AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

Extension within AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Development has three processes on a continuum:
1. Farmers / producers / rural families struggle with a wide
range of production and other problems & challenges
2. Researchers (scientists) investigate problems and
discovers solutions, thereby expanding the boundaries
of verified knowledge
3. Extension agents combines the knowledge of
science with knowledge of needs, aspirations and
limitations of rural people and designs techniques
to communicate this knowledge in order to improve
their economic and social welfare.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

Bridging the knowledge gap

to improve rural livelihoods
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

Bridging the gap by influencing KAPS of rural

farmers / families / communities:
- Knowledge
- Attitudes
- Practices
- Skills
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

Bridging the gap by assisting farmers with

problem identification and solutions

Bembridge, 1991
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

The philosophy of EXTENSION

What is a “philosophy” ?

• A coherent set of beliefs that is acquired or developed,

based on experience and reflection on the world and serves
as a guide to action

• A body of principles governing human activities within an

organization or group

• It reflects the organization’s basic beliefs, values, and

aspirations

• An extension worker’s philosophy consists of the ideas

he/she holds as important and which influence his/her
attitude towards rural people
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

The philosophy of EXTENSION

1. Extension philosophy acknowledges that:
– rural people are intelligent,
– capable and desirous of acquiring new information
– making use of it for their family and community
improvement.

2. Extension philosophy acknowledges that if rural people fully

understand their relationship to the natural resources and
other factors they deal with, it is possible for them to attain
personal satisfaction in their way of life.

3. Extension philosophy acknowledges that each

individual is unique and important.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

The philosophy of EXTENSION

4. Extension philosophy acknowledges that people’s values
and goals differ and this must be respected.

5. Extension philosophy holds the view that Extension Agents

act in support of activities to introduce change in order to
better the livelihoods of rural people.

6. Extension is not doing for, but doing with …

7. Extension is building capacity in people

8. Extension is life-long learning

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

The philosophy of EXTENSION

Remember the well-known saying:

“give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,

but teach a man how to catch a fish and he
will eat for the rest of his life”

Old Chinese saying

 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

The philosophy of EXTENSION

And here is an interesting one:

your aim in extension must be to work

yourself out of a job

Alex Kriel (1982)

• educate and help your farmers so much that they

can help themselves
• then they will be independent and don’t need you anymore
• then you’ll be out of a job
• but then you will have succeeded in your job…
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

PRINCIPLES of Extension
• Extension should start where people are

• Extension should be based on the needs and interests of the

people

• Extension should assist farmers to determine their own

problems, help them to find desirable solutions and to
encourage them to take action

• It is an established fact that human beings have unsatisfied

wants; an extension worker cannot go far with people unless
they want to help themselves

• Extension agents should use a variety of teaching methods

to reach the target audience
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

PRINCIPLES of Extension
• Co-operative work must be pursued because the best
programmes are those determined by the local people and
extension staff working together

• Participation in an extension programme is voluntary and

therefore programmes must meet the varying needs of
individuals within the rural community

• Extension workers should strive for inclusiveness and thus

provide maximum opportunity for the people to work on
programmes that have been determined by them
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

FUNCTIONS of Extension
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

FUNCTIONS of Extension
1. Problem identification & solutions
In conjunction with farmers = problem identification,
description, extent and analysis. Finding alternatives,
solutions & decision making.
2. Behaviour change
Working with, and influencing farmers to adopt an
attitude conducive to acceptance of technological
change. Changing their production behavior.
3. Dissemination of information
Distribute and demonstrate applicable and practical
information and research results to farmers.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

FUNCTIONS of Extension
4. Optimal resource usage
Promote conservation and best usage of natural
resources.
5. Building capacity & leadership
Encourage individual initiative. Develop managerial
skills, develop organizational forms in cooperation
with farmers.
6. Educate adults
Create structures for adult education, especially in
terms of awareness building and technical training
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

FUNCTIONS of Extension
7. Formulate extension content and methods
Formulate appropriate and relevant extension themes
based on research results and ideas. Develop “user-
friendly” methods to apply them in practice.
8. Extension planning
Establish extension goals with the farming community.
Prepare work plans and materials in order to
systematically address problems.
9. Extension evaluation
Assess extension programmes and activities
(evaluation), involving the target group.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

FUNCTIONS of Extension

10. Facilitate availability of production inputs

Inputs needed in connection with extension
messages must be available. Play a facilitating role
with input suppliers on behalf of farmers.

11. Storage and marketing support

Increased production will necessitate storage &
marketing facilities. Support in this area should be
facilitated and linked with self-help initiatives.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

FUNCTIONS of Extension
12. Maintain agricultural experiments
Formal research stations are often not capable of
supervising research on a farmer’s field and local on-
site experiments.
Extension services can assist in this regard.
Local communities can be actively involved and such
experimental sites can act as “classroom” for the
extension agent.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

NOT functions of Extension

Erect infrastructure
Physical infrastructure building is not part of the
extension task (example: erecting fences, buildings)

Regulatory tasks
Monitoring legal compliance with specific regulations
should not form part of extension work (example:
check-up on dairy hygiene regulations)

Extending loans and collecting payments

Extending credit and especially collecting payments
should never be done by extension agents.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

NOT functions of Extension

Statistical data collection
Gathering such information is time consuming and
competes with real extension functions.

Political tasks
Helping with elections is not an extension task and
must be avoided at all costs.
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 1 (AGT 150 S)

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The HISTORY and DEVELOPMENT of

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION