Chapter 10: Effective Extension Delivery of SUC’s to

Community in Farming

A. Concepts, Components and Features of Extension; Philosophy, Principles and Purposes;

The Clients in Extension; and The Extension Worker
Extension is an informal educational process directed toward the rural population. This
process offers advice and information to help them solve their problems. Extension also aims to
increase the efficiency of the family farm, increase production and generally increase the
standard of living of the farm family.
Agricultural extension (also known as agricultural advisory services) plays a crucial role in
boosting agricultural productivity, increasing food security, improving rural livelihoods, and
promoting agriculture as an engine of pro-poor economic growth.
A.1 Concepts of Extension
Extension is a dynamic concept in the sense that the interpretation of it is always
changing. Extension, therefore, is not a term which can be precisely defined, but one
which describes a continual and changing process in rural areas.
The term extension maybe examined by looking at a number of statements that
have been written about it.
• Extension is an informal educational process directed toward the rural population.
• The objective of extension is to change farmers' outlook toward their difficulties.
• Extension is concerned not just with physical and economic achievements but
also with the development of the rural people themselves.
• Extension is a process of working with rural people in order to improve their
livelihoods, abilities and productivity of agriculture.
A.2 Philosophy of Extension
• Extension must develop in the client the capacity to define their needs
and ask/seek relevant services.
• Education must be viewed as a way to liberate people from all sorts of
enslavement: ideological, social, cultural, economic and biophysical.
A.3 Principles of Extension
1. Extension works with people, not for them
2. Extension is accountable to its clients
3. Extension is a two-way link

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 4. Extension works with different target groups
5. Extension cooperates with other rural development organizations
6. Equitable Services delivery to farmers
7. Efficient/Effective Services Delivery
8. Decentralization, Local Decision Making
9. Demand Led Extension Services
10. Working primarily with Farmers Groups
11. Strong Extension Research Linkage
12. Capacitating Extension Personnel
13. Appropriate Extension Methodology
14. Integrated Extension Support Services
15. Coordinated Agricultural Extension Services
16. Improved Environmental Support
A.4 Purpose of Extension
Extension is essentially the means by which new knowledge and
ideas are introduced into rural areas in order to bring about change and
improve the lives of farmers and their families.
Extension, therefore, is of critical importance. Without agricultural
extension, farmers would lack access to the support and services required
to improve their agriculture and other productive
activities A.5 The Clients and the Workers in Extension
Extension agent or worker is an educated, trained professional working with
farmers, many of whom have little formal education and lead a way of life, which may be
quite different from his.
The effectiveness of the extension agent can often determine the
success or failure of an extension program.
Function of Extension Agent:
❖
Assist farmers to identify and overcome problems. Assist farmers to make
better use of resources/technology.
❖
Introduce new technologies (new varieties, crops, breeds, etc.)
❖
Provide information on new promising research results
❖
Create opportunities for farmers (processing, marketing, etc.)
❖
Help farmers to put new information into use/apply it
❖
Assist farmers to get a clear vision of their development.

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 A.6 Components and Features of Extension
Four main areas of knowledge are important for the extension agent:
1. Technical
2. Rural life
3. Adult education
4. Cultural knowledge, etiquette & language
Some necessary personal skills for extension workers
➢
Organization and planning
➢
Communication
➢
Analysis and diagnosis
➢
Leadership o Initiative
➢
Public speaking
➢
Report writing
Some key personal qualities for extension workers:
▪
Commitment to extension work
▪
Reliability
▪
Humility in his work with the farmers

▪
Confidence in his own abilities and determination to achieve something
Extension target or client could be adult farmers including men and women.
However, community members including children can also be included in the trainings
to increase their interest in agriculture.

B. Different Approaches in Extension

Different Approaches in Extension

1. The Focuses on a single crop or on Different Crops in The Philippines

Commodity- only one aspect of farming. It
Based addresses everything from
Approach extension and research to
input supply, marketing and
prices to increase production
in the selected crop.

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2. The Cost- Assumes that cost-sharing with
Sharing local people will more likely
Approach result in a program that can:
a) better adapt to local
conditions; and
b) be more accountable to local
interests.

3. The It relies on educational

Educational institutions with the technical
Institution knowledge and research ability
Approach to meet extension service
demands.

4. The Farmer It is a form of participatory

Field Schools research that uses a season
(FFS) Approach long group-based learning
process.
A group-based adult learning
approach that teaches farmers
how to experiment and solve
problems independently.
5. The Farmer Involves active participation of
Participatory farmers in planning and
(FPR) Approach execution of the various
research-extension activities. It
involves encouraging farmers
to engage in experiments in
their own fields so that they
can learn, adopt new
technologies and spread them
to other farmers.

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6. The Project Concentrates efforts on a
Approach particular location, for a
specific time period, and is
usually supported by outside
resources.
Implementation typically
includes project allowances for
field staff, better
transportation, facilities,
equipment, and housing rather
than short run change is the
measure of success.
7. The Farming Focuses on bringing
Systems appropriate technology to
Development small-scale farmers with
Approach farmers engaged in the
technology development and
delivery process.
The approach requires close
ties between research,
extension and farmers with
technology developed locally
through an iterative process.
The extent to which farm
people accept and continue to
use the technology developed
by the program is used as a
metric of success.
8. The Training An approach that’s fairly
and Visit centralized and involves a
Approach series of tightly planned visits
to farmers.
The system results in greater
farmer contact and entails
better trained extension
agents.

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C. Extension Communication
The sharing of ideas and information – forms a large part of the extension agent’s job. By
passing on ideas, advice and information, he/she hopes to influence the decisions of farmers.
He/she may also wish to encourage farmers to communicate with one another; the sharing
problems and ideas is an important stage in planning group or village activities.
Any act of communication, be it a speech at a public meeting, a written report, a radio
broadcast or a question from a farmer, includes four important elements.
• Source
The source, or where the information or idea come from;
• Message
The message, which is the information or idea that is communicated;
• Channel
The channel, which is the way the message is transmitted;
By nature of • Spoken ⁻Farm visits, farmer call, meetings, radio, etc.
form • Written ⁻Personal letter, farm publication,
• Audio-visual newspapers
⁻TV, videos, cinema, etc.
By nature of • Personal ⁻Local leaders, innovators, and adopters, etc.
personnel localite ⁻Extension Agents, change agents of various
• Personal organization from outside the social system
cosmopolite ⁻Mass media from outside the social system
• Impersonal
cosmopolite
By nature of • Individual ⁻Farm & home visits, farmer call, personal
contact • Group letter,
• Mass ⁻Group meetings, small group training, field
days, study tour, Farmer’s Field School, etc.
⁻Mass media, campaigns, exhibitions

• Receiver
The receiver, who is the person for whom the message is intended. Any
communicator must consider all four elements carefully, as they all contribute to
effectiveness. In considering each element, the questions that follow provide certain
response on the audience (the farmers).

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 A diagrammatic representation of extension communication system based on the model
developed by Leaguns (1963).

A good communicator listens more than he speaks. An extension agent who does not
listen to farmers and engage in a dialogue with them is unlikely to be very effective.
Extension communication is never complete without adequate and correct feedback
information. Feedback means carrying some significant responses of the audience back to
communicator. Communication work is not an end in itself.
The extension agent should know what has happened after the message has reached them.
Some characteristics of feedback are:
• It is source oriented,
• It varies in different communication situation
• It affects the source or communication
• It exerts control over future messages
• It affects the degree of desirable changes in receivers’ behavior as a result of
communication
• It maintains the stability and equilibrium of communication system
Mass media are those channels of communication, which can expose large numbers of people
to the same information at the same time. They include media which information by sounds
(radio, audio cassettes) moving pictures (television, film, video); and print (posters, newspaper,
leaflets). The attraction of mass media to extension services is the high speed and low cost with
which information can be communicated to people over a wide area. The attraction of mass media
to extension services is the high speed and low cost with which information can be communicated to
people over a wide area.

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D. Developing Local Leaders as Farmer-Extensionist
Local leaders can be of invaluable assistance to an extension agent in a number of ways.
They can assume responsibility for certain activities in the agent's absence; help to organize
local extension groups; assist directly in the spread of new ideas and practices by
demonstrating them in their fields; and generally, serve as a point of contact between the
agent and the farmers. By enlisting their help, the extension agent will have a chance to reach
far more farmers than he could on his own.
Formal Local Leaders
Extension agents will work locally with both formal and informal leaders. Formal
leaders were described as local people who hold some kind of formal position within the
bureaucratic and administrative structure. Such leaders can include representatives or
agents of government ministries; traditional chiefs or headmen; teachers; religious
leaders; political officials; and officials of local institutions (e.g., cooperatives).
Informal Local Leaders
Informal leaders will exist in a rural area, and by careful inquiry and observation,
the extension agent should be able to identify them. Often, by talking to other farmers
and asking whom they see as the natural leaders in the area, the agent will be able to
identify the key farmers whose support will be invaluable in promoting extension
activities.
Selection of Local Leaders
Extension experience in different parts of the world has suggested the kinds of
qualities and characteristics that the agent should look for in farmers who might be good
local leaders. Clearly, an extension agent should not hastily invite a local farmer to
become a leader of extension activities. He must give some thought to his choice. The
following two lists are examples of the qualities to look for in local leaders.
1. Initiative to take the lead and give confidence to others. Intellect to
understand issues and identify problems. Industry and energy, to work
unselfishly with other farmers. Influence over others, and the ability to
persuade and teach. Integrity and a sense of responsibility.
2. Experience in farming and modern agricultural practices. Educated and
literate. Reliable and a regular attender of extension functions. Innovative and
willing to try out new ideas. Trusted and liked by his fellow farmers.

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Working with Local Leaders

The extension agent should take great care to develop the qualities mentioned above. His
own relationship with local leaders will also be important and he should always try to be available
to support and encourage their work. There are four main aspects of working with local leaders
which the agent should keep in mind.

1. Inform local leaders of extension activities and proposals for new programmer, and
keep them supplied with extension literature.

2. Visit them as often as is necessary - enough to ensure that they are not isolated or left on
their own. Try to make the visits regular so that the leader can build them into his own
work routine.

3. Train the local leaders in the aspects of extension activities with which they may be
unfamiliar; formal training sessions can be set up at which the leaders will learn about a
new practice, how to run a demonstration or how to hold a farmers' meeting.

4. Encourage local leaders to take the initiative and to begin to act with some independence.
The more they can become recognized and effective, the better chance the extension
agent will have of making an impact in the area.

Problem of Working with Local Leaders

While working with local leaders can be of great benefit to the extension service, there
are a number of potential problems the agent should be aware of. The agent should keep a
watchful eye both on his own relationship with the local leaders and also on the performance of
the leaders at field level. If the leaders are carefully selected and supervised, few difficulties will
arise; yet it would be wise for the extension agent to keep a watch out for the following potential
problems.

• If the agent spends too much time or concentrates a lot of effort on one or more of the
local leaders, then the issue of favoritism may arise.

• The local leaders function as contact farmers who are expected to pass on the knowledge
they have received from the agent. This flow of knowledge from the leader to the other
farmers does not always work and the agent should pay particular attention to seeing
that it does. If the leader is not functioning as a contact farmer, then the agent will need
to investigate the reasons why.

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 • Some local leaders may become overconfident and domineering, and use their favoured
position with the extension agent for their own individual gain.

• Some local leaders may be less capable than others and may make mistakes and give
wrong advice to their fellow farmers. The agent should always ensure that a leader is well
prepared before giving him responsibility for extension activities.

• Some local leaders may become overconfident and domineering, and use their favored
position with the extension agent for their own individual gain.

• Some local leaders may be less capable than others and may make mistakes and give
wrong advice to their fellow farmers. The agent should always ensure that a leader is well
prepared before giving him responsibility for extension activities.

The extension agent is the key element in the whole extension process; without an agent in
the field to guide, direct and supervise local extension activities, there would be no extension
service available to farmers. The agent’s role and relationship with the farmers are the critical
aspects of this process and things cannot always be expected to go smoothly.

Extension experience in different parts of the world has stressed the agent's central
importance and has highlighted a number of features which distinguish an effective extension
agent from a less effective one.

An effective agent:

• spends time in developing the skills and attributes of the farmers themselves, and does
not merely concentrate on extension projects

• gets out to visit and meet farmers and does not become an office bureaucrat;

• encourages local initiative and self-reliance and does not adopt a paternalistic attitude
toward farmers;

• plans for the long-term development of his area, and does not only seek quick results.