KVKs are Unique…...

• No other agricultural system – large or small -- in the world has front line decentralized research capacity at District Level

• KVKs are a model for adaptive research to diagnose and solve problems emerging from District agro-ecosystems

• KVKs are perfectly located to lead and incubate local innovation

KVKs are particularly vital in the 21st century, as farmers face:

• Natural Resource constraints: water, land, biodiversity

• Climate change: drought, warming, extremes • Increasing transboundary risks: from trade and

traffic• Market demands and price volatility

KVKs Lead Local Innovation

• KVKs are best placed to draw in feedback from District, Block, Village level institutions, NGOs, PCs, and Farmers’ Federations, on Location-Specific, Context-dependent problems

• KVKs are best placed to diagnose field problems, characterize field conditions, then apply informed, evidence-based “pressure” on the NARS: SAUs, ICAR, State research centres, and the entire network of fellow KVKs

• KVKs will enable the entire NARS to become more locally relevant, more USEFUL

KVK SYSTEM – PLATFORM OF SCIENCE & SOCIETY

Rewinding the process ……

Timeline Expansion ……KVKs have grown as a large network in the country with a quantum jump in number reaching to 630 during XI Five Year Plan and 634 at present.

Uniqueness……Creation of valuable resources in terms of manpower and assets

Confirmation of technologies to suit local specificity

Showcasing the frontier technologies

Capacity building among stakeholders

Front runner in technological application, information and inputs

Participatory approaches in planning, implementing, executing & evaluation

Technology assessment, refinement and demonstration of technology /products

KVK aims at

The activities of KVK include

on-farm testing to identify the location specificity of agricultural technologies under various farming systems

frontline demonstrations to establish its production potentials on the farmers’ fields,

training of extension personnel to orient them in the frontier areas of technology development

work as resource and knowledge centre of agricultural technology for supporting initiatives of public, private and voluntary sector for improving the agricultural economy of the district

In addition, in order to speed up the process of dissemination of technology, a large number of various extension activities and production of seeds and planting materials are taken up by the KVKs.

training of farmers to update their knowledge and skills in modern agricultural technologiestraining of farmers to update their knowledge and skills in modern agricultural technologies