The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity (AESA) Project is being implemented by Dhaka Ahsania Mission withCARE Bangladesh and mPower as technical partners.The project is working in 26 Upazilas of 12 Districts in central and southwest Bangladesh to strengthen the existing capacity of DAE to deliver effective, innovative and value chain-based extension services.
To facilitate the smooth and effective functioning of the field level activities, a joint monitoring tool has been developed by DAE and AESA to initiate the monitoring mechanism of the block-based filed level activities.
A day long orientation was organized for the 26 Upazila Agriculture Officers (UAOs) on the DAE-AESA Joint Monitoring Activities at the Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh (Khamarbari, Farmgate, Dhaka) on 21st June 2016.
Mr. Md. Hamidur Rahman, Krishibid’s Director General (DG)and Mr. Protip Kumar Mondal, Krishibid’s Director of Planning, Project Implementation and ICT graced the event as the Chief Guest and Special Guest respectively.Krishibid’s Director of the Field Service Wing (FSW),Mr. Chaitanya Kumar Das, chaired the workshop.
Mr. Bidyuth K. Mahalder, the Chief of Party,delivered the welcome speech stating the project’s goal, objectives and its achievements towards meeting the targets. He also mentioned the future implementation plan for the online M&E system and further strengthening of collaborative activities with DAE.
The Chief Guest suggested that the UAOsconduct visitsto the field frequently to provide extension advice to farmers along with the Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers (SAAOs). In his appreciation of the field-level activities, the special gueststated that the government is emphasizing the union as the main hub of future local agricultural activities, through which improved extension advisory services will be provided to rural farmers.
The following people were present at the workshop:
- DAE’s Project Focal Person,Mr. Md. Zakir Hossain,DAE’s PI&E Deputy Director;
- Kazi Shaiful Islam, DAE’s Deputy Director of Extension, FSW;
- Shoeb Uddin Ahmed, DCOP of Operations;
- Tania Sharmin, NTC-CARE Bangladesh;
- Shafinaj Rahman, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation;
- Md. Younus Ali, Head of Training;
- Hasib Ahsan, ICT Head of Operations at mPower;
- Md. Latiful Haider, Agriculture Extension Specialist, and;
- Apurba Deb Roy, Community Development Specialist from CARE Bangladesh.