International Extension

The objectives of our International Extension programs are to work with partners in other countries to:

to increase agricultural productivity and profitability,
improve the knowledge and management skills of farmers,
develop more effective agricultural extension programs
evaluate the economic performance of different extension systems.

To accomplish this, Extension systems are being developed so that educational institutions are more responsive to the demands of agricultural communities and better able to provide up-to-date information and technologies that have practical application. In addition, the improvement of information networks and distance education programs enable people working in rural areas to have better access to all types of information on markets and production. Individual extension programs are described below.

For more information about International Extension programs contact:

James C. Hanson Web Page

Dale M. Johnson Web Page

International Programs in Agricultural and Natural Resources Web Page

Extending the Educational Outreach of Universities in Central Asia 2000-2005

The transition from a command economy to a free market economy in Central Asia created an adverse business environment for agriculture. Farmers in these countries experienced difficulty in making the required changes in their operations to stay in business. There were few government and educational resources to help them improve management. James C. Hanson, Dale M. Johnson, and Raymond J. Miller conducted two projects in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan covering the years 2000-2005 to help universities and other institutions extend their education outreach to the agricultural sector.

The educational institutions in these countries did not have Extension programs. Through this project, faculty exchanges helped them understand how Extension works and assisted them in developing and conducting Extension education programs that helped farmers improve production, marketing, and profits. Uzbek and Kazakh faculty members received grants to conduct applied research and on-farm demonstrations. Fact sheets, reports, and bulletins were published to give farmers timely information for improving production methods. See project reports below:.

Uzbekistan project report

Kazakhstan project report

For more information, contact webmaster@arec.umd.edu

Last updated: 03/9/2009