A one year Diploma in Agricultural Extension Services for Input Dealers (DAESI) programme was inaugurated at ICAR-KVK, Gonikoppal on 18th August, 2021 in collaboration with SAMETI, UAS Bengaluru, MANAGE, Hyderabad and Dept. of Agriculture, Kodagu District. Dr. B.N Shrinivasa Murthy, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru was inaugurated the programme. During his inaugural address, he opined that it is a welcome step by the government to train the input dealers, so that they can give correct advice to the farmers and can bridge the wide gap existing between farmers to extension agents in the country. He also highlighted the farmer’s friendly horticultural technologies released by ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru for enhancing the higher production and profitability for the farmers.

Dr. G.R. Pennobaliswamy, State Nodal Officer, SAMETI (South), UAS, Bengaluru highlighted the overview and importance of DAESI programme. He opined that a only 2-3% of the farmers are accessing agricultural technology related information through state agri departments/universities/KVK etc., parallelly, more than 25% of the farmers are obtaining these information from agri input dealers. In this backdrop, he strongly emphasized the need to capacity build the input dealers and involve them as para- extension agency and DAESI has been a platform to conceptualize the same. This was followed by an address by Smt.Shabana Sheik, Joint Director, Dept. of Agriculture, Kodagu. In his address he spoke about how input dealers helpful to farming community and role of para extension workers in order to achieve sustainable agriculture. An orientation to DAESI programme was organised to the registered participants. Dr.G.R.Pennobaliswamy briefed the participants and the Facilitator about the programme and its implementation.