
Agribusiness Planning Marketing and Feasibility Studies Summer 08 - Women, Youth, Family Development IAER Overall Project Planned Events July 4-26 General Training, - DDC, Egypt completed, 96 participants June 30-July 18 US Consortium IAER Development Tour to USA (selected participants) August 10-13 - IAER Follow Up Session - Amman Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Higher Education Ministry of Water Resources Consortium Members Selected MOA Extension Trainees Selected University Trainers/Trainees Cochran Fellowship Program Participants
Impacts
Impacts of the project to date include 308 Iraqi agricultural extension professionals and faculty received training in a variety of agricultural disciplines. In addition, IAER has continually promoted a dialogue of cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture in an effort to encourage support of advancing Iraqi extension programs and the Ministries reach into rural communities.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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