I I - part - usaid

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2. Farming Systems Research
The preceding discussion and others in this
Project Paper have indicated that current farming practices
in Northeast Thailand involve a considerable range of
interrelated activlties and that if overall rainfed farm
income -,s tc be increased significantly a number of these
activities will need to be improved, NERAD proposes a
careful assessment of farming systems in project areas in
order to identify key constraints and solve local problems
to the extent that ava2iable technology and resources allow.
The Pro3ect also proposes some applied, systematic research
to be directed at scIving -. mportant local problems related
to the interactions of various farming practices, which can
also serve as a bas.s for future agricultural research and
development activities of the MOAC and its various departments,
In conducting such activities it is suggested that
the Project use the methodologies of the rapidly expanding
field known as Farming Systems Research. This type of
research (including tra~ning) has been defined* as that
which (a) is conducted with a recognition of and focus
towards the interdependencies and interrelationships that
exist among elements of the farm system, and between these
elements and the farm environment; and ib) is aimed at
enhancing the efficacy of farming systems through the better
focusing of agricultural research sc as to facilitate the
generation and testing of improved technology. Requirements
for this type of systems approach include: %a) team effort
across disciplines; (b) clear delineation of the system of
interest (e~g, the farm system); (c) perception of objectives
of the system itself (e,g- security of income) and of
higher-level systems
?,e.g. oc.;al and economc objectives at
national and regional levels); (d) ant.cipation of technical
and economic rest.i:ctUns from within the system itself
(egg. labor supply) and from the system's environment (e.g.
cultural cr credit constialnts to new technology).
As discussed in Annex V, although there is a
substantial and growing interest in this type of approach
for agricultural research in Thailand, particularly for
rainfed areas, there is no one agency within the MOAC which
*Farming Systems Tesearch at the Internati.onal Agicultural
Research Centers;'published by the-Technical Advisory
Committee of the CGIAR; (1978).