Agribusiness Forum Discusses Strengthening Agricultural Extension Capacity
23 Mar 2022A training workshop on the Agribusiness Schools Programme, part of the Project to Strengthen and Develop the Capacity of Oman’s Agricultural Extension System, opened yesterday in Al Suwaiq, North Al Batinah Governorate. The initiative is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Al Zubair Small Enterprises Centre, with funding from the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund.
The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Agriculture.
Speaking at the event, Eng. Sulaiman bin Mahfoudh Al Toobi, Director General of Agricultural Development and General Supervisor of the project, said the initiative reflects the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to strengthening agricultural extension services in Oman. He noted that the project initially faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted travel and in-person training, requiring most activities to be conducted virtually.
Al Toobi explained that the programme aims to strengthen agricultural extension systems and support services to promote a more market-oriented agricultural sector while increasing farm profitability. The project consists of two phases: developing a national programme to modernize the agricultural extension system and implementing Agribusiness Schools for farmers. The schools adopt an educational approach that encourages farmers to view agriculture as a business enterprise and to improve their market orientation. Around 60 farmers from different segments are expected to benefit from the programme.
For her part, H.E. Nora Ourabah Haddad, FAO Representative in Oman, said that Oman’s 2040 Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy emphasizes enhancing the sustainability and profitability of the agricultural and rural sectors to strengthen food security. She explained that the FAO project seeks to improve the economic efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness of smallholder farmers by not only increasing productivity but also helping them produce for market demand and manage their farms as profitable businesses.
She added that the Agribusiness Schools Programme, designed by FAO, equips small-scale farmers with the skills needed to produce according to market requirements. As part of the programme’s preparation, FAO trained six master trainers, including staff from the Ministry’s Agricultural Extension and Rural Women Departments, as well as consultants from Al Zubair Small Enterprises Centre.
The master trainers completed seven training sessions and are now prepared to train the first cohort of facilitators, who will in turn guide farmers using the Agribusiness Schools methodology. A total of 16 facilitators from the Ministry and the Oman Farmers Association have been nominated to participate in the two-week training programme.
The event concluded with the recognition of the master trainers by H.E. Dr. Ahmed Al Bakri and H.E. Nora Ourabah Haddad for successfully completing the training and for their role in implementing the programme.
The opening ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources, representatives of the FAO Office in Muscat, the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund, and Al Zubair Small Enterprises Centre.