General Directorate of Agricultural Extension

Develop standards, controls, and policies to serve the objective of agricultural extension and education services provided for beneficiaries in veterinary, fisheries and plants (organic and biological).

Develop standards and controls for pilot fields in all regions of the Kingdom to apply the results of their research activities according to the comparative advantages of the regions.

Develop standards and guidelines for educating beneficiaries of extension service such as farmers and the like on aquaculture and livestock projects.

Raise the standards of extension services provided in the field of organic farming (vegetables, animal, fish and bees).

Incorporate leading practices and modern agricultural techniques in the extension and education services provided to beneficiaries.

Identify awareness programs in accordance with the leading practices (greenhouses).

Develop plans for the issuance and distribution of agricultural extension leaflets, posters, brochures and films.

Develop a plan for the production of agricultural extension programs (video and audio).

Ensure the high-quality of extension and education services provided in the regions by third parties and ensure that they are in line with the established standards, controls and policies.

Develop a plan for the production of agricultural extension programs (Internet and social networking services).

Adoption of agricultural innovations and techniques.

Ensure effective interrelationship between agricultural extension and agricultural research.

Support the concept of participation in developing extension programs (activating the concept of care).

Increasing the efficiency and productivity of farms.

Achievements:

The implementation of the extension plan for 2015/2016 for the departments and directorates of agriculture in the Kingdom (533) activities as follows:

(99) pilot fields.

(23) general occasion.

(97) agricultural extension forums.

(175) agricultural extension lectures.

(159) agricultural extension tours and field trips.

(69) agricultural extension meetings.

General Directorate of Agricultural Extension consisting of the following divisions: 

Agricultural Extension Division (plant)

Veterinary Extension Division

Fishery Extension Division

Tasks of the Agricultural Extension Division (plant)

1- Identify agricultural problems and obstacles and research priorities in cooperation with the general departments of agricultural affairs, directorates of agriculture and agricultural research centers.

2- Promote the relationship between the Ministry and farmers through a technical agency of general departments of agricultural affairs and the directorates of agriculture and its branches.

3- Promote communication and cooperation between research centers, universities, and farmers, and to benefit from the results of researches in various agricultural fields and to provide farmers with such results in the form of information for raising awareness and offering guidance to the farmers. 

4- Transfer of modern technologies to farmers to improve the production quality, reduce its cost and increase income while preserving water and natural resources.

5- Planning of extension programs,  and following-up on their implementation and evaluating them in cooperation with the directorates of agriculture.

6. Contribute to the preparation of internal and external training programs for agricultural extension agents and workers in the field in order to understand the results of research and information and find out the most appropriate ways to communicate such information to farmers, as well as to hold agricultural seminars and workshops and provide means of assistance.

7- Coordinate, cooperate and exchange information with the research centers in the Kingdom to identify research findings, propose the research needed by farmers and provide agricultural extension agents with guidelines and scientific applications from the results of research and experiments and deliver them to farmers to benefit from them.

Tasks of the Veterinary Extension Division: 

1-         Planning and preparation of extension programs aimed at raising the awareness of livestock and poultry breeders or developing the performance of veterinarian and veterinary staff, and following up on  their implementation and evaluating them in cooperation with general departments and directorates of agriculture.

2-         Raising awareness of breeders to deliver the correct veterinary information in an easy and simplified manner through the extension campaigns. 

3-         Drawing on internal and external expertise in the field of veterinary extension to participate in training courses, workshops, lectures and extension campaigns.

4-         Training veterinary extension teams in all regions of the Kingdom by intensifying training programs for livestock breeders to better understand the services provided by the Veterinary Extension Division and providing them and the beneficiaries with information sources to support the extension tasks.

5-         Monitor for disease cases and issues faced by breeders, and continue communicate with them, and the provide them with the right information. 

Tasks of the Fishery Extension Division: 

1-         Planning and preparation of extension programs aimed at ensuring protection, development, good utilization and raising the efficiency of the fishery resources. In addition to increasing fishermen's awareness and improving their performance, and monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these programs in cooperation with the competent departments.

2-         Transfer of scientific findings to farmers in a simplified manner by carrying out extension activities. 

3-         Transferring expertise and training fishermen and workers on how to use modern fishing gear in coordination with the competent authorities to enhance work efficiency and increase productivity.

4-         Raising fishermen's awareness of fisheries laws and regulations and the importance of implementing them.

5-         Developing the appropriate guidance tools to implement the extension programs in the field of fish resources.

6-         Field-level follow-up to extension programs and evaluation of implementation results.

Achievements of the General Directorate of Agricultural Extension:

General Directorate of Agricultural Extension acts as a link between research centers and farmers to find solutions to existing or new obstacles by using the appropriate methods and transferring what needed for research to the scientific research bodies. And then deliver the agricultural research findings and solutions to farmers in the form of guidance information to be used in educating farmers, developing their skills to apply modern methods. Such modern methods will improve food production to meet the citizens' needs, reduce food imports and yet increase farm income and raise the standard of living while preserving natural resources. The Directorate is responsible for bees, bee hives, beekeepers, queen-breeding stations, and distribution of bee queens and parcels. The Directorate also plays a crucial role in raising awareness and education through publishing agricultural extension publications and brochures, leaflets, stands, audit notes, awareness films and others. 

The Directorate has many tasks, foremost of which is supervising all agricultural extension services provided by the Ministry's directorates and branches to farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen and beekeepers, and those interested in agriculture throughout the Kingdom.

1-         Smallholder Farmers Support Project 

The program aims at raising awareness among farmers and improve the productivity of farms. The program targets licensed smallholder farmers and beekeepers registered with the Ministry, as well as licensed small-scale fish producers. There are various activities including training programs and extension activities such as induction seminars, workshops, leaflets, pamphlets, posters, special awareness films, and others. The program also allows farmers to perform some agricultural processes at their farms, such as fertilization, palms pollination, irrigation, pesticide spraying, etc. by the technical and guidance teams of the departments and directorates of agricultural affairs. In addition to the distribution of some agricultural tools and equipment to farmers such as red palm weevils traps, fertilizers, pesticides, pesticide spraying equipment, gloves, gloves and other necessities. 

The program has benefited 585 farmers from different departments and directorate of agricultural affairs. The Directorate has planned to implement this program in different regions of the Kingdom. The program has been active in Medina, Eastern region, Qaseem, Asir, Al-Baha, Jazan, and Al-Ahsa and Onaiza governorates. This program was well received by farmers.

2-         Implemented extension programs and activities:

The activities and general programs of the indicative plan of action for the departments and directorates of agriculture affairs in the regions of the Kingdom reached 405 programs and activities. These activities and programs are as follows:

A- Pilot fields: 45 pilot fields have been implemented in the practical application of agricultural processes or pest control operations. For example, a week-long pilot field was implemented in the Besh province in Jazan region to raise awareness and guidance on how to control insects that affect vegetables, the activity also includes the distribution of leaflets and explain their contents to farmers. In addition, a pilot field has been established in the Khulais governorate of Makkah Al Mukarramah province on how to use modern irrigation methods, such as drip irrigation network system and system components. Furthermore, a pilot field has been established in Al-Makhwah governorate for the control of red palm weevil and another field in Riyad Al Khubara governorate for irrigation scheduling to rationalize water consumption.

B - Seminars, lectures and workshops: 69 awareness-raising seminars were held in different processes and practices. A seminar was held on insect pests of vegetables in the province of Balgharshi, and another seminar on the damage of the date mite oligonychus afrasiaticus on fruit trees in the eastern region. 88 workshops were also held in which people interested in the agricultural sector were gathered to discuss some topics of interest with a view to further developing such topics scientifically. Moreover, a workshop was held in the governorate of Asayah on the preservation of the environment and the development of vegetation cover. Aanother workshop was also held in Baqa Hail province on horticultural crops, and a workshop was held to increase efficiency of technical work in the field of conservation of forests and parks. A total of 89 instructional lectures were held on different subjects of interest to farmers across regions and governorates of the Kingdom. Among those lectures was a lecture on the safe use of pesticides in the province of Shakra, and another lecture on the control of harmful impact of red palm weevil in al-Bakiria governorate in Qassim region, as well as a lecture on the drip irrigation system in Thalithat province in Asir region.

C- Public events: There were 24 public events including festivals, events, and exhibitions. The Directorate held some of them while participated in others.  Several festivals were held, including the Rose Festival in Taif, the Olive Festival in Al-Jouf, the Grape Festival and Dates Festival in Qassim, the Honey Festival in Asir, the Citrus Fruits Festival and Agricultural Marketing in Najran. The Directorate also participated in the Saudi Agricultural Exhibition and the National Festival of Heritage and Culture (Janadriyah). The participation in these events is awareness and guidance to farmers through the distribution of guidance material and direct answer to inquiries of visitors or refer their inquiries to specialists in the Ministry.

D- Guidance meetings and field visits: 17 agricultural extension meetings were held, including the extension meeting  on the definition of red palm weevil and its stages organized by the Ministry's branch in Buraidah city in  Lysb center In addition, 73 farm field trips were carried out to know new agricultural practices and to carry out the extension and awareness activities.  

Below is a table showing the public activities and programs of the indicative plan of action for the departments and directorates of agriculture affairs in the regions of the Kingdom.

3-         Agricultural extension and education

All publications aims at raising educating farmers, fishermen and beekeepers have been prepared , studied and published. 230000 specialized educational publications have been distributed for special events in various agricultural fields, including but not limited to specialized guidance bulletins on the following topics: Modern irrigation systems, red palm weevils, logging and desertification, irrigation and fertilization program for palm trees and coral reefs in the marine environment and mangrove trees. In addition to publications on topics such as reduce the spread of red palm weevil and the oligonychus afrasiaticus and printed for logging (a message about preventing logging as well as the sale and transfer of firewood and domestic coal), printed on the safe use of pesticides and a poster about the tree a week under the theme of (the tree of our lives) and  (1-2) minutes advertising ads on bees and the conditions of establishment, as well as on protected agriculture, coral reefs and alternatives to forage cultivation.

In addition, a number of desk calendars, pocket calendars and calendars have been issued to assist farmers in planting dates and agricultural operations on the crop. There were also participations in festivals and agricultural exhibitions by providing cut-outs and samples of the red palm weevil, as well as bees and queen bees and modern cells. In addition to newsletters, brochures and various publications in the feild of agriculture in terms of the most important processes of agricultural and services performed on them. Furthermore, an awareness campaign on the oligonychus afrasiaticus was conducted as it included a range of activities launched simultaneously with each other in several regions of the Kingdom. Such activities included workshops and the distribution of leaflets. All activities were held at an appropriate time with the spread or the appearance of the disease (oligonychus afrasiaticus). The Division's staff participated in the awareness meetings of the cooperative societies.

The below table shows extension activities in the field of agricultural extension and education

4-         Nurseries:  

Supervising fruits, vegetables, and forest seedlings production nurseries, and encouraging farmers to establish open nurseries.

Preserving the plants which each region in the Saudi Kingdom is known for, such as Acacia (Talh) in AlGhat, Frankincense (al-lubān) and Ziziphus (al sidr) in Medina, Moringa oleifera, (al ban) in Alulla and Ziziphus (al sidr) in AlBaha and Assir, as a result of the efforts made in increasing those plants in nurseries. 

Distributing seedlings to farmers and individuals in events 

Spread the improved species.

The below table shows the distribution of extension bee hive, stations and training center of the Ministry.

Table shows the number and locations of the Ministry's nurseries

5          Agricultural Extension Development Project

            The total number of extension agricultural development projects is as follows:

1- 6 fish projects

2- 9 bees projects

3- 24 plants production

These projects are distributed among regions and governorates of the Kingdom as shown in the tables below.

A table shows the distribution of agricultural extension development projects among the regions and governorates of the Kingdom