Potential Appraisal of Agricultural Extension Human Resource - A SWOT Analysis

Abstract

Agricultural development is seen as an increase in agricultural production and/ or the productivity of land, labour and capital in agriculture. Agricultural extension is an instrument to promote agricultural development. The proposed Extension policy framework by the Ministry of Agricultural, GOI emphasised that in the context of meeting the holistic needs of increasing agricultural production, and to do so in a sustainable manner, agricultural extension has a crucial role to play. Reforms in the system envisage an extension service that is more broad- based and holistic in content and scope, thus beyond agricultural technology transfer. Its normal task of transferring and disseminating appropriate technologies would not be sufficient. Extension agencies, and workers need to exercise a more proactive and participatory role, serve as knowledge/ information agents, initiating and facilitating mutually meaningful and equitable knowledge based transactions among agricultural researchers, trainer and primary producers. All this needs to be done in an effective and cost efficient manner