Worldwide Trends in Agricultural Extension Scinario-An Overview

The shift towards sustainable, profitable and productive farming necessitates that farmers have a better understanding of physical and biological processes and market opportunities. Demand for information is growing and getting more heterogenous and the challenge agricultural extension now faces is that of informing and educating a large population of farmers. Agricultural extension has been experiencing major changes, and In different countries it is being reoriented to provide more responsive and sustainable services. Options pursued include full commercialization, developing control to local government units, cost sharing and contracting service delivery to private firms, NGOs, farmers organizations etc. These different options are being pursued for increasing coverage, relevance and ensuring sustainable, profitable and productive farming.