I I - part - usaid

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may also be necessary in 2ome cases in order to achieve
economies of scale in piovision of adequate technical
resources, development of markets, etc- The decision to
implement a particular aztivity will, however, be made at
the lowest feasible level and only be subject to review at
higher leveis for tezhninal feasibiity, conformance with
overall pc.lcy and constraints of project or other funding
if such axe invoived,
The top-down techrial suppa:t activities and the
bottom-up decision making actvlties overlap at the village
level, At this level farmers inter act with extension,
technical support and 1coal government personnel in the
examination cf farming systems and in conducting research
and demonstration activities, in village level educational
programs, and in decision making meetings, This interaction
is considered to be the vKtal process in the Project, It
is, after all, farmers who develop farming systems. The
researchers and other agricultu.al technicians whose job it
is to provide the technca! rescutcea for farming system
improvement therefore need t: develop theEn resources in
conjunction with farmers it is also the farmers either
individually or coilectively who must make the changes which
will bring about increased productivity and income. For
them to make sound decisions they must have knowledge of the
possibilities based either on theiz own experience ow on
sources they trast- Village level interaction of farmers
and tecbnicians will provide oppoctun~ties fot both increasing
the fazmers" Xnowledge and developing their trust
in the knowledge oi te.teahnicna, an well aE increasing
the techn. onso ondetstanding of problems faced by farmers.
Farmers' dea.szcns tc adopt changei in p~aztices or enterprises
may also require support in the zcrm of infrastructure
development, tra~nr:ig, and initial teohnLcal and financial
support to reduce the perceived rLsk, and these are provided
for in the Projecr
4, Logica! Framework Narrative
a, Sector Goal
This Project contributes to a goal of the Royal
Thai Government to taine the level of living of e farm
population Tn Northeast Thailand The gaa is cc. ostent
with the FY 8! and FY 82 USAID Thailand CDSS which focus on
agricultural devsiopment particularly n the Northeost
region.