Developing better outcomes from international collaborative R&D and extension training programs in horticulture in developing Asian countries

Abstract

New systems of achieving better outcomes from international collaborative projects in developing Asian countries need to be developed. New horticultural Industries could greatly improve the incomes of the poorest people in the mountain regions of Asia. We suggest that the development of new horticultural industries could be best achieved by using a holistic systems model incorporating economic, production, environmental and socio-economic variables. The first stage of this process is to determine the potential market opportunities (domestic and export) for new industries and their comparative advantage by using a combination of new and existing methodologies e.g. strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), Porters Diamond and key performance indicator analyses. This market assessment is critical to the success of a horticultural development program and can only be made using inputs from marketing and supply chain specialists. Failures in the development of sustainable horticultural cropping systems and the extension implementation process maybe due to the lack of a holistic approach, poor training of extension/change agents, overspecialisation by institute scientists, artificial bureaucratic boundaries, lack of appreciation of cultural constraints, hierarchical social structures and poor understanding of farmer and community goals, visions and constraints. Various solutions to these issues are presented in this paper.