Identification of Farmers’ Problems and Appropriate Solutions: Use of PRA Techniques in Agricultural Development

Abstract

Participation of the beneficiaries in agricultural development, planning and implementation is well recognized in agricultural programmes. This provides an opportunity to identify farmers’ needs at the beginning and further, involves the community in the entire planning cycle. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques can be used to bring the beneficiaries to the process of development activities, while saving time and money. This study was conducted in Kobbakaduwa village of M uruthalawa Grama Niladhari (GN) division; Kandy district Main objective was to identify the farmers’ problems and to suggest relevant solutions which could incorporate to future agricultural development programme of Hadabima. A group of students of the university of Ruhuna, Hadabima officers, grass-root level development workers and farmers participated in this event A set of PRA tools such as resource map, venn diagram, seasonal calendar, pair-wise ranking and matrix ranking were used to obtain information. Resource map revealed the resources, community assets such as community hall, institutions such as post office, hospital, temple, school etc., agro-ecological and general conditions of the village. Venn diagram discovered, death-aid society and welfare union are the most important and closest institutes. According to seasonal calendar, the highest rainfall has been observed in November and the least in February. The highest labour force was recorded at die beginning of cultivation during January to March and the least in April and December with post harvesting of their own cultivations. Farmers identified main problems of the village using pair-wise ranking and among them soil erosion seemed to be the most burning issue. Matrix ranking showed that arecanut is the most suitable crop to grow under the environmental conditions in the village. At the end of the activities, leaders were selected and they intended to participate in the planning activities of the Hadabima for future agricultural development process in the village.