PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: A CASE BARANI VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

This paper is a synthesis of three-year experiences and farmers’ assessment of technology validation in participatory manner at integrated research sites of Barani Village Development Project. Farmers’ problems were identified and prioritized through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). Farmers along with a team of researchers and extensionists in a participatory mode developed technical modules that can intervene their problems. The participatory research in project area is being conducted in collaboration with national and international research institutes for the last thee years. During the first two year (2001-03) a number of technological packages from national institutes were identified and tested for wider dissemination during the coming years. All the collaborating research institutes conducted experiments and assessment of participatory research trials was conducted each year. Each intervention was replicated with two to four farmers at all the three research sites. Each year host farmers involved in technology testing were interviewed. The knowledge gained both of the technologies produced by the research component, and farmers' objectives and constraints, would support the wider dissemination of the project's interventions resulting in additional production and income from crop and livestock interventions