Agricultural Extension System Research Articles

Introduction of Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach as an innovative agricultural extension model

Agricultural extension in developing countries faces many challenges. The main challenge for public institutions, the implementers of agricultural extension services, is that they have weak implementation systems to support farmers. On the other hand, the main challenge faced by beneficiary farmers is low agricultural productivity and income. Against this backdrop, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched an initiative to promote “agriculture as a business” by strengthening the agricultural extension systems of developing country governments, beginning with a technical cooperation project implemented in Kenya from 2006 to 2009. The agricultural extension method developed in this project is the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach. The SHEP approach is supported by two theoretical pillars: promoting farming as a business (economics) and empowering and motivating people (psychology). A series of activities fulfilling these two pillars is the innovative originality of the SHEP approach. These activities are practiced according to four steps to promote market-oriented agriculture while motivating smallholders to improve their farming operations. In Kenya, horticultural income of target farmers increased through the practice of “grow to sell.” Following this result, the SHEP approach has spread across Africa through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), benefitting 256,546 small-scale farmers in 30 countries to date. In countries where the SHEP approach was implemented, in addition to the outcomes of increased horticultural productivity and income, many impacts were identified that contributed to improved farmers’ livelihoods, including repairing or building houses, purchasing mobile phones and vehicles, installing electricity in homes and funding children’s education. Since TICAD VII in 2019, JICA has been working with African governments, development partners, private companies and relevant organizations to promote the transition to profitable agriculture through the SHEP approach with the goal of achieving better lives for one million smallholders by 2030. This has led to the utilization of the SHEP approach in various forms, and its effectiveness and versatility has been recognized. However, inadequate government agricultural extension budgets and farmers’ high expectations for the provision of agricultural inputs raise the bar for intervention in the SHEP approach. The SHEP approach, however, is not a “panacea” that can solve all agricultural extension challenges in developing countries. Nevertheless, in order to continue agricultural and rural development programs/projects that promote farmers’ self-reliance, it is essential to continue to extract the outcomes and impacts of the SHEP approach at the field level and disseminate the effectiveness of the approach widely. Key words: agricultural extension, market-oriented, SHEP approach, smallholder, JICA, technical cooperation, Kenya, income

Influence of the Role of Agriculture Extension Worker (AEW) Against Farming Group Dynamics In the Dry Land Agricultural Area, West Lombok Regency

The dynamism of farmer groups is influenced by internal factors, namely the farmer group itself, and external factors, namely the role of the Agriculture Extension Worker (AEW). This research was carried out in West Lombok Regency with the criteria of selecting 2 sub-districts in West Lombok Regency which had a larger dry land area compared to other sub-districts, namely Sekotong District and Lembar District; from each sub-district 3, villages were selected with the criteria of having the largest number of farmers, determining selected farmer groups based on criteria. Farmer groups have been registered in the Decree of the Head of the West Lombok Regency Agricultural Service and have been recorded in the agricultural extension system (simluhtan). This research aimed to analyze the role of AEW, the dynamics of farmer groups, and the influence of the role of Agriculture Extension Worker (AEW) on the dynamics of farmer groups in dryland farming areas in West Lombok Regency. The analytical method used was descriptive analysis with a Likert scale by giving a score of 1-5 for each criterion for each indicator. The research results showed that the respondents' assessment of the role of field agricultural instructors as facilitators, educators, motivators, and organizers was in a good category. Farming group dynamics seen from the aspects of group goals, group structure, task functions, group coaching and development, group cohesiveness, group atmosphere, and group effectiveness was in the quite good category, and the relationship/correlation between the role of AEW and the dynamics of farmer groups was very strong.

Assessing prevalence of misperceptions in agricultural activities of smallholder farmers in Tanzania

Misperceptions in agriculture are challenging the adoption of agricultural technologies in African developing countries. Incorrect beliefs such as agricultural inputs have effects on soil, crop yields and human health, have led some smallholder farmers conduct traditional agriculture, resulting in low yields, of poor quality. This research studied prevalence of misperceptions among smallholders in Tanzania when dealing with agricultural inputs (fertilizers, pesticides and seeds). To accomplish this, agricultural extension officers in research areas were interviewed to learn inaccurate beliefs held by farmers which were then validated by agricultural experts through semi-structured interview to identify misperceptions; identified misperceptions helped to design a questionnaire with TRUE and FALSE statements, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, which was administered to 431 smallholders in four districts in Tanzania. Descriptive statistics helped to learn prevalence of misperceptions, regression analysis determined association of predictors on misperceptions. Results revealed respondents were confident with inaccurate beliefs while dealing with agricultural inputs which confirmed prevalence of misperceptions among smallholder farmers in pursuit of agricultural activities. To help smallholders adopt agricultural technologies, agricultural extension systems need to minimize associated misperceptions and adopt strategies that can help farmers access correct agricultural information. The essence is to improve yields, efficiency and profitability in agricultural sector.

Technological Integration and Obstacles in China’s Agricultural Extension Systems: A Study on Disembeddedness and Adaptation

In light of China’s evolving agricultural technology extension system, this study investigates a critical issue known as “technological disembeddedness”. This phenomenon, observed in the context of the country’s push towards administrative and market-oriented extension, reflects a significant disconnect between the formalized methods of technology extension, such as classroom instruction, and the practical needs of farmers. As a consequence, the envisioned improvements in agricultural production efficiency have not materialized as expected. The analysis, based on fieldwork conducted in Shandong Province from 2019 to 2020, identifies that different stakeholder interests have further exacerbated the situation. Agricultural technology extension, driven by diverse agendas, has been utilized as a tool for profit, resulting in a stark disparity in farmers’ access to technology and the emergence of multiple, formalized extension models. This marginalized small-scale farmers and undermined the initial objectives of the extension system. The study proposes a fundamental shift in approach. It advocates for a social-centric perspective on technology extension, suggesting that the solution lies in harnessing local community dynamics to gradually build a technology extension system that aligns with the practical realities of farmers’ production and daily lives. In summary, the study identifies “technological disembeddedness” as a primary challenge within China’s agricultural technology extension system. It underscores the need to reorient the approach towards a more socially connected model, with a focus on the local community’s role in creating a technology extension system that genuinely serves the needs of farmers.

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on vegetable growers of Maharashtra

The world is struggling to fight the pandemic, the COVID-19 and the following lockdown has affected all walks of lives. Importantly, the farming community is the major victim of this. The present study was conducted purposively in the Rahuri and Ahmednagar tahasils of Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra State with the objectives to study the profile of the vegetable growers, to assess the effect of the COVID -19 pandemic on Marketing of vegetables, to document the constraints faced and suggestions offered by vegetable growers for future strategies. The five villages from each tahsils and nine respondents from each village thus total 90 respondents i.e. 45 farmers from Rahuri tahsil and 45 farmers from Ahmednagar tahsil were selected for the study purposively. The findings concluded that, to face the pandemic situation in future like COVID-19 and to motivate vegetable growers Government should focus on vegetable growers for adoption of sustainable and natural resources like zero energy cool chambers (79%), organizing massive public awareness and trainings campaign to popularizing the Farmer Producer Organizations and e-agriculture platforms for vegetable production and marketing (93%), utilize the services of Agro-Input dealers to enhancing more participation of the farmers and to create the Producers to Consumer marketing system (91%) and providing inputs and financial support by the Govt. (79%) is highly needed . The research study recommended that the State Department of Agriculture, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Agricultural Universities and Agricultural Inputs Dealers jointly conduct a comprehensive public awareness and training campaign on zero energy cool chamber, Farmer Producer Organizations, e-agriculture platforms and Producers to Consumer marketing system to strengthen the agricultural extension system through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Reforming Agricultural Extension System in Nepal: What can we adopt from selected Agriculture Led Countries?

This paper compares the existing Nepalese agricultural extension system with other selected agriculture-led countries to explore the needs and opportunities of introducing an innovative agricultural extension system in Nepal. A review of various documents including journals, reports, and policy papers was carried out. The status of financial and human resources in agricultural extension of Nepal was assessed from 753 municipalities and 7 provinces through survey interviews and, additionally, expert consultations were done with 15 key personnel working in the field of agricultural extension in Nepal. We examined the major changes in the agricultural extension made before and after the federalization in Nepal and examined institutional arrangements and activities for agricultural sector governance after federalization. Further, three cases were selected from selected agriculture-led countries based on the working modality of research and extension either solely or jointly or in hybrid mode. The study found insufficient human resources for agriculture sector governance especially in provinces and municipalities with 37.4% and 29% of vacant positions, respectively. The recruited agriculture technicians were mostly engaged in administrative management and handout distribution rather than agricultural technology transfer. Most technicians were freshly recruited without any on-the-job training. The paper discussed about the agriculture extension approaches, service mechanisms and structure across the countries, and its relevancy in Nepal. Irrespective of operational modality of research and extension, technological advancement and application of Information Communication Technology plays an important role for the effectiveness of the extension services.

The Reality of the Usage of Extension Methods by Workers in Agricultural Extension: A review

In view of the effective variation of the extension methods, in addition to what constitutes the usage of the agricultural extension system for the multiple and various extension methods as an essential duty of his job. Through this use, the agricultural extension can win the farmers' confidence and change them. and since agricultural extension directs its message to many farmers who are different in their social and economic characteristics, ages, habits, and experiences, therefore, it is required that agricultural extension use many extension methods in order to be able to face these differences between the target farmers, and the benefit of diversity in the use of extension methods is to ensure access to each individual and influence it. This is what the current study tries to shed light on in order to achieve the needs of academic knowledge and enrich scientific research in the field of agricultural extension on the one hand and to benefit those responsible for extension work on the other hand, used under the prevailing local conditions and the most effective ones, so that they can be used as a guide when introducing the ideas and recommendations used to the farmers’ audience in a way that guarantees obtaining the highest possible response, in addition to knowing the obstacles to using the extension methods, and the ways to solve these obstacles.

Capability Enhancement of Agricultural Extension Personnel through ICT Interventions and its Economic Impact in Bangladesh

"In this paper, we evaluated the performance of various ICT interventions to empower agricultural extension personnel, especially the Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) and Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO), the major stakeholders in Bangladesh’s existing agricultural extension system. It is usually challenging for extension staff to keep track of their services and get up-to-date agricultural knowledge in developing nations due to the enormous geographical area and quantity of farmers and insufficient training and monitoring. Different ICT applications and tools, such as online and offline agricultural consultation services applications, a digital diary for recording the daily activities of the SAAOs, a monitoring system for the UAOs, and audiovisual materials have been developed to support the extension people. The evaluation was done after collecting data from Focus Group Discussions (FGD), Key Informant Interviews (KII), surveys, and server-side data processing. This study revealed that ICT applications have increased the knowledge base, efficiency, confidence level, and acceptance of the SAAOs and improved the financial aspects of the agriculture extension services. Thanks to ICT interventions, farmers receive timely and quality services from SAAO, leading to increased crop production and a better lifestyle for farmers."

Single-Spine Agricultural Extension System Governance Structures And Adoption Of Agricultural Technological Innovations

This study analyzed the governance structures of the single spine agricultural extension system and their effects on adoption of technological innovations by farmer groups in Kiryandongo and Rukungiri Districts of Uganda. This was premised on the view that despite introduction of the single spine agricultural extension service as a policy intervention to increase adoption of innovations for agricultural production and productivity in 2016, four years down the road, these aspirations have not been realized. The research adopted a cross sectional case study design underpinned by the constructivism paradigm. A none-mathematical sampling method was used for key informants and focus group discussions. Data from documents review was triangulated with that from interviews and formed the basis for analysis of findings and report writing. The findings indicated that the limited attention given to the governance structures was one of the fundamental factors that negatively impacted on adoption of agricultural innovations. Failure to provide sufficient resources for monitoring policy implementation undermined the very essence for which it was contrived. It is recommended that the same Ministry strengthens partnerships with the private sector and other non-state actors by taking the lead role in delivery of extension services. This is premised on the notion that District Local Governments have the institutional mandate and structures while the private sector and non-state actors wield the needed resources for enhancing the adoption of agricultural innovations.

Review on the Current Agricultural Extension System in Oromia: Operational Setup, Challenges and Interventions

Review on the Current Agricultural Extension System in Oromia: Operational Setup, Challenges and Interventions

Identify the Reality of the Relationship between the Agricultural Extension System and the Agricultural Research Centers in Libya

Identify the Reality of the Relationship between the Agricultural Extension System and the Agricultural Research Centers in Libya

The level of Impact of the Agricultural Extension System on Rural Agricultural Development from the Farmers' Point of view in Halabja Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The level of Impact of the Agricultural Extension System on Rural Agricultural Development from the Farmers' Point of view in Halabja Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

CHANGING THE FOCUS OF THE INDONESIAN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SYSTEM TO RESPOND TO GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

The transformation of the global food system affects small-scale farmers in developing countries, especially Indonesia. Although cropping intensity increases, farmers' income tends to decrease and is unstable due to the volatility of commodity prices in global markets. If extension systems continue to adhere to a 20th-century strategy of focusing on staple crops, farmers and extension systems will need to be able to compete effectively with the multinational corporations controlling the food chain. If this continues, national extension systems will likely follow the fate of agricultural extension systems in North America, Europe, and Oceania, which are gradually being streamlined or wholly abolished. This study aims to answer the question: What changes are needed by Indonesia's agricultural extension system to respond to the transformation of the global food system? This research method is a literature review. The research results show that Indonesia's agricultural extension system still has the opportunity to make a significant, long-lasting contribution to improving the income and livelihoods of smallholders. The extension system needs to change its focus, shift to high-value crops, form business groups, become market-based, build social capital, and move to a decentralized extension structure. This 21st-century extension focus is doable but requires strong leadership and commitment.

Contribution of Pluralistic Agriculture Extension Service Provision to Smallholder Farmer Resilience

The paper examined the relationship between pluralistic agriculture extension systems and the socioeconomic resilience of smallholder farmers in northern Uganda. A categorical regression analysis was conducted on quantitative data that were randomly collected from 308 respondents. The pluralistic agriculture extension service accounted for a 40% and 32% change in social and economic resilience respectively. The main factors that had positive and significant effects on socioeconomic resilience were the management style of extension agents and participatory monitoring and evaluation of smallholder farmer extension activities that caused less than half a unit fold of increment in socioeconomic resilience. Although small, they form the ground for farmers’ capacity to buffer, adapt to changes, and cope with stresses and disturbances. The F-values in the regression models are important in the prioritization of the significant factors during the design and implementation of extension models. The paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the role the pluralistic agriculture extension system plays in enhancing farmer resilience and the use of quantitative methodological procedures in identifying the strength of the relationship between the factors.

Estimation of technical efficiency levels using the Data Envelope method (DEA) for wheat crop cultivars farms in Diyala Governorate for the production season (2020-2021)

The research aims to estimate the technical and specialized efficiency and the economic efficiency of wheat crop varieties according to the data envelope analysis method (DEA) and according to the varieties in the research sample, which are (Bura, Adana, Iba 99), and the data was obtained by designing a questionnaire using the random sampling method for farms in the field. It determined the size of the samples for the studied items according to their percentage in the community for (150) farms by (50 for each item in the research sample. The results of the efficiency analysis were obtained according to the data envelope for production functions and costs with stability and change in capacity returns. The results of the analysis showed, depending on the variables of the production function, The results showed that the farms that achieved full efficiency (100%) were (11) farms, which were divided into (3) farms for the (Bura) variety, (6) farms for the (Adena) variety, and (2) farms for the (Ibaa 99) variety. These farms can be counted. References to the sample farms that did not reach full efficiency and the number of farms that achieved 100% efficiency in light of the change in yield were (18) farms, divided (6) farms for the (Bura) variety, (8) farms for the (Adena) and (4) farms for the variety (Ibaa 99), respectively, while the number of farms that did not reach 100% efficiency in light of the change in the field Lead (44, 42, 46) farms for varieties (Bura, Adana, Ibaa 99), respectively. Depending on the variables of the cost function, it turns out that the total of the farms that achieved 100% allocative efficiency (6) farms with one farm for the Pura variety (4) farms for the variety below and one farm for the Ibaa 99 variety. In this case, these farms do not have any surplus inputs because they consume all inputs. The optimum size to reach the optimum production and the results of estimating the economic efficiency of the wheat crop and the studied varieties were also shown, as the average economic efficiency was (0.51, 0.44, 0.41) for varieties (Bura, Aden, Iba 99), respectively. This level is low, which is the result of the product of each From technical efficiency and allocative efficiency, which shows that these farms can reduce costs by (49%, 56%, and 59%) and achieve the same production level or that these farms can get the current production using (51%, 44%, 41%) of resources to become economically efficient. In light of the results that have been reached, the research recommended encouraging farmers to use the seeds of modern varieties with high production to make the best Bionatura http://dx.doi.org/10.21931/RB/CSS/2023.08.04.67 2 use of agricultural areas in order to give the best production in addition to benefiting from the efficiency indicators obtained through the data envelope model, and the need to activate the role of the agricultural extension system in alerting farmers to the use of modern agricultural methods in line with the technical progress in this field, especially in the countries of the world. Keyword: Wheat; Cultivars; Data Envelope.

Gender, agriculture policies, and climate-smart agriculture in India

CONTEXTIndia's agricultural systems are increasingly affected by climate change's adverse effects. The Government of India has an impressive set of programs to address this issue, but they have substantial shortcomings, especially in reaching women farmers. OBJECTIVEWe aim to understand policy and implementation gaps in reaching women farmers with climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and study how women and men farmer's different roles in agriculture shape their needs and access to complementary services needed to adapt to climate change. METHODSAn extensive review of India's agriculture and climate policies and program and a series of focus group discussions with farmers in Gujarat, India to discuss constraints and potential entry points for better reaching women farmers with CSA practices. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONWomen's increased vulnerability to climate change and reduced access to CSA practices can be attributed to limited land ownership, poor access to credit, reduced access to information and formal extension, and multiple pressures on their time. Village cooperatives and self-help groups can be leveraged to support women's access to agricultural information and adoption of CSA practices. SIGNIFICANCEThis paper highlights constraints to information and extension access by Indian women farmers that could impede the widespread adoption of CSA practices. It fills an important knowledge gap in designing gender-responsive policies and inclusive agricultural extension systems to promote adoption of CSA practices among smallholder farmers.

Impact of access to agricultural extension on the adoption of technology and farm income of smallholder farmers in Banten, Indonesia

PurposeThe agricultural extension system in Indonesia has experienced its ups and downs in line with the sociopolitical dynamics of the country. This study examines the impact of access to agricultural extension on the adoption of technology and farm income of smallholder farmers in Banten, Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a quasi-experimental research design to estimate the impact outcomes at the farm level, with methods that form part of the counterfactual framework.FindingsEstimation results show that farming experience, off-farm income, irrigation, group membership, mobile phones and livestock ownership significantly affect extension access. The results of this main study show the important role of extension access to technology adoption and agricultural income. These studies found consistently positive and statistically significant effects of access to extension services on technology adoption and farm income.Research limitations/implicationsThe consistent positive and significant effect of extension access implies that public investment by the government in agricultural extension can optimize the potential impact on technology adoption and agricultural income, which also affects the distribution of the welfare of rural smallholder farmers.Originality/valueAgricultural extension as a key to increasing technology adoption. However, the impact of access to agricultural extension in Indonesia has received less attention in terms of adoption and farm income.

Are agricultural extension systems ready to scale up ecological intensification in East Africa? A literature review with particular attention to the Push-Pull Technology (PPT)

AbstractAgricultural extension, or advisory services, have a key role to play in supporting farmers’ learning and adoption of new practices and technologies. This paper analyses gaps and needs which require addressing in order for extension systems to more effectively contribute to the upscaling of ecological intensification approaches in East African smallholder agriculture. Our starting point is the push-pull technology (PPT), a promising approach. PPT originated in East Africa and is being continuously improved through cycles of interdisciplinary and participatory experimentation. Despite well-documented benefits to farmers and the environment, more institutional support from agricultural extension systems (AES) is needed for PPT to realise significant impact on poverty reduction, food security, and sustainability. Departing from this assessment, we review literature on AES in five East African countries. After clarifying the AES characteristics that ecological intensification requires, emphasising the capacity to embrace complexity, we identify four thematic areas that are in urgent need of attention: first, widely recognised problems with access and inclusiveness have seen welcome innovation but remain substantial. Second, information and communication technologies provide many benefits and new possibilities, but expectations must be tempered. Third, pluralistic AES present coordination challenges that risk undermining and misdirecting extension. Finally, the political-economic underpinnings of extension require critical scrutiny and strategic interventions. While many challenges threaten extension effectiveness broadly, we highlight implications for ecological intensification approaches like PPT. Our insights thus speak to the broader question of how to design and implement extension for sustainable agricultural development in East Africa.

Building twenty-first century agricultural research and extension capacity in Africa

Abstract This study explores the effectiveness of international efforts to build the capacities of national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) in Africa and proposes actions to improve the performance of these systems. Analysis draws on agricultural research expenditure data in Africa, Asia and Latin America and key informant interviews of 26 senior representatives of international and African research organisations. We conclude that donors and international partners have increased the supply of professional African scientists while contributing relatively little to the institutional capacities of African NARES. We propose a transition to what we call a twenty-first century African-led agricultural research system and identify actions to manifest it.

Implementation of Fall Armyworm Management Plan in Ghana

Abstract Fall armyworm (FAW), an invasive pest, was confirmed in Ghana in 2016. As a result, a group of stakeholders developed a national FAW management plan. This case considers a review of the management plan conducted through outcome harvesting, a Sprockler (story-based) inquiry, and interviews with key informants. The review found evidence of stakeholder collaboration, increased public awareness of FAW and management practices, and more coordinated research into low-risk management options. It also found that the formal taskforce structure, common goals and ownership, effective collaboration and communication, and a commitment to implementing the action plan by all actors were the key factors in the FAW response. Challenges included a slow initial response, inadequate funds, and limitations in the agricultural extension system. Key steps to ensure future preparedness include implementation of the National Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan (NISSAP), establishment of a standing taskforce and emergency fund to address new pest outbreaks, improved monitoring and surveillance especially at borders and ports of entry, strengthened research capacity, especially in pest risk analyses, involvement of all stakeholders at central and local levels, and development of generic and specific emergency response guidelines for future outbreaks. Information © CAB International 2023