EXTENSION SERVICES
- KEY TO AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
Onkar Kedia*
In India, agriculture
provides livelihood to about 65 per cent of the population and
contributes about 24 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The agricultural sector has successfully kept pace with the rising
demand for food and raw materials. It is a matter of satisfaction
that at the turn of the twentieth century, the foodgrains production
was more than four times the production during the early 1950s.
From 50 million tonnes, it went up to 212 million tonnes in 2001-2002.
However, there is no room for complacency. Rapid agricultural
growth continues to be the key to poverty alleviation and overall
economic development. In the years to come, the increase in agricultural
production will mainly come from the growth in productivity which
will be possible by adopting improved technologies. Agricultural
extension will have a key role in ensuring widespread adoption
of modern technologies .
Agricultural extension
promotes the development of the farming sector by providing farmers
information, training and support for adopting improved production
technologies. Since Independence, extension services have kept
pace with the changing times. The Community Development Programme
in 1952 and the National Extension Service in 1953 focused on
human and community development, but the emphasis gradually shifted
to technology transfer. The Intensive Agriculture District Programme
(1961-62), the Intensive Agriculture Area Programme (1964-65),
the High Yielding Varieties Programme (1966-67), the Farmers’
Training and Education Programme (1966-67) and the Small and Marginal
Farmers’ Development Programme (1969-70) were launched to match
the changing extension requirements.
The most significant
development was introduction of the training and visit (T&V)
extension management system which started in the mid-1970s. It
was well suited to rapid dissemination of crop management practices
for the high yielding wheat and rice varieties which were released
since the mid-1960s.The system largely operated in the inter-personal
mode.
Currently, the Department
of Agriculture and Cooperation in the Ministry of Agriculture
is undertaking extension activities through a number of schemes.
Under the World Bank-assisted National Agricultural Technology
Project (NATP), decentralized and demand driven structure for
agricultural extension is being pilot-tested in 28 districts of
7 States. The broad objectives of the Project are to strengthen
research and extension capabilities, restructure public extension
services and test new institutional arrangements for technology
transfer by involving governmental and non-governmental agencies
and by establishing Agricultural Technology Management Agencies
(ATMAs) at the district level. The Farmer Information and Advisory
Centres and Farmer Advisory Committees function at the block level
whereas at the grass-root level, extension operations are centred
around farmer groups. The State Agricultural Management Training
and Extension Training Institutes (SAMETIs) have been established
in the NATP States. SAMETIs are autonomous bodies which function
as State-level apex training institutes and provide capacity building
in areas like project planning and implementation. Agriculture
Technology Management Agencies (ATMAs) are operational in all
the 28 districts.
Under agri-clinic/agri-business
schemes, agriculture graduates are trained to undertake bankable
projects for providing extension services to farmers on a payment
basis and also to undertake other agri-business activities. Under
the Agricultural Extension Through Farmers Organisations scheme,
financial assistance is provided to selected farmers’ organisations
to implement activities relating to agricultural production. Under
the Agricultural Extension through Voluntary Organisations scheme,
efforts are made by selected NGOs to develop models of integrated
extension services.
Training schemes
are being operated to equip extension functionaries to meet new
challenges faced by farmers, specially due to rapid globalisation
and liberalisation. An apex level National Institute of Agricultural
Extension Management (MANAGE) was set up in Hyderabad in 1985
to cater to the training needs of senior extension managers. State
agricultural universities are involved in providing training to
middle and grass root level extension functionaries and farmers.
Extension Education Institutes have also been set up on the regional
basis to cater to the training needs of middle-level extension
functionaries. Centres of Excellence for Training have been established
to upgrade technical competence of extension functionaries in
various areas like dry-land agriculture, plant protection and
water technology. Visits of extension functionaries and farmers
from one State to another are organised to enable them to interact
with farmers, extension functionaries and scientists from that
area. Funds are given to State agricultural universities for organising
Kisan Melas in rabi and kharif seasons for giving farmers in remote
areas exposure to new technologies. Training manuals, hand books,
journals and news-letters are procured or brought out for the
benefit of trainers and extension functionaries. Exhibitions and
shows are organised. Video films and audio cassettes are produced.
Budgetary support has been provided for strengthening transfer
of technology efforts to women farmers. Central schemes and externally-aided
projects are also in operation for the benefit of women farmers.
Reforms being
promoted in the field of agricultural extension now include restructuring
of public extension, promotion of private agro-service providers,
restructuring of extension institutes into decentralized and farmer-accountable
bodies, fostering group approach, broad-basing extension to address
marketing and value addition issues and innovative use of media
and information technology.
The National
Policy on Agriculture announced in 2000 aims at a growth rate
of over 4 per cent per year in the agricultural sector, efficient
use of resources, conservation of soil, water and bio-diversity,
growth with equity and sustainable growth which caters to domestic
markets and maximises benefits from export of agricultural products.
If these objectives are to be achieved, agricultural extension
will have an important role. The larger section of small and marginal
farmers and landless labourers will have to be effectively serviced.
Extension efforts will have to be driven by farmers’ needs. These
will have to be location-specific and address diversification
demands, as farmers will be required to adopt a wider range of
inputs and practices and develop skills in their efficient use.
The efforts made by the Government will require to be adequately
supplemented by NGOs, private sector and farmers’ organisations.
Periodic skills upgradation of policy makers and planners in the
field of agricultural extension will be essential. Sharing of
experience about good practices will have to be facilitated. Extension
efforts will have to focus on obtaining remunerative prices for
farm produce, equipping farmers with the latest knowledge on post-harvest
management, marketing of agricultural produce and value addition.
As the task of extension becomes more complex, the entire extension
system will have to be revitalized and made financially sustainable
in consultation with the State Departments of Agriculture, State
agricultural universities and private sector agencies. A massive
campaign will have to be launched for skill upgradation and capacity
building of extension functionaries using resources of the existing
training institutes. The success of extension efforts will largely
depend on the success in carrying out innovations required to
service the emerging needs of the farming community.(PIB Features)
*DPR
(Agriculture),PIB,New Delhi.
