4.THE TASKS OF THE CENTRE, MEANS OF THEIR IMPLEMENTATION,
PATTERNS OF ACTIVITY
The reform will not bring feasible results until there is no change in
public mentality. That is why the economic factors only will not be enough to
activate rural reforms: first of all it is necessary to work with rural
community dwellers, carrying out purposeful, open and comprehensive information
campaign. To achieve this the Decree of December 3, 1999 and the range of
Enactments and Instructions (Resolution of the KM ¹118,119 of 24.01.2000, the
Order of KM ¹ 90 of 17.02.2000, the
Decision of the Council of the Regions ¹1529 of 03.12.99, Order of Goscomzem
¹130 of 30.12.99, the Resolution of the Verhovna Rada of
Ukraine ¹1364 - XIV of 11.01.2000) provide for the creation of rural
advisory centres on reformation of the land ownership relations, decrease of the
poverty level, increase employment opportunities in agriculture, solution of the
social problems on the basis of establishment of private ownership on land and
meeting the demand on foodstuffs.
After approving of the set of land reform documents in Ukraine the
dissolution and changes in the form of large collective agricultural enterprises
have accelerated. These enterprises are being replaced by different forms of
private and collective businesses. In the year 2000 the sharp increase in
numbers of private farms is expected. This increase will be in direct proportion
to the numbers of rural population. This process will lead to the changes in
psychology of the rural workers, the inflow of labour to the rural area and the
increase in quality requirements from the villagers to the qualification of
specialists and level of services. In the first two years the downfall of up to
30% of new farms and agglomeration of other private farms at their expense and
through the buy-out of land from other owners should be expected.
At the same time subemployment and unemployment in reorganised collective
farms is increasing, this forms the basis of the increase of social
vulnerability of rural population. Increase of unemployment and decrease of the
living standard of peasants and unemployed urban population leads to the
necessity: of formation of quantitatively and qualitatively new productive
forces in agriculture, of changes in the content and character of rural
employment. In modern conditions any type of participation of people in the
production should be considered as employment. Small plot holdings can be
considered as a type of employment, which often becomes the major form of
activity and income generating source. At the same time running a small plot has
little risk involved and through hard labour people who are doing that can
provide themselves with foodstuffs even in unfruitful years. Creation of jobs
for rural population and workers from other areas on the basis of small plot
holdings is an important condition for the development of the positive processes
in agriculture. Besides, taking into account the inflow of youth looking for
jobs into rural area, it is necessary to remember the following ratio: 1% of the
unemployed youth creates 5% of the crime raise.
There are a lot of problems, which hinder the development of small plot
holdings and farms. Because of the existing level of the available machinery the
small plot holdings are highly effective only on the small land areas and if
land utilisation is substantially
expanded the quality and the quantity of the works executed per the land area
unit is decreasing.
This problem should be addressed through a comprehensive set of measures:
the conditions for strengthening the material and technical base of the small
plot holdings should be created through the increase in machinery to facilitate
the labour conditions; service co-operatives and other intermediary structures
should be created for the provision of services to the population in land plot
cultivation, harvesting, produce transportation, agrotechnical, zoological and
veterinary and agroservice support; the conditions leading to the increase of
level in seed growing and animal breeding should be created on the farms and on
that basis the increase in productivity in crop, livestock and poultry husbandry
should be achieved.
The Agrarian Advisory Centre is called to effectively resolve most of the
tasks set before the agricultural producers through utilisation of both
traditional and new scientifically established approaches.
THE ABOVE LEADS TO THE
FOLLOWING TASKS OF THE PROJECT:
1)
To inform absolutely all of the
peasants on what they should expect from the reform and how they can organise
their own business. All possible options should be presented to them, they
should be shown what would happen to them in one case, what is the risk in other
option and where they can achieve success.
To carry out this work: to involve FABSS/DAR Donetsk Project and the
network of research institutions and educational agencies, the Project should be
strengthened with personnel, vehicles and copying machines. To activate the work
on economic, technological and legal consultations for agricultural producers.
2) To establish an advisory service for provision of practical assistance
in following directions:
Ø
legal (division into shares, purchase and lease
of land; the principles of forming the co-operatives; execution of possession;
accedence into ownership; making out of purchase and product delivery
agreements);
Ø
economic (selection of the production
specialisation; business plans, tax law, accounting, search for lax credits,
search for investors);
Ø
technological (checking of soil fertility,
provision of elite seeds, cost-effective livestock husbandry, identification of
the volumes of construction and reconstruction of premises, application and
support of production technologies, storage and initial processing of the
produce etc.);
Ø
certification of food roughage and breeding
stock with the purpose of protection of consumer interests (establishing of the
certification laboratory for analysis of the feed, seeds according to the
quality indicators; semen, embryons, breeding animals (to identify infectious
diseases and genetic anomalies and also to confirm the origin of the animals,
semen and embryons);
Ø
community development in rural areas based on
the approaches non-traditional for Ukraine and on alternative sources of
financing.
3)
To create the system of training and improvement of qualification of consultants
for rural advisory centres of Donetsk and Kharkov Oblaststs and in the long term
for Ukraine at large.
THE LEVEL OF PREPARATION:
·
FABSS and DAR are established and actively
operating in Donetsk Oblast, the qualified specialists can be involved for
carrying out the geographic expansion, the development of activity and transfer
of experience into Kharkov Oblast;
·
the co-ordinated network of research
institutions and educational agencies is established in Kharkov Oblast (15
organisations - research institutions from UAAS system, 3 higher education
establishments, 2 departmental research institutes);
·
the list of scientists-consultants prepared,
these consultants are already working on implementation of agreements on
technological projects;
·
the data-base of completed scientific
developments tested in practice is created;
·
the marketing base of producers, processing
enterprises and consumers in Kharkov region, Ukraine and CIS created;
·
basic objects for development of co-operation
identified;
·
the Web-site with an electronic newsboard on
purchase and trade of agricultural produce created:
http\\:members.tripod.com\ambar99.htm
·
"AgroPanorama" newspaper is issued -
registration certificate: series XK N645, is issued by the Information Committee
of Kharkov Oblast State Administration on 10.05.1999;
·
long term agreement with "Marathon"
company (Kharkov) is reached on joint national
and regional exhibitions "Food Industry in Ukraine" (the first
exhibition was held on 29 June - 2 July, 1999).
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1.
To create an operative advisory service as
a regional branch of Donetsk FABSS/DAR Project which would serve the northern
part of Donetsk Oblast and Kharkov Oblast.
2.
To create a comprehensive system of training and consultants
qualification improvement for rural advisory services
in Kharkov and Donetsk Oblasts and in the long run for Ukraine at large.
3.
To organise an independent Certification Laboratory with the purpose of protection of consumer interests (to test the fodder
on nutrition and ecological harmlessness, the seeds on conformance to State
standards, semen, embryons and animals on carrying the infectious diseases and
genetic anomalies, and also on confirmation of the origin of animals, semen and
embryons).
4.
To create a system of the information work in rural communities.
5.
To study the demand for agricultural produce, including breeding and variety production. To study the contingent of
buyers and their spheres of interest. To achieve that: to create and maintain an
operative database on demand and consumption of agricultural produce.
6.
To monitor and analyse the prices on
crop and animal products, the sources of their formation in Kharkov and
north-east region of Ukraine, to provide information to everyone.
7.
To establish links with agricultural producers including the producers of breeding and variety products in eastern
region. To form and develop sustainable feedback from agricultural producers and
small plot holders to agrarian science, input suppliers, agroservices,
commercial and financial structures.
8.
To create conditions for dissemination and availability of the latest
scientific information for all agricultural producers, small plot holders and
consumers through the Centre publication, other
periodicals, mass media and Internet. During the year 1 to organise a free
access to our sources of information and to widely inform the consumers about
this service. This will make other organisations providing similar services to
reduce their prices or to stop taking money from agricultural producers for
information services. This will make such services widely available, will enable
us to demonstrate our professionalism and to attract a wide range of clients.
9.
To assist agricultural producers, small plot holders and all rural
entrepreneurs in carrying out the innovation activity, search for investors, creditors and partners for creation of the new and
development of existing activities in all the spheres and also to assist in
solution of the social problems.
10. To prepare and disseminate
available information in popular-science form on services
in products certification, new technologies, plant varieties, breeding animals
and farming methods in the form of booklets, handbills, methodical
recommendation, radio and TV programmes.
11. To develop a monitoring
system of peasants living standard and measures on reducing the poverty of rural
population. On the basis of the
experience in community development in Great Britain and other European Union
countries to carry out the work of target assistance to Health Organisations,
educational and cultural institutions in rural areas.
PUBLIC GOOD ACTIVITIES OF THE
CENTRE
1. Training and requalification
programmes for agricultural workers and specialists.
1.1 Training programmes for
farmers and small plot holders.
1.2 Qualification improvement courses on different technologies.
1.3 Correspondence courses.
1.4 Requalification of unemployed specialists from other areas.
2. Consultancy.
Creation of the demonstration production units with the purpose of
informing the agricultural producers on new profitable farming methods.
3. Agroecological monitoring.
3.1 Delivering of information and training on soft non-waste
environmentally friendly
farming methods.
3.2 Provision of information to rural communities on the measures of
environmental safety.
4. Epidemiological control.
Use of PCR methods (polymer chain reaction) for monitoring and detection of causative agents of dangerous anthropozoonosis (tuberculosis, brucellosis, leptospirosis, chlamydosis etc.)
5. Development of the youth
programmes.
5.1 Training - career selection programmes in rural schools.
5.2 Establishment of Information Methodical Centres.
5.3 Information support.
5.4 Cultural development programmes.
5.5 Establishment of the Personnel Service to assist in employment for
young
people.
6. The programmes on
requalification and resettlement of unemployed urban
population to rural areas.
7. Establishment of the
demonstration community pasture on the basis of the
enclosure-pasturing system.
8.Organisation of the system of
client insurance from economic hazards, creation of
mutual assistance funds.
9. Development of land ownership
relations.
10. Development of co-operatives.
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY OF THE
CENTRE
1.
Delivering of information services in produce
marketing and input supplies (operative advice, issuing of printed materials,
Web-service etc.). On the basis of the regional database.
2.
Accounting, tax reports for small agricultural
producers.
3.
Legal aid and advice for agricultural producers
(subscription services).
4.
Business planning and search for investors.
5.
Consultancy and protection of rights of rural
consumers in sale and purchase bargains.
6.
Technological consultancy.
Balanced rations, production planning, issuing of a periodical.
1.
Certification of the produce and roughage.
2.
Organisation of interaction of enterprises
involved in purchase and sale of agricultural produce through development of
partner links, introduction of co-operative forms of collaboration with the
processing and sale enterprises.