Agricultural Extension and Advisory System in Algeria Analysis and Recommended Reforms

Abstract

In Algeria, dairy cattle breeders are faced with weak support from technical institutions and state extension services, diffi cult access to fi nancing and a milk sector that does not contribute to reducing the level of risk. Breeders fi nd it very diffi cult to predict the future and to project themselves into the future. They have little room for maneuver due to a lack of agricultural land, labor force and fi nancing. This paper aims to analyze the current agricultural extension and advisory system in Algeria, advocating its reform with a new technical advisor. We postulate the hypothesis that development agents are poorly equipped to deal with the diff erent types of production systems and the establishment of eff ective technical support. They still do not conform to the expectations of breeders. To answer our hypothesis, we took the example of the milk sector in Algeria. We focused on the technical advisor and his relationship with farmers in two potential dairy basins. The latter is a civil servant at the level of state services, chosen in view of the preponderance of his role in extension and agricultural advice for the benefi t of stockbreeders. It appears that the advice is a component of a system involving various stakeholders, with a renunciation of the actors. Implementing the advisory requires signifi cant adjustments to the current agricultural extension and advisory system. The conclusions drawn from this study and the proposals made are valid for all of Algeria.