Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why?

In order to realize agricultural potential and to increase agricultural yields, India's extension system has experienced major conceptual, structural, and institutional changes since the late 1990s. This paper reviews existing reform programs and strategies currently existing in agricultural extensi...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Raabe, Katharina
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2008
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160746
_version_ 1855537711334555648
author Raabe, Katharina
author_browse Raabe, Katharina
author_facet Raabe, Katharina
author_sort Raabe, Katharina
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In order to realize agricultural potential and to increase agricultural yields, India's extension system has experienced major conceptual, structural, and institutional changes since the late 1990s. This paper reviews existing reform programs and strategies currently existing in agricultural extension in India. It distinguishes strategies that have been employed to strengthen both the supply and demand sides of service provision in the area of agricultural extension, and it reviews the effects of the demand- and supply-side strategies on the access to and the quality of agricultural extension services. The ultimate objectives are (1) to gain a view on what works where and why in improving the effectiveness of agricultural extension in a decentralized environment; (2) to identify measures that strengthen and improve agricultural extension service provision; and (3) to reveal existing knowledge gaps. Although the range of extension reform approaches is wide, this paper shows that an answer to the question of what works where and why is complicated by the absence of sound and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative impact and evaluation assessment studies. Even evidence from the National Agricultural Technology Project and the Diversified Agricultural Support Project of the World Bank, the women empowerment programs of the Danish International Development Agency, the Andhra Pradesh Tribal Development Project, and the e-Choupal program of the Indian Tobacco Company is subject to methodological and identification problems. Conclusions regarding the importance (1) of implementing both decentralized, participatory, adaptive, and pluralistic demand- and supply-side extension approaches; (2) of involving the public, private, and third (civil society) sectors in extension service provision and funding; and (3) of strengthening the capacity of and the collaboration between farmers, researchers, and extension workers are necessarily tentative and require further quantification. The paper seeks to inform policymakers and providers of extension services from all sectors about the need to make performance assessments and impact evaluations inherent components of any extension program so as to increase the effectiveness of extension service reforms.
format Artículo preliminar
id CGSpace160746
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2008
publishDateRange 2008
publishDateSort 2008
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1607462025-11-06T07:20:09Z Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why? Raabe, Katharina agricultural extension reforms demand functions governance In order to realize agricultural potential and to increase agricultural yields, India's extension system has experienced major conceptual, structural, and institutional changes since the late 1990s. This paper reviews existing reform programs and strategies currently existing in agricultural extension in India. It distinguishes strategies that have been employed to strengthen both the supply and demand sides of service provision in the area of agricultural extension, and it reviews the effects of the demand- and supply-side strategies on the access to and the quality of agricultural extension services. The ultimate objectives are (1) to gain a view on what works where and why in improving the effectiveness of agricultural extension in a decentralized environment; (2) to identify measures that strengthen and improve agricultural extension service provision; and (3) to reveal existing knowledge gaps. Although the range of extension reform approaches is wide, this paper shows that an answer to the question of what works where and why is complicated by the absence of sound and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative impact and evaluation assessment studies. Even evidence from the National Agricultural Technology Project and the Diversified Agricultural Support Project of the World Bank, the women empowerment programs of the Danish International Development Agency, the Andhra Pradesh Tribal Development Project, and the e-Choupal program of the Indian Tobacco Company is subject to methodological and identification problems. Conclusions regarding the importance (1) of implementing both decentralized, participatory, adaptive, and pluralistic demand- and supply-side extension approaches; (2) of involving the public, private, and third (civil society) sectors in extension service provision and funding; and (3) of strengthening the capacity of and the collaboration between farmers, researchers, and extension workers are necessarily tentative and require further quantification. The paper seeks to inform policymakers and providers of extension services from all sectors about the need to make performance assessments and impact evaluations inherent components of any extension program so as to increase the effectiveness of extension service reforms. 2008 2024-11-21T09:51:51Z 2024-11-21T09:51:51Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160746 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Raabe, Katharina. 2008. Reforming the agricultural extension system in India. IFPRI Discussion Paper 775. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160746
spellingShingle agricultural extension
reforms
demand functions
governance
Raabe, Katharina
Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why?
title Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why?
title_full Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why?
title_fullStr Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why?
title_full_unstemmed Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why?
title_short Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why?
title_sort reforming the agricultural extension system in india what do we know about what works where and why
topic agricultural extension
reforms
demand functions
governance
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160746
work_keys_str_mv AT raabekatharina reformingtheagriculturalextensionsysteminindiawhatdoweknowaboutwhatworkswhereandwhy