2. TOPIC : APPROACHES IN EXTENSION
Submitted to: Submitted by:
Dr. L.S. Bareth Naresh Kumar Kumawat
Professor Ph.D Scholar
Department of Extension Education Extension Education
3. INTRODUCTION
Agricultural extension program is one of the major
undertakings of a government, Non Agricultural Groups, as
well as other stakeholders with in the agricultural sector to
educate, disseminates, provide logistical inputs and
organized training programs and workshops aims at
educating our clientele considered as the farmers. This will
enhance and support the livelihoods of farmers. Extension
teaches farmers about improved technologies so that they
can increase agricultural production and productivity,
thereby improving their living standard.
4. DEFINITION
Extension approach as a style of action,
embodying the philosophy of an extension
system which, by and large determines the
direction and nature/style of the various
aspects of that system, such as its
structure, leadership, program, methods
and techniques, and linkage.
Given by:- G.H
Axinn, 1988
5. Types of Extension Approaches
Eight extension approaches commonly practiced by
extension organizations all over the world (G.H.
Axinn 1988)
1. General agriculture extension approach.
2. Commodity specialized approach.
3. Training and visit approach.
4. Agricultural extension participatory approach.
5. Project approach.
6. Farming systems development approach.
7. Cost-sharing approach.
8. Educational institution approach.
6. 1. General agriculture extension approach
Characteristics:
Generally found in Govt. ministry/ Department of Agriculture and
also implemented by Govt. ministry/ Department of Agriculture.
Assumption:
In contrast to several other approaches, this approach assumes
that technology and knowledge that are appropriate for local
people exist but are not being used by them.
If the technology is communicated to the farmer farm practices
would be improve
Purpose:
Help farmers increase their production/ Income through
adoption of technology.
7. Program planning and implementation :
The approach is usually fairly centralized and
government-controlled.
This approach is considered as a top to bottom
government,
Priorities are determined at national level
Farmers are generally not consulted
Resources requirements:
Field personnel tend to be large in number and high in
cost, with the central government bearing most of the
cost.
8. Implementation Strategy:
Field staff are assigned all over the country by political
subdivision.
Method and techniques are generally standardized
consisting of a combination of extension communication
techniques.
Measure of success:
The rate of adoption of important recommendations and
increases in national production are the measures of
success.
The purpose is to help farmers increase their production.
9. 2. Commodity specialized approach.
Characteristics:
Highly specialized
Tend to focus on one crop.
Assumption:
Grouping all the functions for increased production -
extension, research, input supply, marketing and prices -
under one administration.
Extension is fairly centralized and is oriented towards one
commodity or crop and the agent has many functions.
For example-
Tobacco Board, Rubber Board, Coffee board Etc.
10. Purpose:
Increasing production, quantity and quality of a
particular commodity.
Program planning and implementation:
All functions related to a particular commodity are
grouped together, including extension, research, input
supply, output marketing, and prices.
Planning is controlled by a commodity organization for
the purpose of increasing production of a particular
commodity
Requires farmers cooperation to strictly follow the
predetermined package of technology.
11. Resource Requirements:
Highly trained scientific personnel equipped with
expensive vehicles and field scientific apparatus are
employed.
Techniques recommended must produce financial
benefits for farmers, and be demonstrable on a farmer's
own field.
New inputs must be accessible, a credit scheme
established, and the ratio between farm-gate inputs and
commodity prices considered.
12. Implementation strategy:
Specialized of extension work
Training of personnel
Credit scheme
Marketing scheme
Recommended input made available and affordable
Closer supervision
Measure of success:
Total Quantity and Quality of a particular crop.
13. 3. Training and visit
approach.
Characteristics:
A system of technical advice to improve agriculture productivity
through convincing farmers adopt a set of recommended farm
practices.
Assumption:
Extension field personnel are poorly trained, not up to date and
stay in office rather than visit the farmers.
Management and supervision not adequate
Purpose:
The purpose of the training and visit approach (often called T &
V) is to induce farmers to increase production of specified
crops.
This approach is based on a rigorously planned schedule of
visits to farmers and training of agents and subject matter
specialists, SMS. Close links are maintained between research
and extension
14. Program planning and implementation:
The training and visit approach is top-
down approach.
Decision about educational message,
how and when it should be taught are
done by professionals and carried out
down to the organizational hierarchy.
Resource requirements:
Manpower requirement is high
Cost are high
15. Implementation strategy:
Frequents and regular in service training
of lower level extension staff by SMS.
Fixed schedule of extension worker visit
farmer groups.
Measure of success:
Success is related to increases in the
production of particular crops or
commodities.
Improve communication flow.
16. 4. Agricultural extension participatory approach
Characteristics:
Groups such as farmers association and other
stakeholders in the community influence and exercise
greater control of extension priorities and activities.
Local governments units.
Assumption:
This approach assumes that farmers are skilled in food
production from their land, but their levels of living
could be improved by additional knowledge.
Active participation by farmers themselves is
necessary and produces a reinforcing effect in group
learning and group action.
17. Purpose:
The agricultural extension participatory approach
costs less, fits needs well, and is more efficient.
However, it is more work for extension agents to
organize and motivate farmers.
It requires agents to live and to socialize with
farmers.
Increase production consumption.
Produce more relevant messages to various
stakeholders.
Enhance quality of life of rural people.
18. Program planning and implementation:
Controlled locally by such groups as farmer association and
other stakeholders
Extension personnel assists facilities
Programs may be part of the local development plan
Resource Requirements:
Entails lower costs, high proportion of resources may be
provided locally through sharing among stakeholders.
Implementation strategy:
Implementation is often decentralized and flexible.
Active participation by farmers themselves is necessary and
produces a reinforcing effect in group learning and group
action.
Much of the work is through group meetings,
demonstrations, individual and group travel, and local
sharing of appropriate technologies.
19. Success of measure:
Success is measured through numbers of farmers
actively participating, and the continuity of the
program.
There is much to be gained by combining
indigenous knowledge with science.
Expressed needs of farmers are targeted.
The system requires that extension workers, who
are also animators and catalysts, stimulate
farmers to organize for group efforts.
Local people evaluate their own program and play
a role in establishing research agendas.
20. Characteristics:
This approach concentrates efforts on what is
needed and required by the beneficiaries and the
donors, meaning that projects to be implemented
must be a consensus of the general audience
and must be necessary and demand driven as
projects identified must meet the immediate
needs of the beneficiaries or the end users.
21. Assumptions:
Large government bureaucracy in the regular
ministry of agricultural extension services may not
be capable to bring about increasing agricultural
production or rural development within an
appropriate time frame.
Purpose:
This approach concentrates efforts on a particular
location, for a specific time period, often with
outside resources.
Part of its purpose is often to demonstrate
techniques and methods that could be extended
and sustained after the project period.
22. Program planning and implementation:
Donors generally have strong control.
Control is at the central government level and
there is often considerable financial and
technical inputs from an international
development agency.
Resource requirements:
This approach uses large infusions of outside
resources for a few years to demonstrate the
potential of new technologies.
This approach concentrates efforts on a
particular location, for a specific time period,
often with outside resources
23. Implementation strategy:
Project allowances for field staff
Transportation facilities, equipments and some
time housing.
Measure of success:
Change in the short term is often a measure of
success.
24. Characteristics:
A key characteristic of this type of extension is its
systems or holistic approach at the local level.
Close ties with research are required and technology for
local needs is developed locally through an iterative
process involving local people.
A farmers back to farmers mode of research extension.
Assumption:
This approach assumes that technology which fits the
needs of farmers, particularly small-scale farmers, is not
available and needs to be generated locally.
25. Purpose:
Provide extension personnel (and through them,
the farm) with the appropriate technologies.
Program planning and implementation:
Planning evolves slowly and may be different for
each agro climatic farm ecosystem.
Control of the program is shared jointly by local
farm families, extension officers, and researchers.
26. Implementation strategy:
This approach is implemented through a
partnership of research and extension personnel
using a systems approach.
Analyses and field trials are carried out on
farmers' fields and in homes.
Field personnel are highly specialized.
Measure of success:
Success is measured by the extent to which local
people adopt and continue to use technologies
developed by the program.
27. 7. Cost-sharing approach
Characteristics:
Joint venture between community and an institution
(GO/NGO) in the utilization and complementation of
resources.
Assumptions:
This approach assumes that cost-sharing with local
people (who do not have the means to pay the full cost)
will promote a programmed that is more likely to meet
local situations and where extension agents are more
accountable to local interests. Its
Purpose:
Provide advice and information to facilitate farmers' self-
improvement.
28. Program planning and implementation:
Shared by stakeholders who contributed in the cost,
but must be responsive to local needs to assure
sustained cooperation from the locals.
Resource requirements:
Resources requirements from government is less
Implementation strategy :
Field personnel tend to be recruited locally and
remain in the project area for a long period of time.
Measure of success:
Success is measured by farmers' willingness and
ability to provide some share of the cost, be it
individually or through local government units.
29. 8. Educational institution approach.
Characteristics:
This approach uses educational institutions which have
technical knowledge and some research ability to provide
extension services for rural people.
Assumption:
Agriculture educational institutions have technical
knowledge relevant to the farm people.
Purpose:
Help farmers to earn scientific agriculture
Provide opportunity for students and faculty interact with
farmer and experience actual agriculture.
30. Program planning and implementation:
In the educational institution approach, planning is
controlled by those determining the curriculum of the
educational institution.
Implementation is through non formal instruction in
groups or individuals through a college or university.
Implementation and planning are often controlled by
those who determine school curriculum.
The emphasis is often on the transfer of technical
knowledge.
Resource requirements:
Cost may be high but if collaborative approaches
employed then it is shared among them.
31. Implementation strategy:
Implementation is through non-formal instruction in
groups or individuals through a college or university.
Extension personnel from other agency may be involved
Measure of success:
Attendance and the extent of participation by farmers in
agricultural extension activities are the measures of
success.
Ideally researchers learn from extension personnel who,
in turn, learn from farmers. However, this rarely occurs in
practice.
The advantage of this approach is the relationship of
specialized scientists to field extension personnel.
