Types of Extension systems
Public sector extension system
Pluralistic extension
Private extension
Market led extension/ Farmer led
extension
Decentralized extension
Public sector extension system
Features
1. Public sector extension provided by state line departments
2. It mostly follows the Diffusion of Innovation model
3.Technological dissemination continues to be understood
primary mandate
4. Services provided are hierarchical
5. Decision making is centralized
Problems
• Deals with large area and large population
• General financial crisis of govt.
• Ext. personnel spent excessive time in writing
reports and collecting statistics
• Little or no technical competency of extension
personnel
• Lack of linkage and coordination among
different organization
• Duplication of effort
• High cost and low impact
Examples
• Line department of agriculture
• Universities
• KVK
• Research Institutions
• Producer cooperatives
• Commodity Boards
• ICAR
• ICFRE
• ORP,
• Lab to Land
Private Extension
Privatization is an act of reducing the role
of government or increasing the role of
private sector in an activity or in the
ownership of assets. (Savas, 1987)
Van den Ban and Hawkins (1997) Farmers
are expected to share the responsibility for
this service (Pvt. Ext.) and pay all or part
of the cost.
Rationale for Pvt. Extension in India
The increasing inability of government to adequately fund
extension machinery
Growing dissatisfaction with the quality of extension services
Technological advancement
Increasing involvement of input companies and product marketing
companies in ToT
Willingness of farmers to share the cost
Changing cropping pattern and emergence of contract farming
and commercialization of agriculture
Inability of public extension system to reach to large target client
system
Privatization: Some Experiences
Cost recovery approach in Britain and Mexico
The Agricultural Development and Advisory Services
(ADAS) in England and Wales notionally commercialized and
operates on a partial cost recovery basis. Clients of ADAS
pay a fee for advice which formerly was free of charge. This
process was introduced in 1987 . Mexico on the same line has
developed a fee based system among large scale farmer in the
north west region.
Voucher Systems of Chile and Colombia
Chile has replaced public extension delivery system with
voucher distributed by govt. services, for farmers to use
in hiring private extension consultant. Coupons attached
to agricultural bank loans, committing a certain
percentage of loan for extension services have been
used in Colombia
France
The chambers of agriculture and private sector
companies provide extension services. The chamber of
agriculture are considered private institutions operating
on farmer fees for membership and services, but the
government of France contributes sizeable funding for
operational and programme cost,.
Models/Elements of Private
Extension System
1. Objectives
a. Profit maximization
b. Increasing the efficiency
2. Target Group
a. Only those who can pay
b. More committed
c. Actively participating
3. Mandate
a. Technologies: Location specific, Demand driven,
Timely, Profitable,
b. Input Supply: Quality, Timely and adequate
Funding
a. Clients contribution
b. Development agencies
Extension Method
a. Advisory in nature through personal communication
b. Participatory approach
c. Less use of group and mass contact
Services rendered by Private Extension Agencies
Information
Input supply
Infrastructure
Technical service
Marketing services
Consultancy
Advisory
Pvt. Extension Service providers in India
Agri Consultant Firms
– PAN horti-consultancy firm in Coimbatore
– Green Plus-Agro Laboratories and Consultancy in
Nasik
Farmers Association
– Kerala Mushroom growers association
– Maharshtra Grape growers association
Producer Cooperatives
• Malabar Regional cooperative Milk producer union Ltd,
Kozhicode, Kerala
• Mithila Dugdh Utpadak sahkar Sangh Ltd, Samastipur, Bihar
• Chhttangpur Adivasi Cooperative Vegetable Marketing
Federation Ltd., Ranchi
Input Companies
– Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO)
– Krishak Bharati Cooperative (KRIBHCO)
– Indo Gulf Fertilizer and Chemicals
– Kumar Green tech Tissue culture Company, Pune
NGOs
• PRADAN
• BAIF
• Society for Rural Industrialization, Ranchi
• Private Firms
– Tata Kisan Sansar
– Rallis
– Mahindra subh labh
•Agro processing and trading firms for Contract
Extension
PEPSICO
Global GreenPvt. Ltd.
Unicorn Agro tech Ltd
Hindustan Liver Ltd
Pluralistic Extension
Pluralism means many organizations are
brought together as partner in the effort of
delivering extension
Actors in Pluralistic extension
◦ Public sector
◦ Non Profit organization
◦ Private for profit organization
Principles of Pluralistic Extension
1) Principle of Partnering
2)Principle of Convergence
Linkages
1. Production linkage
2. Technology Generation linkage
3. Post Production Linkage
Example
ATIs (Agricultural Training Institutes)
NAES (Nepalese Agricultural Extension Services)
Loktak Lake project, Manipur
GM crop Projects
Emergence of Market-led
Extension
The perceived lack of success of public
agricultural extension systems has given birth to
market-driven approach in India
To shift more of the cost of extension services
to the farmers themselves
Markets, not technology, have become the
primary driver for agricultural development
Most AISs are market-driven
Role of Extension experts to identify new
innovations
Demand-Driven or Farmer-led
,Market-led Extension
Transforming a top-down ext system into Farmer-
centered and demand-driven
Most ext workers have no training in how to organize
groups
Farmer-centered and demand-driven ext service requires
training in PRA Strategic research and extension plan
Markets- driven Approach teach new farm management
skills to farmers
Identify all potential markets for different crops/products
Enhanced Roles of Extension
Personnel in MLE
Formation of Farmer‘s Interest Group or
Farmer‘s Club
SWOT Analysis
Enhancing Communication Skills
Establishing Marketing Linkages
Advice on produce planning
Promoting direct marketing & Use of IT
Customer Oriented Concept
1. The consumer is the king and therefore, the satisfaction of
consumer must be the prime object.
2. Needs and wants of the customers must be identified
properly and deeply before starting production.
3. Production must be in accordance with these needs and
wants.
4. All the resources of production must be utilized to their
best extent so that the cost of production may be
minimized.
5. Profits must be increased only by reducing the cost of
production or by reducing the cost of sales and not by
increasing the selling price.
6. Every activity of an enterprise must start with the
consumer and end with the satisfaction of consumer.
Paradigm Shift in Extension
• Productivity to Profitability
• Subsistence to commercial Agriculture
• Commodity oriented to farming systems orientation
• Local Market to Export market
• Mono cropping to crop diversity
• Exploitative Agricultural-Sustainable Agricultural
Challenges to Market-Led Extension
Gigantic Size of Extension System
Information Technology
Market Intelligence
Reorganization of Extension System
Methods in Participatory extension
approaches (Decentralized extension )
Public Private partnership
Rationale for PPP
◦ Public extension services are widely viewed as
supply driven rather demand driven
◦ Public extension deals with large area
◦ Poor motivation
◦ Inadequate funds
Participatory approaches
1. Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)
2. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
3. Participatory Learning Methods (PALM)
4. Agro-Ecosystem Analysis (AEA)
5. Participatory Action Research (PAR)
6.Participatory Assessment, Monitoring and
Evaluation (PAME)
7. Participatory Rural Appraisal and Planning (PRAP)
8. Participatory Technology Development (PTD)
9. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)
Key Principles
Participation – local people serve as partners in data collection and
analysis
Flexibility- not a standardized methodology
Off-setting biases – anti poverty biases are consciously avoided,
more listening less lecturing
Teamwork – everyone is involved
Diversity – attempts made to identify and analyse contradictions
and exceptions
Optimal Ignorance– leave out unessential details
Systematic – to get correct details and conclusions, it is best to
cross check
Local materials - dirt, stones, sticks (or paper), not
computers/electronic devices
RRA and PRA methods are used
In order to ascertain needs (“felt needs”)
To establish priorities for development activities
During the implementation phase of projects
Monitoring and evaluation of projects
For studies of specific topics
For focusing formal surveys on essential aspects;
To identify conflicting interests between groups.
PTD
Salas et al, 2002 explained that Participatory Technology
Development can be briefly described as
Participatory : involving and therefore empowering local
people
Technology : based on local people’s knowledge and
practical methods of experimentation
Development : people-centered sustainable development
based on technological generation from within
Participatory Technology Development (PTD)
The main goal of is to develop appropriate agricultural technology
Farmers participate actively in the entire farmer participatory
research process.
Both farmers’ and researchers’ knowledge are crucial
Research is conducted in farmers’ fields.
The scientist is an investigator, colleague and advisor.
Farmer participatory research is based on a systems perspective.
Farmer participatory research promotes innovative methodologies
and flexibility
