dlv advisory group harm brinks and bertus buizer

DLV Advisory group

Harm Brinks

and

Bertus Buizer

The changes in rural extension

The new role of DLV

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Looking back

• Until 1990, extension service was part of the ministry of agriculture

• Our work– related to government policy– all our services for free– emphasis on group activities, every extension

officer guided several study groups– individual advice not very important

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Start privatising in 1990

• Extension seperate from the government but still more or less under control

• First periode most of the services for free

• Individual advice was payed for

• 80% of our total income from the government

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Privatising proces complete

• Since 1993 DLV is independant from the government

• Since 1998 DLV-Advisory group, a private company. Government and workers are shareholders.

• 5% of our total income comes from the government through projects

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DLV-Advisory group

• Since 2000 five Business Units:– Plant– Animal production– Building/Construction/Equipment– Agricultural Chains– Nature/Recreation

• Daughter companies

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• Business Units became independant companies within the holding, 1-1-2003

• Strategic partnership with BU Agricultural Chains and others

• Spread of the risks

• Entrepreneurship lower in the organisation

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Business Unit Plant

• 160 advisors, several market groups

• Arable farming

• Vegetable farming

• Horticulture

• Flowerbulbs

• Fruit

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……..more

• DLV Communication

• DLV Facet (applied research)

• Project management and -acquisition

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Each market group

• 10-20 persons

• Responsible for own finances

• Each advisor has an individual financial task (apr. 80-100.000 $)

• Each advisor is responsible for contracts with farmers

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Market situation

• From 100% government to 100% market income

• Free concurrence on projects, due to EC rules

• 60% individual advice

• 40% projects

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DLV advisor

• Economic results on the short term

• Farm development, strategic issues

• From crop level to farm level

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Role of DLV-advisor in projects

• Intermediate between legislator, farmers and his network

• Carrying out communication projects

• Participants mostly are the ‘early adopters’

• Excursions, websites, newsletters, articles, workshops, symposia

• Motivation of farmers can be a problem

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Projects BU-Plant

• Reduce the environmental burden of agriculture in general:– Plant protection– Mineral-management– Nature, energy and water

• Trade, industry and retail– Food quality and safety (Eurep-Gap, HACCP)– Tracking and tracing

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Projects, sponsored by the government

• Environmental Yard Stick, based on environmental properties of pesticides

• BIOM (organic farming)

• Farming for the future (integrated farming)

• MLHD

• PC based DSS (GEWIS/Pest control)

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Role of the projectpartners

• Research: development of the system on the research stations, technical and economical consequences of the environmental goals

• DLV: implementation of ‘state of the art technology’ at the farms

• Identification of possibillities and problems, regarding the environmental goals

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Communication

• ‘from 80 to 80.000’

• communication activities with stakeholders– Farmers Union– Industrie– Ministery of agriculture– Excursions, presentations for farmers groups– Articles and demonstrations

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From linear to interactive

• No longer top down

• Farmers with high education

• Scientific knowledge and ‘experience knowledge’of farmers is equal

• Mutual search for solutions

• Different role for advisor, not only the expert

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Information management

• Until 1990 free acces to information:– Research institutes– Research stations– Exchange of information between research and

extension service

• Governmental funding of research in agriculture

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Information management

• Since 1990 more and more research paid by the industry (plant protection, fertilisation)

• Results not always (free) available

• Research institutes:– sell their results– sometimes are compettetor of DLV

• Strategic and applied research compete with eachother as well

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Information management (3)

Strategic research Strategic research

Applied research Applied research

Extension service Extension service

Farmers Farmers

Uitvoering door

Plant BV

MachineleveranciersTelers

CUMELA

dlv advisory group harm brinks and bertus buizer

Documents

government slide

organisation slide

tracing slide

important slide

acquisition slide

problem slide

new role of dlv slide

farm level slide