Agricultural Extension in India - the next Step

The arrangements for agricultural extension in India have grown, over the last five decades, in terms of activities, organisational types and available manpower. Public sector extension, represented mainly by the State Department of Agriculture (DoA), continues to be the most important source of information for the majority of farmers. Activities of other extension agencies, be it Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), input agencies, mass media, research institutions or farmers associations, though increasing, are still restricted to certain regions, crops and enterprises. The performance of public sector extension is under scrutiny for quite some time and questions are being raised on its capability to deliver goods in the rapidly changing environment. The major changes in agriculture, that have a bearing on the priorities and performance of agricultural extension are given in Box 1.