‘MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP’
Indian agriculture, after green revolution,
has fallen on to a lower trajectory of growth.
The next option is development of dry farming,
associating resource poor, middle level farmers.
But, this requires a different set of technologies and
different kind of development strategy. This is necessary to
lift sector production, alleviate poverty, regenerate ecology,
and also to cope with climate change.
A formidable but inevitable task.
Climate change has become a fact of life. The concern is assuming threatening proportions by the day. There are several efforts at the global, national and institutional levels to understand the phenomenon and to deal with its impact. At the moment, two dimensions of the problem are engaging the attention – how to mitigate, if possible reverse, the building up processes; and, how to cope with, if possible counter, the effects of climate change on human life, including farming. The answers are vague. So far, South Asia is regarded as one of the most vulnerable areas in the world. Naturally, it has become a matter of great concern, as it pertains to the well-being of the dryland farmers on the upland areas in Karnataka.
Whatever its impact on the other spheres of human life, two features of climate change, in the case of farming, are a matter of grave concern – one, incremental increases in ambient temperatures; and, two, serious aberrations in rainfall. Torrential downpours and prolonged dry spells, in particular, can cause extensive crop damages, while higher temperatures may cause yield reductions. It is considered that survival of farmers, especially the resource poor farmers stuck in fragile eco systems of dry farming, critically hinges on their ability to effectively cope with these two trends. Here, is the real challenge. Is it possible to evolve a working model of a coping mechanism, based on the available knowledge, which can then be progressively improved with growing experience and information? Perhaps, it is possible.
How to handle rising temperatures at the farm level?
Incremental rise in temperatures is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening for quite some time. In the living memory, several crops and varieties have disappeared from a given region. The prevailing crop varieties, perhaps, will last for some more time. In the meanwhile, the hope is that new resilient crops and varieties will become available in the near future. Also, it is possible to restore, to an extent, the ecological adequacy in the terrain (which has been extensively damaged in recent decades), to provide a better micro climate to farm lands. This means devoting efforts both to on-farm operations and off-farm improvements.
How can we handle rainfall aberrations?
Yield losses in dry farming are more often due to moisture stress during the critical stages of growth in the shallow rooted seasonal crops. Situations of excess moisture do occur, but in rare cases. Both these conditions, within limits, can be managed by way of improved agronomic practices. Some two generations ago, the traditional farming practices did include a few of these practices. However, they have been lost sight of by the recent generations, in their expectation of the green revolution visiting dry faming, some day. Meanwhile, SAUs in their dry farming research undertakings have generated a considerable body of valuable knowledge. The Operational Research Projects (ORPs) have proved the feasibility of this knowledge, using an integrated approach, enriching traditional practices with elements of recent research findings.
Innovative development strategies to match
In order to deal with the problems of temperature excesses and rainfall irregularities, within limits, it is possible to contemplate some strategic changes in the prevailing land use practices, based on the available knowledge. But, it is necessary that these measures are simple, inexpensive and acceptable to the middle level farmers in dry farming (with their low economic resilience and limited world view). These innovations must, in fact, become part of their competence. Involved here is an interaction process with local farmers and communities to guide and train them towards learning the modified resource use practices. The starting point for this process is a set of alternative farming practices, visualized in four layers of betterment, to be applied in a location-specific manner. The aim is that these changes must contribute to both food and income security. Incidentally, they also serve the essential purpose of imparting a better stability to dry farming, by addressing the three limitations of moisture stress, low soil fertility and inappropriate cropping practices.
1. On-farm cultural modifications, used in combination
1.1 In-situ moisture management = Early ploughing – Cultivation across the slope –
Periodic deep ploughings – Conservation furrows – Paired rows, if possible
1.2 Upgrading soil productivity = Use of bulk organics – Application of tank silt –
Use of amendments as needed -- Mixing leaf shedding legumes
1.3 Modified cropping systems = Mixed cropping, combining crops that are deep
rooted with shallow rooted, short duration with long duration, and cereals with
legumes – Avoiding mono cropping
2. Support farming activities, ensuring availability of local inputs
Generating more manurial bio mass as border crops, bund crops and inter crops –
Seed production – Mixed farming with livestock
3. Supplementary activities, augmenting routine efforts
Working in farmers groups (SHG like), undertaking operations of mutual help –
Handling group market operations of purchases and sales
4. Regenerating ecological adequacy, improving micro climate
Undertaking terrain improvement, as a community activity, by way of land shaping,
creating more surface water bodies and establishing more vegetative cover –
Improving the micro climate to support dry farming with reduced wind flows,
higher humidity levels and more intensive bio relationships between the crops
and the surrounding bio diversity – Adopting tree crops.
Participatory approaches, Capacity building
In working with dryland farmers, it is essential that not only the innovations are delivered and demonstrated, but also farmers are led to practice them properly. Thus, capacity building becomes a central task. The three established approaches for this purpose are Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Participatory Technology Development (PTD) and Farmers Field School (FFS). Wherever they have been systematically employed, the results have been satisfactory.
Building upon people’s interests, initiatives
The effort common in any intervention at present is limited to delivering the development products. But, in the end, this approach is not only highly expensive but also its impact will be short-lived. Therefore, involving farmers in development process must also ensure that they become active development players. For this purpose, Five Layers of Social Initiatives are designed and employed to serve as the lasting social assets.
1. Eco Farmer Groups (EFGs) are organized as entry points to the communities, to start with, (on the SHG model). The members are trained and provided with work experience for the entire project period.
2. FFS Trained Farmers Groups are prepared for every GP area. They practice and propagate eco farming practices.
3. Selected Lead Farmers from FFS trained farmers groups will play the role of para- extension functionaries, supporting the Project personnel.
4. Sustainable Agriculture Promoters (SAPs), selected educated youth, settled in farming, will be trained and engaged in Project work as honorary operatives.
5. Local NGO Networks, are organized, expanding the intervention force, availing their social service contacts already established.
Distinguishing features of the approach
In this development approach, farmers are not merely receivers of development benefits, but they also become, in turn, the main development players, or change agents. The entire approach is not so much a technology-driven approach, but a need-based approach, built on the people’s interests and initiatives. Since every farmer has to learn the manner in which the accepted innovation is efficiently put to work, it is a management–driven approach, in effect. Since, after the initial stages, the burden of sharing and spreading the useful practices among other farmers is mainly that of the trained community leaders, the intervention costs remain extremely low. In essence, this is a development approach which has, as its basic aim, capacity building of middle level farmers to choose, adopt and share useful innovations in dryland farming.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, August 2, 2010
DRY FARMING AS THE SECOND FRONT IN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT
DRY FARMING
AS THE SECOND FRONT
IN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT
R. Dwarakinath
Sixty years ago, at the time of attaining Freedom,
Fortunately, the Green Revolution, with its seed-fertilizer technology,
provided us the much-needed means to overcome the threatening food problem.
But, it also left, in its wake, an uneven development in agriculture and a host of
formidable maladies, arising from over use of chemicals and mono cropping practices.
Since then, two generations of farmers have gone. Economic context has changed.
Resource base in farming has changed. The very purpose in farming has also changed.
Farming is no more the simple family pursuit of the past for subsistence.
But, our development goals and strategies have hardly changed.
This has brought agriculture development to a blind end, again.
Only some fresh thinking can save us from a crisis.
The burden of this paper is to bring home the realization that agriculture development
remains incomplete without due attention to dry farming, and that the crux of
the matter is capacity building of the middle level farmers.
Keywords: Slump in agricultural growth, Commodity – centered, Human – centered approach, Pre-requisites for development, Surplus farming, Market farming, Business farming, Production segment, Support segment, Natural farm resources, Marginal productivity improvement, Reaching unreached, Alternative farming practices, Eco farming base, Social welfare responsibility, Second front, Input productivity, Resource productivity, Management productivity, Elite farmers, Non-elite farmers, Dry farming.
Agriculture development is in disarray
Slump in agriculture growth is disturbing. There has been a growing concern about the performance of Indian agriculture, in recent years. In October 2005, the Prime Minister, addressing the agricultural scientists in a national meet, repeated Jawaharlal Nehru’s statement that “Everything can wait, but agriculture cannot wait,” and declared that the Government attaches the highest importance to achieving a 4% growth rate in agriculture, to support about 10% growth rate in the national economy. The reference was to the fact that, for many years in the Tenth Plan, the growth rate was below 2%. A year later, for the first time in decades, the country had to import 5 mt of wheat. Identifying some basic reasons, Sharad Pawar, Union Minster for agriculture, states as reasons - population pressure, diversification of farmland and sharply declining budgetary support to agriculture. M.S. Swaminathan seriously warns “The farming sector is fast heading for a total collapse if no rapid remedial measures are taken.”
Efforts to improve are not yielding results. In fact, for about ten years in the past, several strenuous efforts have been made to push up the pace of development in agriculture. Budget support was raised; credit supply was stepped up; and minimum support prices were extended. Also, investments were enhanced; infrastructure facilities were expanded; and industrial support and export opportunities were strengthened. Last year, an additional central assistance of Rs. 25000 Cr to the States was offered, apart from a special allocation made to the agricultural universities. But, all this did not make a big impact on the growth rate in agriculture.
Time to look beyond commodity production. Possible reasons for poor growth, however, have not been systematically explored. The assumption may be that what is being done at present is the best under the circumstances, and nothing more is needed. But, this “more of the same” is not taking us very far. Development being a change inducing process, we have to address emerging issues as the situation changes. This does not seem to be happening. Here is a glaring example. M.S. Swaminathan, who headed the National Commission on Farmers (NCF), stated a few days ago (The Hindu, 1 Jan 2008) that the Government is bringing out a National Policy on Farmers (NPF) which is calling for “a paradigm shift from commodity-centred to human-centred approach” in agriculture development. But, in the same week (The Hindu, 25 Dec 2007), the Union Government announced the selection of districts in States like Karnataka for enhancing the production of various commodities, under National Food Security Mission (NFSM). Even though there is nothing wrong in this effort, the sore point is that, beyond the commodity production, there is a need for devoting attention to Human (Farmers) Resource Development, as urged by NCF. But, we seem to be ignoring this point. Who will deny that farmers are the key players in agriculture development? Then, why are they not brought into the mainstream?
Development requires conducive conditions. The redeeming feature is that whatever has been done for development so far is, indeed, not only relevant but also essential. Because, creating conditions like more irrigation, research, extension, infrastructure, market facilities and economic incentives, amounts to establishing the pre-requisites for development. As they are, they are the products of macro economic perceptions. Without them, progress in agriculture would hardly be possible. But, all of these will only amount to the “necessary conditions” for development, and not the “sufficient conditions” for development. As such, the development strategy has to become more adequate by devoting attention to creating the “sufficient conditions” as well. Only then farmers would be able to utilize the necessary conditions more effectively.
A look at the farmers’ world is revealing
So far, the micro level perceptions are overlooked. To gain a better understanding of the need and scope for the “sufficient conditions,” it is essential to have some insights into the micro systems related to agriculture. The sector has undergone a tremendous transformation. What was once just Family farming, a simple family pursuit for subsistence, became Surplus farming, seeking national food security, employing the Green Revolution technologies. Then, in the following years, Market farming became necessary as the barter economy in rural life yielded place to money economy, and the farmers had to have cash incomes for farming and for family living. Finally, with the entry of liberalization, privatization and globalization, it became Business farming, with an eye on the unit costs and product quality, to be competitive in the market place. Here are some basic insights relevant to the present day situation.
Perception one: Agriculture has acquired certain features that have become strategically important for development planning.
# Today, farming has a two-fold purpose
Providing livelihoods and Creating wealth
# Today, the farm sector has two parts
Rainfed farming and Irrigated farming
# Today, agriculture sector is made up of two segments
Production segment and Support segment
# Today, agriculture development is a joint responsibility
Farmers as Producers and Government as Enabler
Lesson: The development strategy suitable for the early years has to now undergo a paradigm change to meet the present day needs.
Perception two: There are some crucial considerations about agriculture that should pervade development planning.
# Farming is what farmer does. What he does depends on what he knows, what he believes out of what he knows and what he is able to do out of what he believes. Hence, durable changes in farming must begin with changes in farmer’s knowledge, attitude and ability.
# Farmer is the only end user of the natural farm resources, new technologies and development opportunities created. All farmers should be helped to use them better.
# Elite farmers are quick adopters, good managers and find their own way in a changing world around them. They can do better with some appropriate support.
# Non-elite farmers usually lag behind, are relatively good in using the traditional knowledge but poor in using the new technologies and purchased inputs. It is they who should be brought into the development mainstream.
Lesson: Elite farmers must be given continued support to make further progress and non-elite farmers must be given focused attention to ensure livelihoods and to raise the growth in agriculture.
Input productivity was the focus of the Green Revolution. This is relatively easy since it is generally adopted in favourable situations like irrigated farming. Here, inputs like seed, fertilizer and technology of better quality will normally yield better returns. The progress in agriculture seen so far is a product of this kind.
Resource productivity is a more difficult task. The natural farm resources, under a given climatic situation, are the soil, water and bio diversity. Enhancing the productivity of these resources under irrigation is far easier than under dry farming conditions. The task in the post-green revolution era involves mainly this objective.
Managerial productivity encompasses both these goals. Good farm managers continuously improve productivity in both these areas. But, all farmers are not equal in their management abilities. While Elite farmers are better due to their socio-economic and cosmopolite characteristics, the non-elite farmers seem to lag behind.
Lesson: For lifting agriculture growth rate in the future, it is evidently necessary to go beyond input productivity, and focus attention, in addition, on resource productivity as well as in building the management abilities of particularly, the non-elite farmers.
Dry farming situation differs vastly
What is the second front in development?
It is possible to visualize the present day agriculture sector as made up of two broad segments, in terms of farming areas, farm populations and the new technologies employed.
It is common knowledge that the Green Revolution enabled the country to quickly attain the food security. It is also well known that it benefited only certain farming areas like the irrigated tracts and certain farm people like the resource-rich families, based on certain technologies requiring purchased inputs. This tract of better endowed farm areas, farm families supported by external technologies makes up the first front in agriculture development. It is also widely acknowledged that, while this revolution lifted the yields in this segment, it left in its wake not only many second generation problems but also bypassed vast dry farming tracts along with the dependant farm families.
The second front in agriculture development is made up of dry farming areas and resource poor farmers, supported by a set of low-cost traditional technologies. The development approach with the focus on dry farming, resource-poor farm families and affordable alternative farming practices has gone beyond conceptual stage into implementation stage. The second front has now become a reality.
What is the significance of the second front?
The importance of dry farming has been overlooked for too long in our hurry to overcome the food problem in the early years, and in our complacency after attaining food security in later years. But, for a number of reasons we cannot delay anymore in devoting systematic attention to dry farming.
# Even after sixty years of Freedom we remain an agricultural country. A large proportion of the population (70%) makes a living in farming. The rural poverty persists. Rural–urban income disparity is widening. The trend can be largely reversed only by rehabilitating dry farming.
# Per capita availability of food grains (like wheat), pulses and edible oil is rapidly declining, foreboding days of scarcity, once again.
# It is estimated that to keep the national economy growing at about 10%, the growth in agriculture has to be about 4%. But it remains below 2%.
If agriculture sector should not be a drag on the total economy, it should be faring better. The first front having been exploited so far, opportunity now lies more in dry farming than elsewhere.
# The dry farming segment encompasses nearly 70% of the farm resources of the country. In recent years, it is said that for a variety of reasons, the conservation of the natural farm resources has not been as good as necessary. If we have to quickly stem these degeneration processes, rehabilitation of dry farming is obviously necessary.
# The harsh impact of the climate changes is more severely felt in dry farming by way of loss of vegetative cover, drying up of surface water bodies, shifting rainfall patterns and receding ground water levels. Countering these effects is possible only by rehabilitating dry farming.
# Even a marginal productivity improvement in dry farming will amount to a notable growth in the sector because of the large scale of dry farming. This is apart from the gains in livelihoods and environmental conditions.
Development change begins with farmers. If farmers are the producers and all others are enablers, whatever improvements are wanted should begin with farmers. This improvement should be reflected as two prominent features - unit costs of farm products and their competitive quality. With this in mind, if we look at the past development, what do we see? Who is gaining ground? We see that over the years, farmers have evolved into two distinct groups in the development process — Elite farmers and Non-elite farmers.
Elite farmers are small in proportion and form the creamy layer of the farming community. They have social status, economic ability, wide contacts, high ambition and are better managers in whatever they do. They are world-class farmers who made a glorifying use of the Green Revolution. They are in the development forefront, and even today, they make quick adjustments to the changing world around them; and make full use of the development opportunities created by the government.
Non-elite farmers are large in proportion, and form the bulk of the community. They are the middle level farmers having the innate abilities to make progress but suffer some constraints. They are resource-poor localities, risk shy and are often comfortable as conformists. At present, some of them seek to imitate the successful large farmers, but make mistakes, with extreme consequences. In fact, they have to become participants in development, if big changes are to be seen. But, for this they need some hand-holding in terms of capacity building.
Dry farming requires an approach of its own
What are the basic considerations in developing dry farming? For the development planners, all these years, dry farming was a “poor cousin” because of their preoccupation with irrigated farming. Whatever secondary attention was spared to dry farming, it was using the diluted technologies meant for irrigated farming. On the research side, there were some useful technologies produced. But, these technologies did not reach the dry farmers in a systematic way and in proper combinations. It is high time therefore that some planned efforts in the form of appropriate strategies are brought into operation. There are three crucial focal points that need to be kept in sight.
# Reaching the unreached. For the most part, in the development activities in the past, the frontline farmers were the elite farmers. There is nothing to blame here, except that the non-elite farmers were not given the attention due to them. The latter are mostly engaged in dry farming. Some among them occasionally go in for new technologies, imitating the larger successful farmers, making mistakes and paying a heavy price. But, the time has come for reaching out to this big segment of farmers to associate them in systematic agriculture development. They too are in need of this attention for livelihood security, as they have nowhere else to go for a living. They are in need of capacity building in terms of widening their horizon and improving their abilities. This involves enhancing their management competence in input productivity as also in resource productivity. They also need guidance regarding suitable additional income generation activities and management of market operations. .
# Tapping the potential in dry farming. The production potential in dry farming has not been adequately exploited in the past. It is necessary that it becomes the primary objective for the future. The dry farming area is as large as 70% of the entire farmland. It now contributes only 20% of the national income, while supporting nearly 60% population, directly. In the context of drastic climate changes, systematic dry farming can mitigate degradation of both on-farm and off-farm eco systems. As such, on its own merit, development of dry farming deserves priority attention.
# Alternative farming practices. The basic reasons for unstable yields in dry farming, as seen earlier, are poor in-situ rainwater management, low soil fertility levels and mono cropping practices. All these are usually quite manageable. The focus has to be on improved agronomic practices that ensure conservation of as much moisture as possible from the rainfall in the root zone of the seasonal crops; upgrading the soil productivity through the application of larger amounts of bulk organic manures; and resorting to mixed cropping and strip cropping systems. In addition, attention must also be devoted to generating more manurial bio mass and to practice other income generation activities.
What strategy suits dry farming development best? Durable changes in dry farming involve modifications in the pattern of using the natural farm resources like soil, water and bio diversity in a given climatic situation, the inputs like seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, and the production enterprises and the production practices. Many people, including farmers who practice farming, and others who enable them, are skeptical about any possible tangible results in dry farming.
Hence, we need a well-planned strategy. Durable improvements intended in dry farming also happen to be the goals in sustainable agriculture or eco farming. In this approach, establishing cases of visible benefits of eco farming in local situations forms the first step. Then, using these situations for building awareness and training farmers and enablers is the next step. Priming the areas around these cases, scaling up the new practices in the region and providing outreach services make up the final step in this venture. The strategy is normally to place, in a district, a small Team of promoters of eco farming, well trained in generating alternative farming practices and capacity building activities.
1. Establishing the eco farming base. The Team normally selects two clusters of three villages each, to start the work. In each of these villages, it organizes SHG-like farmers groups, with about twenty farmers in every group. The formation of these groups is usually initiated in Gram Sabhas so that a tacit sense of belongingness is ensured. The members start with the savings activity like the SHGs, which serves the vital purpose of building mutual trust, cooperation and dependence, as a strong binding force. These groups then get involved in keen internal deliberations and get associated in intensive learning activities like PRA sessions, study tours and activity planning meets to plan trials of some new practices. Adopting a field experimentation approach, they go through a PTD exercise with half-acre plots, along with check plots, Thus, they generate a few alternative farming practices that are locally relevant, affordable and acceptable. It is the starting point of the sustainable agriculture process.
2. Priming the area. New practices found useful are adopted fully by the members. Also, the groups share their learning with other farmers in the village and surrounding areas. Thus, farmer-to-farmer extension of better practices will spread to most of the farmers in the locality. Since these are essentially affordable improvements, often saving costs, this spread will be for the most part autonomous, but will also be supported by the Team.
3. Scaling up the innovations. The basic objective of the Promotional Team is to ensure that the useful alternative farming practices find their adoption as widely as possible. Since the Team’s manpower is limited, it makes efforts to build networks of established NGOs and works through them. For this purpose the Team not only trains the staff of willing NGOs, but also extends field support. Because the NGOs already operating in the region would have developed working relationships with the local communities, promoting eco farming practices through them will be relatively cost-effective. More over, by this means, the team would have multiplied itself several fold. Thus, a much larger manpower engaged in rural services would have been brought into promoting eco farming. Thus, the NGO network strategy hastens the spread of the alternative farming practices, in a much larger area, much more rapidly.
4. Outreach activities. As the establishment of eco farming bases and the scaling up activities get going, and attract attention, the word will spread far and wide. Soon, there will be calls for details, visits and spot guidance. These are met by the Team in the form of outreach service activities. These individuals, groups or agencies are given needed data, and support in the form of visits, study tours and training opportunities.
Default entails serious consequences
Reckoning the stakes involved. Attention to dry farming has been denied far too long in the past. There has been a pre-occupation with irrigated agriculture in order for ensuring food security and enhancing growth rate in agriculture. But, neglecting dry farming any further will entail severe penalties.
# Social welfare responsibility. A large population is still dependent on farming for their livelihood, mostly in dry farming. Their life has become already unstable. Further degradation of dry farming will perhaps uproot them from farming. Considering their size, rehabilitation of this population elsewhere is not possible, at least for the present. Supporting this population through other social welfare measures is also not possible. By overlooking the opportunity of supporting them in dry farming, the country will be pushing itself into an avoidable crisis.
# Drag on the national economy. In recent years, agriculture is growing at less than 2% while the total economy is moving towards 10%. A healthy growth rate of 4% in agriculture is what is sought for. Thus, by lagging behind, agriculture is seen to become a drag, increasingly, on the national economy. With further neglect of dry farming, the problem is likely to become more severe.
# Loss of precious land resources. Dry farming today is estimated to encompass nearly 70% of the land wealth in the country. Already, these resources are suffering serious losses due to poor management of natural farm resources. Already a large amount of top soils and vegetative land cover has been lost. Further neglect of dry farming will cause irreparable damages, which is somewhat avoidable, at this stage.
# Mitigating the adverse effects of climate change. The adverse impact of global climate change has not been adequately realized at the ground level in the farm sector where some timely counter measures could be taken. Immediate attention to dry farming will serve this purpose to some extent. Any further delay in devoting due attention to this issue will only make matters worse.
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Thursday, July 1, 2010
REFORMULATING THE AGRICULTURE EXTENSION SYSTEM
REFORMULATING
THE AGRICULTURE EXTENSION SYSTEM
THE AGRICULTURE EXTENSION SYSTEM
R.Dwarakinath
This paper is India-centric.
Systematic agriculture extension service
of the Green Revolution days is just a memory now.
For, the growth rate in agriculture has slowed down,
even as the national economy is surging forward.
As such, an intense search is on for alternative approaches to
agriculture development, including a new extension system.
This new system, evidently, has to be different in its goals,
structure and strategy to meet the many challenges.
This paper is an exploratory effort with this end in view.
This paper is India-centric.
Systematic agriculture extension service
of the Green Revolution days is just a memory now.
For, the growth rate in agriculture has slowed down,
even as the national economy is surging forward.
As such, an intense search is on for alternative approaches to
agriculture development, including a new extension system.
This new system, evidently, has to be different in its goals,
structure and strategy to meet the many challenges.
This paper is an exploratory effort with this end in view.
Keywords: Agricultural extension system, Alternative approaches to agricultural development, “Stagnant Agriculture”, Gram sevaks, Food grain revolution, Agriculture revolution, Green revolution, Managerial ability, Elite farming, Top – down approach, need- responsive approach, Subsistence farming system, Commercial farming system, Market farming system, Shrinking world, “Technology push”, “Extension push” , Farming and agriculture, Irrigated and dry farming, Elite and non-elite farmers, Focus on dry farming, stabilizing farm livelihoods, empowering middle level farmers, Input productivity, Resource productivity, Management productivity, Mutli agency extension system, Community based organizations, Sources of growth.
01 Agriculture Extension System (AES) in India had its glorious days during the Green Revolution (GR). It had a key role to play in achieving a phenomenal progress in agriculture that was witnessed during this period. However, in looking back, it has to be reckoned that this historic success, that the nation is proud of, is as much due to the commendable contribution of the extension system, as it is due to the rare combination of circumstances in which the extension system came to play its part.
Extension service became the need of the hour
02 The nation had to face an enormous food deficit in the early years of Freedom. But, for taking some strategic development initiatives in agriculture, there was little experience to fall back upon. For, the past was essentially made up of a “stagnant agriculture,” built upon the experience of generations of farmers. This traditional agriculture, of course, had its own merits, but was found to be grossly inadequate to meet the new challenges in the wake of the Second World War. The Grow More Food Campaign, too, as a national venture, could not make a dent in the huge food problem.
03 But, the nation, coming out of a long colonial rule, was brimming with enthusiasm. Not only the devoted freedom fighters now leading the government, not only the bulk of the government employees, but also a vast range of people manning the non-government agencies were keen to play a part in dealing with the crisis. The crowning factor, however, was that the rural population, largely made up of illiterates in remote villages, un-reservedly pitched in to do their bit in this national effort. This way, there existed at this point of time, a rare and receptive general situation in the country, particularly in meeting the food crisis. Into this situation a new extension service was called in, which was made up of an army of devoted, hard working rural youth, having only a minimum of education to their credit. In a remarkably short time, these boys and girls – Gram Sevaks and Gram Sevikas -- were able to bring the new agricultural technologies, with high yield potential, to the doors of thousands of farmers.
04 Also, there is something special about the GR technology. In reality, this revolution was a “food grain revolution,” rather than an “agriculture revolution.” It was, in fact, a simple but unique innovation, based on ‘seed and fertilizer’ combination, focusing on “crops and yields.” It was capable of enhancing crop yields two to three times the normal. It was so un-complicated that even the ordinary rural boys and girls, as Village Extension Workers, could not only grasp the technology quickly but also demonstrate its efficacy on farmers’ fields. Again, this technology was that simple that even the illiterate lead farmers could quickly absorb and adopt it, in its essential features. This is another reason why this revolution could spread so rapidly. Thus, the success of the green revolution has to be seen in the larger context of a demanding national need, a simple, prolific technology, and a diligent, devoted extension service benefiting from a vast popular support.
Green revolution encounters problems
05 In the meantime, vast changes have taken place in rural life, in the last six decades. Farming too has undergone a transformation in many ways. Hence, in looking for an effective AES, appropriate to meet the new challenges, we should appreciate that, even though the simple extension system of the past, manned by the multi-purpose extension workers, deserves all the credit, it does not effectively match the prevailing needs. It is necessary, therefore, that the nes, complexities and opportunities in a fast changing agriculture of today are adequately assessed, and the modifications of the existing extension system are forged, with due care and foresight.
06 GR has been able to make a remarkable but limited impact on the agriculture sector, so far. It fared well mostly in favorable farming situations like the irrigated areas. Also, it fared well where substantial money investments for the purchase of expensive inputs were possible. Hence, it was helpful only to the well-to-do farmers who could afford some money investments in farming. In addition, for deriving the full benefits from the new technology, farmers had to have a better managerial ability. Thus, the GR technology may be seen as beneficial largely to such elite farmers who had irrigation, investment ability and superior managerial competence. This also means that GR bypassed vast stretches of dry farming areas and a huge population making a living in dry farming.
07 Then, a look at the responses that the green revolution generated as it progressed, is revealing. Farmers received it with great enthusiasm in the beginning. But, soon there were a few negative reactions to the innovation. Generally, this revolution is regarded to have lasted from mid 1960s to mid 1980s. Its beneficial impact was widely visible during these decades. But, even by the end of 1970s, the second-generation problems began surfacing, first as persistent pest-disease problems, and then as signs of input fatigue, resulting in declining yields. By late 1980s, GR began facing unsavory criticism, as yields stagnated, production costs mounted and farm incomes declined.
08 It is in response to these happenings that agriculture development began seeking to widen its focus from solely food crops to diversified cropping systems; and, to meet the criticism about the over emphasis on purchased inputs, it began stressing mixed farming and integrated farming systems (IFS). Also, as could be expected, the saleable surpluses generated by GR, which were well below the demand levels in the local markets in the early stages, later began exceeding the demand levels, causing market gluts and price slumps. In meeting these challenges, the extension system found itself quite helpless.
09. As such, in the later years, Indian agriculture became a different story. As the population growth remained unabated, the production base in farming began shrinking with the holdings becoming smaller and farmlands getting impoverished, the effects of the resource fatigue and farmer fatigue became extensively visible. As a result, for the last two decades or so, serious efforts are being made to formulate some remedial measures, including reshaping the extension system.
10 Of the many suggestions and recommendations put forth in this regard, there are six prominent ones that get repeated – improving irrigation, investments, infrastructure, research and extension, economic incentives and market facilities. Two points become very obvious here. All these facilities, in fact, are already there. What is perhaps intended is expanding them to a larger extent. But, they will really be in the ‘more of the same’ category. Also, it is clear that these recommendations are born essentially out of the macro economic perceptions. If we look a little beyond, there is hardly any effort seen to relate these recommendations to the micro economic, ground realities. Not surprisingly, the results obtained from these initiatives, as yet, are not meeting the expectations.
A different kind of agriculture to serve
11 The slump in agriculture growth rate has become a matter of concern even at the top. In October 2005, the Prime Minister, addressing the agricultural scientists in a national meet, repeated Jawaharlal Nehru’s statement that “Everything can wait, but agriculture cannot wait.” A declaration was made on this occasion to the effect that the Government attaches the highest importance to agriculture for achieving a 4% growth rate, to support a 10% growth rate in the national economy. All-the-same, for many years in the Tenth Plan, the growth rate in agriculture remained around 2%. For, in the wake of the GR, many drastic changes have occurred in the farm sector, which are not duly taken note of by the policy makers and administrators. Let us take a look at some of these.
12 What do we look for as the end product of the extension efforts? In simple terms, people working with farms, within a given climatic and economic environment, must be able to obtain optimum and sustainable returns from their farms, having certain natural resources as the production base, and using the available technologies. For this purpose, in the development process, the extension system must play an enabling role, helping farmers in husbanding the natural resources and availing the production technologies with optimum efficiency. With this goal in mind, extension must work with farmers to widen their horizon, enrich their knowledge and upgrade their abilities.
13 In the meantime, the very purpose of farming is seen to have undergone a transformation. What was a simple family pursuit for subsistence became a surplus producing venture, with the induction of the GR technology. This has again become a market oriented enterprise, with a compelling need for money incomes. Later, with the increasing dominance of WTO, commercialization of farming has become inescapable.
15 In formulating a new extension system, these realities have to be recognized adequately. On the one hand, going beyond the past “crop-yield” mindset, it is necessary that, in the future, the extension service strives to enable farmers to become more efficient in utilizing the natural farm resources in a sustainable manner, and make a more effective use of the available technologies and inputs. Similarly, since the top-down approach is not working, in the absence of the yield-multiplying technologies, it is necessary, in the future, that attention is devoted to a need-responsive approach. Also, it is necessary to mount appropriate efforts in reaching the un-reached segments of farmers, like the middle level farmers, and to tap the untapped production potential in the vast dry farming areas.
Farm life too is changing rapidly
16 The Indian farm world is a totally transformed one, today. It is essential, therefore, that the new extension system gains a good understanding of the situation, as it prevails and as it evolves. Since Independence, it is the third generation of farmers in position now. Most of them have lost touch with good traditional farming practices of their fore fathers. Also, many of them have not fully grasped the principles and practices of modern agriculture. As a result, especially the middle level farmers do not know how to succeed in the present day circumstances. As such, to be effective, the new extension system must properly recognize the basic features of this changing agriculture.
1. The purpose in farming is changing: Farming in the past, as a family pursuit, was mainly a subsistence farming system. Pushed to overcome the national food problem, it became a surplus farming system, availing the GR technology. Then, as the money economy overtook the barter economy in rural life, and as farmers began looking for cash incomes, a market farming system emerged. Now, under the WTO regime, it has to become a commercial farming system.
2. The production base is degenerating: As the pressure of population, live stock, urban demands and changing life styles increases on rural land-based resources, the on-farm and off-farm vegetative cover got depleted. Due to endless erosion and poor maintenance of farmlands, farm productivity declined. On and around the farms, the surface water bodies began disappearing. With the powerful modern water lifting devices, ground water levels kept sinking every day. Under these conditions, with an uncertain rainfall pattern, not only the vast stretches of rainfed crops, but even the deep rooted tree crops start withering.
3. Aspirations of farm population are rising: Farming communities are moving on a fast track now. Village isolation is, in fact, a thing of the past, with expanding road links and media reach. Literacy levels are rising, and exposure to urban life is deeply impacting the rural life styles. The “shrinking world” is becoming a reality. Meanwhile, farmers have begun to feel that they are denied of a fair share of the public good the country has come to enjoy. As a result, their mindset is changing, with many farmers seeing farming as un-remunerative, boundless drudgery.
4. Emergence of new technologies slackens: The high profile technologies of the GR days are no more there. Nor can we expect such technologies, every day. Thus, “technology push” justifying the “extension push” is missing. More over, the GR technology is found basically unsuitable to dry farming and for resource poor farmers. Hence, we have to look for alternative farming practices like the LEISA (Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture) approach, to sustain development.
5. Capacity building becomes the crux: We know “farming is what farmer does.” All other stakeholders in agriculture development are his enablers. Also, we know that farmer alone is the end user of the natural farm resources, the new technologies, and the development opportunities around. Then, again, in all the farming communities there are a small number of farmers who, on account of their innate abilities and socio-economic circumstances, are able to quickly emerge as better managers in farming. At the same time, there is a large segment in the farming community, which, by nature and by circumstances, remains lagging behind as risk-shy conformists in their farming behaviour. Since this segment too has the innate ability to become better farmers, given the attention, special extension efforts are to be devoted to them. This is likely to result not only in increased overall production, because of the vast farm population and farm lands involved, but will also lead to improved livelihoods of a large part of the farm population.
17 There is a well defined objective for agriculture development in which the extension system plays a critical role. Since development is possible only by bringing about changes in the prevailing situation, such substantive changes are often made possible by building a link with appropriate external sources of knowledge in agriculture. The extension system is such an established linking mechanism that relates useful, practical knowledge to the problems, needs and opportunities of farmers. Then, purposive efforts become possible here only when the operational context is understood adequately.
18 It is obvious that the money economy has entered the farm sector from end to end. It is visualized, therefore, that the future mode is business farming, in which costs and returns will serve as the basic criterion. But, this business farming has to be conducted in the particular format of “sustainable agriculture,” where exploitative use of natural farm resources and over use of purchased inputs are carefully avoided. Also, increasing the cost-effective yields will be seen as the first step towards increasing incomes. Further, to be competitive in the market place, a different world for many farmers, unit costs and product quality will get primary attention. From this viewpoint, certain issues become strategic.
Recognizing the ground realities
Farming and agriculture: There was a time when these two terms meant nearly the same thing. But, today, farming connotes the area-bound production activity in the sector, while agriculture encompasses, along with farming, a host of related activities like input supply, processing and market operations.
Irrigated and dry farming: These are two distinctly different production situations in the sector, requiring not only different technologies, but also different kinds of management abilities on the part of the farmers.
Purpose served by the sector: It is well known that the sector serves two basic purposes -- wealth creation through commercial farming, and providing livelihood to a vast rural population mostly in dry farming.
Elite and non-elite farmers: Farming communities are not homogenous. At least three distinguishable segments are visible – a small segment of well-endowed, innovative farmers, who are quick to make adjustments in a changing world, a vast segment of middle level farmers, who are poor in resources, with limited external exposure, and feel lost in a changing world, requiring some hand-holding to cope with the situation; and a sizeable group of slow adopters who, remain at the end of the change process, progressing mostly by imitation in the long run.
Emerging people’s initiatives: In recent decades, most of the elected governments are seen to be coalitions. In situations where the demand for public service is expanding for meeting the people’s needs, it is found that these governments are unable to deliver adequately. Realizing these realities, of late, some determined people are coming together to address their immediate needs, on their own, wherever possible. SHGs happen to be an excellent example. This trend in the rural communities has to be carefully nurtured and harnessed in extension undertakings, also.
Ensuring goal clarity
Maintaining the current progress: At present, about one third of the land under cultivation is having irrigation. The remarkable production growth in agriculture seen earlier has happened mainly in this kind of farming situations. Here, there is some more scope for further improving production efficiency. For instance, the water use efficiency under the public irrigation systems is estimated to be only 30%. Similarly, it is assessed that there is room for improving the efficiency in the case of both the input use and the production processes.
Adding growth –Focus on dry farming: So far, dry farming has received mostly the diluted irrigation technologies. While intensive, even if costly, technologies are alright for irrigated situations, dry farming would require essentially incremental technologies that the resource poor farmers can see, believe and accept. Because of the vastness of this production area and the enormity of the farm population striving here for a living, even a marginal improvement in productivity would add substantially to the national production, apart from adding stability to farm livelihoods. Research has already produced some useful technologies in this area, which in combination, not in isolation, can bring substantial benefits.
Serious challenges to be addressed
Stabilising farm livelihoods: The country had a large population in farming, all along. Over the years, even though the economy expanded at a good pace, the surplus farm population was not shifted to other sectors. As such, a large population remains stuck in farming. The skills and mindset of these people do not match the emerging opportunities in trade, industry or service sectors. For, these sectors have now become more capital intensive and technology intensive, but not labour intensive. Therefore, the main development efforts today have to be focused on widening the employment opportunities in farming, around farming, as well as in non-farm rural occupations. In this regard, harnessing dry farming as the second front in agriculture development seems to be a rational approach. While this may not promise a prosperous farm life, it at least ensures ‘livable life’, as the dry land farmers have nowhere else to go, otherwise.
Contributing to economic growth: The dominant thinking in the national planning circles is that, if the overall economy has to grow at about 10%, agriculture economy has to register about a 4% growth rate. But, this is not happening. Hence, if the farm sector must not become a drag on the total economy, a more vigorous progress has to be seen in the farm sector. A serious re-look at the entire agriculture development approach, including special attention to dry farming, is therefore warranted. The visible opportunity clearly indicates the need for tapping the untapped potential in dry farming, harnessing the production ability of the middle level farmers and adopting the incremental development approach.
Alternative farming practices: As seen earlier, the green revolution technologies are no more in the fore-front. As such, alternative technologies especially for the dry farming situations have to be harnessed. Dry farming being the most fragile eco system today, farmers are generally poor, and their holdings are small and degraded. Conditioned by these circumstances, the farmers have become not only risk-shy but also reluctant to go for the expensive external technologies. As such, particularly the middle level farmers in dry farming have to be assisted and guided, at least in the early stages, through a process of locally generated alternative farming practices – a combination of the trusted local practices with enriching external practices -- that ensure incremental betterments. An established process for this purpose is the PTD methodology, as seen earlier, in combination with PRA and FFS processes. .
Empowering the middle level farmers: As noted earlier, the innovative farmers, a small part of the community, are more or less able to find their way to survive and thrive in a changing world. But, it is the large segment of middle level farmers that are often found lost in finding their feet. But, even with their holdings that are small and degraded, it is possible to mobilize the available knowledge to generate some locally acceptable and affordable alternative farming practices, with their own efforts. To start with, this is the only practical way to move forward in this situation. Hence, even in dry farming, some simple combination of measures is possible, like in situ moisture conservation, improved soil fertility, modified crop production practices, additional bio mass generation and supplementary income generation activities.
Harnessing new sources of growth
19 Farming, in its basic form, is just a skillful utilization of the natural biological processes of plant growth, with the support of certain natural resources like soil, water and bio diversity, in a given climatic situation. Sometimes, farming deals with two biological processes, related to plant and animal production. Over the ages, man has learnt to manipulate these production processes to some extent, but without being able to totally replace the biological processes. In this course, his attention is often devoted to plant and animal breeding, again within certain natural limits, along with the use of some production inputs and practices. In recent times, obsessed with the green revolution technologies, he has focused essentially on two aspects of farming – new biological material and powerful chemicals -- almost completely neglecting the husbandry of the natural farm resources. In fact, farming does not begin with sowing the seed. It begins with the proper care and management of the natural farm resources, as the production base. In fact, the traditional farming systems devoted much more attention to the management of the natural farm resources than what is commonly seen in the present systems of farming.
20 Viewed from this perspective, it is possible to make certain critical observations pertaining to the present day farming. The growth in agriculture can be influenced by the farmer, within certain limits, by using better biological material and added inputs. This influence can be enhanced by carefully husbanding the natural farm resources. Also, it is possible to enhance this influence by fine tuning the managerial abilities of the farmers ensuring better operational efficiency in terms of combination, sequencing and punctuality. It is seen that efficient farmers are constantly improving their farming, by enhancing both the input productivity and resource productivity, with upgraded managerial productivity. HRD, thus, becomes the crux of the matter, for the future.
21 Efforts in agriculture development in recent years were focused mainly on one of these aspects, namely improved input productivity. This was the thrust in the green revolution, where securing better returns to seed, fertilizer and technology inputs was the main effort. Now that the crop yields have begun to stagnate, more deep-going insights into development have become necessary, leading to improved resource productivity. However, these two goals will become more effectively attainable if they are associated with improved managerial productivity.
Input productivity: Enhancing farm productivity beyond its natural limits is the aim here. This was the focus of the green revolution. This is a relatively easy task, since it is generally pursued in assured farming situations like irrigated areas. Inputs like seed, fertilizer and technology of better quality will in any case yield better results, in the normal course. The progress in agriculture seen so far is a product of this kind of development approach.
Resource productivity: This task of improving the resource productivity is the next goal to attain. The natural farm resources, under a given climatic situation, are the soil, water and bio diversity. Enhancing the productivity of these resources under irrigation is comparatively easier than under the dry farming conditions. However, there are a few simple technologies, generated by research, which can be availed as the future source of growth.
Management productivity: Attaining better returns from both the added inputs and the natural resources requires better managerial abilities on the part of the farmer. Better farm managers are improving productivity in these areas. But, all farmers are not the same in their managerial abilities. The focus here is ensuring better operational efficiency by way of combining, sequencing and punctuality of the production operations. The non-elite farmers surely require focused extension support, in this regard.
22 The extension task is, of course, helping people with new knowledge. Since change is always the vehicle for development, the nature of extension work is helping farmers to adopt the necessary changes. But, farmers are unequal in their abilities to change. While a few farmers are quick in their adoption behavior, a large majority are not endowed with the same ability. It is here that the extension system must make an extra effort. Not only it must create access to new knowledge but must also enable them to adopt the change they feel desirable. Here, it has to identify the two groups – the fast moving and the slow moving categories -- and help them according to their needs. This is quite essential in the present day situation, as otherwise agriculture development will not become more inclusive, when the majority is not involved. Thus, after the green revolution, helping the middle level farmers becomes the added extension task. As such, these farmers, trapped in dry farming for a living, and cannot go in for the expensive technologies; have to be helped instead with options like LEISA technologies.
People’s initiatives, a great opportunity
23 It is already seen that the existing public extension system is unequal to the enormous development challenges in agriculture, today. Evidently, the simple, single-purpose extension system of the past is unable to handle the multiplicity of present day problems and needs, particularly in the context of a fast changing agriculture. The agriculture sector today is made up of two distinct segments – the farming segment where the production activity takes place; and the non-farming segment which, in addition to the farming segment, covers a range of backward and forward linkages, providing the pre-production and post-production support services to farming. At the present stage of Indian agriculture, development can gainfully begin from the improvements in the farm sector.
24 But, the existing situation does not readily lend itself for this initiative. The extension system in the past flourished, relying on the high profile and much sought after crop production technologies. Today such technologies are not forthcoming. The present day technologies, each promising only meager benefits, and not much reduction in production costs, are difficult to popularize among farmers, in their prevailing mood. Also, the enterprise diversification and market responsibilities in the farm sector, that are now very crucial, demand an entirely different kind of technical competence on the part of the extension personnel. This is not there at present, the extension system having, of late, suffered considerable neglect in terms of manpower renewal and financial support. As such, today the extension system suffers not only in technical competence and financial support, but also, quite extensively, in self confidence and morale. The task before the new AES, therefore, is to combine the technologies to make them acceptably productive, and rebuild the extension competence to address the development challenges. .
25 At the same time, it is observed, the farming population too has changed enormously, in its size as also in the multiplicity of its needs. Apart from this, the life styles and aspirations of this population are also changing fast, due to rising literacy levels, media reach and the exposure to the outside world. Some population groups are becoming very vociferous and demanding. On the other hand, particularly with regard to cash farming, production economics, post-harvest practices and market operations, the present extension system finds itself not adequately equipped. As a result, the extension system often falls back, for survival, on the convenient practice of providing some personal services to a few farm leaders who have public visibility.
26 However, there is one very positive development in the rural society today, arising from the sixty years of democracy. Of late, many people’s initiatives are surfacing, where groups of people come together to meet whatever of their needs they can, with whatever energies they can mobilize. Perhaps, this is essentially for the reason that, in most cases, the multi-party alliance governments are not in a position to provide the kind of services that different sections of the society are asking for. Sensing this trend, some determined people have come to work as self-help groups to help themselves through efforts like small savings, mutual assistance and social service.
27 Having tasted some well-earned successes in doing whatever they can do, for their own good, such people have gained tremendously in self-confidence. They have also received all round appreciation. SHGs are an excellent example in this regard. Some of them have taken up simple rural development activities, and lately even farm improvement activities. They have become widely accepted. Here, therefore, is a great opportunity for the new extension service to work in association with such agencies, making use of them as the effective CBOs. .
28 Another kind of rural institutions that could be gainfully brought into extension ambit are the Panchayatraj bodies. They have a mandatory responsibility for agriculture development, though, so far, very few have come out with a serious effort in this regard. But, there is a potential to be tapped here, since some of the members are seen to have a keen individual interest in promoting agriculture, if suitable guidance is available. The new extension system can seriously explore the possibility of involving them. .
29 With the foregoing in view, one may conclude that the days of the simple, single-purpose extension system are over. In fact, if the old extension system were allowed to persist, it will be at an enormous cost to the agriculture sector and to the farming society. On the other hand, the situation is appears to be ready now for an enlarged and adequate extension system, to be operated by a team of development agencies. There is, of course, a lot to learn from a new venture of this kind. But, again, it is high time that we made a serious beginning for this purpose.
Multi-agency extension system
30 Most of us still seem to believe that the extension system we need today is the same that worked so well during the green revolution. But, it is not a realistic thought. For, what existed at that time was an extraordinary situation of a huge food deficit. Also, it was a simple technology that accommodated a single-goal development effort for crop production, in which everybody pitched in, with a unity of purpose. Now, things are different. Rural needs and aspirations have multiplied.
31 In this situation, no single extension agency, however competent, will be able to cope with the multiplicity of rural needs of the present day. More over, the kind of high profile, single goal technology that worked with a top down approach, is not in sight today. On the other hand, with six decades of democratic experience, people have come to realize the limitations of the representative governments of the day, and are willing to help themselves to the extent possible. The resultant picture is there for all to see.
32 Under these circumstances, it is quite logical to recognize the need for a multi-agency extension system (MAES). It can more effectively respond to the rural needs, fostering and supporting people’s initiatives, as relevant to the development goals. For the present, this MAES may be envisaged as one consisting of four key development agencies, working together as a team on a functional basis.
# Public extension agency (ATMA) as a policy delivery mechanism: Since the government keeps devising ways in which it could be seen as serving the farmers’ needs, the benefits of such policies have to be reached out to the concerned farmers groups by this agency. This task cannot be performed to the satisfaction of the government by anybody else other than the government agencies. These agencies, including the mainstream development departments and agriculture universities, may get involved here, to work as a team, with other organizations concerned.
# Panchayatraj institutions providing local development support: The PRIs have a mandatory responsibility to promote agriculture development, locally. In practice, very little of this trend is seen on the ground, as yet. But, occasionally we find some panchayats or individual members who realize the significance of this effort and are willing to participate, if they can. It will be worthwhile to create room for such bodies or members to play a part, as a starting point, under this system.
# Involving the proven Civil Society Organizations (CSOs): The CSOs are otherwise known as NGOs. These are mainly voluntary social service organizations, and not profit making private organizations. They usually work in a chosen area, with chosen services to render. Some of them are also willing to play a role in agriculture development, since they have a wide contact with farm families. On the basis of their track record, some of them may earn a place in the multi-agency extension system
# Working with community based organizations (CBOs): CBOs represent the ground level people’s initiatives. Many of them take birth in Gram Sabha sessions. Thus, they have their roots in the village community. Most of the time, they have demonstrated their willingness and ability to help themselves, and, then serve others around them. They have shown that they can very well survive, working together. They are acceptable to the whole or a major part of their community. Therefore, they offer the best opportunity to work with the local communities, if they are persuaded to join hands. The significance of such an effort would be enormous if it could kindle the hopes and harness the energies of even a minor part of the rural women and youth. Experience gained here will serve as the basis for future refinement of this extension team work.
33 Here is an excellent opportunity to create the much needed operational synergy, by enabling related development agencies to work together as a team, but without stepping on the toes of one another. It is a situation where agencies work together, side by side, with a shared goal and shared responsibility in chosen spheres, and sharing the experience for all members to learn.
34 For this kind of extension initiative, district as the operational area is considered as the most suitable one. The district panchayat playing an anchor role, this multi-agency extension system will be an effective means to meet the present day needs in agriculture development. The system could be further improved with the experience gained.
35 In conclusion, it has to be stated that the new extension system must recognize that the present day extension task is a vastly transformed one. Agriculture development, in deed, has become essentially a shared responsibility between the farmers as producers and the government as the enabler. Also, it is to be noted that the farmers themselves fall into two distinct groups – elites as wealth producers in farming and the non-elites making a living by farming. Future progress in the agriculture sector depends not only on improving the productivity of added inputs, not merely on improving the productivity of the natural resources on the farm, but, far more importantly, on the improved managerial abilities of both the farming segments. Thus, HRD becomes the key and the ultimate objective of the future extension system.
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Selected References
1. Ameur, Charles, 1994 “Agricultural Extension: A step beyond the next step” World Bank Technical Paper No. 247. The World Bank, Washington DC. U.S.A.
2 Anderson, Jock R, and Comelis de Haan, 1992 “Public and Private Roles in
Agricultural Development” – Proceedings of the Twelfth Agricultural Sector Symposium. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The World Bank, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
3. Dwarakinath, R, 2000, “Extension Implications of a Changing Agriculture in India”, Institution of Agricultural Technologists, Bangalore.
4. Dwarakinath, R, 2001, “WTO: Indian Farmer Left High and Dry”, Institution of Agricultural Technologists, Bangalore.
5 Dwarakinath, R. 2008, “Dry Farming as the Second front in Agriculture development” AME Foundation, Bangalore
6 Michael, Macklin, 1992 “Agricultural Extension in India.” World Bank Technical Paper,
November 1990. The World Bank, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
7 Paroda, R.S, 1998,”Natural Resource Management for Sustainable Agriculture”, First International Agronomy Congress, Indian Society of Agronomy, ICAR, New Delhi
8 Dwarakinath, R. 2008, “Considerations in Reshaping the Agriculture Extension System, “ Paper presented at the International Seminar on Strategies for Improving Livelihood Security of the Rural Poor, GOA, India.
9 Dwarakinath, R. 2009, “Strategic Considerations in Reshaping the Agriculture Extension System,” Paper presented ------
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