Your cart is currently empty!
Market-Led Extension
A Paradigm Shift to Improved Livelihood
This book is your drive-thru to empowerment, where you will discover the course of your development, prioritize well-being, and secure a sustainable future through experiential learning and expert support.
Honoring Ch. Haq Nawaz Khan’s Expertise
This very platform provides an information regarding the the work of Ch. Haq Nawaz Khan, a thorough professional. Mr. Nawaz holds an M.Sc in Agriculture Extension Education and a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Human Resource Management (HRM). He has made significant contributions as Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Government of AJK, Pakistan and has led the Extension Services Management Academy (ESMA), Garhi Dopatta, AJK, for over five years.
Mr. Khan has enhanced his expertise through active participation in numerous conferences, workshops, and training programs across countries as UK, Nepal, USA, Canada, UAE, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey and China. These experiences have broadened his knowledge and skills, allowing him to effectively contribute to both public and private sector assignments. His professional engagement includes work with prominent national and international development organisations, including FAO, UNDP, NRSP, IUCN, PPAF, JBIC, DHV-Netherlands, and HRDI.
His extensive background includes training and capacity building, participatory research using PRA tools and development of training materials. Mr. Khan has authored the textbook “Farm Forestry and Watershed Management” and contributed a chapter on “Women’s contribution in Agriculture-AJK” for FAO-Pakistan’s national review on the subject. His book “Market-Led Extension – a paradigm shift to improved livelihood” has also been published recently. His expertise spans agricultural extension, participatory development approaches, evaluation studies, horticulture development, and community training, demonstrating his comprehensive experience in extension-oriented fields.
What is MLE ?
Market-Led Extension (MLE) means that all players work together to enhance the productivity and profitability of the farmers by managing farming as an enterprise, acting together, and connecting to markets. The farmers are eased with a diverse package of practices relevant to their situation to enhance their income. This approach helps them realize high returns on their produce, minimize the cost of production, and improve the value & marketability of the products. The farmers are also guided by the extension services to meet market needs in terms of their produce for the present and the future (FAO, 2015).
The main objective of the MLE is to convert the agricultural sector into a business for improved income and livelihoods of the farmers. The extension personnel inspire farmers to focus on higher profitability with improved production on a sustainable basis. The specific goals of the MLE approach are summarized as under:
- Help farmers in the proper implementation of relevant policies, regulatory frameworks, and institutional support systems through meaningful coordination;
- Guide producers in commercialization;
- Facilitate the producers gaining access to local, national, and international markets.
- Organize periodic formal training and on-job orientation sessions for extension staff;
- Promote and encourage the use of electronic mass media and ICTs by extension service;
- Educate farmers about market-related threats and risks;
- Link the farming community to relevant organizations and service providers for required technical guidance and provisions; and
- Train and ease farmers on locally suitable agricultural entrepreneurship aspects about quality, standardization, consumer preference, market intelligence, processing, value addition, and appropriate marketing information to get high returns for their produce.