A review on pluralistic extension systems through convergence

Abstract

The public sector agencies in India have been instrumental in playing key role in facilitating services to the farming community through agricultural extension systems. Yet, factors such as an ever-increasing population, a lack of labour, an insufficient budget for extension activities, administrative rigidity, and outdated policies have caused the agricultural extension system to stagnate. Over 59.00 per cent of farm households did not receive any assistance from government or non-governmental extension organizations. Limited workforce and financial backing, the traditionally bureaucratic character of extension staff members, and the tremendous administrative responsibility put on field-level workers have resulted in supply-driven rather than demand-driven public extension services. Prior studies showed that the extension worker-to-farmer ratio in India is 1:5000, which is far greater than the ratios in Ethiopia (1:476) and China (1:625). For an inclusive structure and pluralistic convergence, legislators need to establish a stakeholder coordination mechanism and framework that defines what sort of good or service needs to be provided and to whom and at what degree.