Propuesta para la creación del Departamento de Extensión Agropecuaria del Núcleo Monagas de la Universidad de Oriente (Proposal for the creation of the Departamento de Extensión Agropecuaria (Agricultural Extension Department) of Núcleo Monagas of The Universidad de Oriente)

Abstract

The agricultural extension service plays an important role in the attainment of desirable changes in the rural environment, guiding the family capacities and making them participants of its own social, economic and technological development for improving its life quality in the context of a sustainable agriculture. It is for this reason that the requirement of the creation of the Department of Agricultural Extension Service of the Universidad de Oriente arises, which will allow to link science and technology to the real context of the agricultural production, in the search of integral solutions, in agreement with the necessities and priorities of farmers of the area, promoting changes in its knowledge, attitudes, skills and wishes, for improving its welfare and of the population in general. Among the principal objectives of the Department they will be: to carry out diagnoses of the principal agriculture-social-economic problems of the inhabitants of the rural communities of the Monagas state and to develop action strategies that, by means of integral and sustainable solutions and with the community participation, to have a worthy of life for the farmers of the region. The area of influence of the Department of Agricultural Extension Service will be framed initially in the 13 Municipalities of the Monagas state and in the bordering communities with other neighboring states, but later on, the action range will be able to go toward communities belonging to all the states of the Venezuelan East where Universidad de Oriente has influence. Among the benefits that the creation of the Department of Agricultural Extension Service will give to Universidad de Oriente they are: diffusion and popularization of the research carried out by the educational and research personnel staff members of University; regain of the presence of the Universidad de Oriente in the agricultural environment of the Oriental area of Venezuela; training and formation of the educational personnel staff in programs of agricultural extension; to achieve an increment of the in situ practical activities; to carry out activities that allow to improve the life quality of farmers of the area of influence of the Universidad de Oriente and to advise agricultural extension works at level of higher education. The personnel staff of this Department will be integrated for: A Head of Department of Agricultural Extension Service; a Coordinator of Agricultural Extension Service for each School (three in total); an Agent of Agricultural Extension for each School (three in total); responsible for programs or projects (the professors of the three Schools) and a secretary. Besides the Universidad de Oriente, in the Department of Agricultural Extension Service could be wrapped other Institutions of public character as private (Polar Foundation, CIARA, IICA, Government and Municipalities of Monagas State; INIA, MAT, CVG, EUDOCA, FONACIT, FAO, Associations of Farmers, etc.). The financing to cover the costs of opening of the Department of Agricultural Extension Service, personnel staff payment and operational costs will be mainly in charge of the Universidad de Oriente, but other Institutions like the Governments and Municipalities of the Oriental States, Associations of Farmers and enterprise like: PDVSA, Polar Foundation, Bigott Foundation, Foninpal, FONDAFA, etc., and International Organisms as: the World Bank, IICA, SIHCA, FAO, BID, UNICEF, ONGs, Embassies, etc, they could help financially to the Department of Agricultural Extension Service of Universidad de Oriente through the execution of projects