Agricultural Extension Services in Pakistan: Challenges, Constraints and Ways-forward

http://vises.org.au/documents/2014_Sept_Background_Paper_1_Agriculture_Extension_Services_Pakistan.pdf?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BB6xLKEQjRZaXVDyaY110tg%3D%3D

This background paper has been prepared within the framework of the research project “Enabling agricultural policies for benefitting smallholders in dairy, citrus and mango industries of Pakistan” which is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and is being undertaken by a team of the researchers from Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies at Victoria University Australia in collaborating with different organizations and Universities of Pakistan. The overarching aim of this project is to review prevailing policies and develop options, evaluate and define implementation pathways for new enabling policies to improve the livelihoods of smallholders in the dairy, citrus and mango subsectors of Punjab and Sindh provinces. One of the specific objectives of the project is to document important policy-related constraints to, and opportunities for, increasing the income of smallholders in the dairy, citrus and mango enterprises in Punjab and Sindh. Indeed an efficient, well-organized and resourceful extension system is inevitable for improving farmers’ livelihood by helping them in increasing crop productivity and overcoming production-related constraints.

In this milieu, this paper provides an overview of extension services and constraints and challenges faced by the extension system of Pakistan. The evidence from existing literature on agricultural extension systems is examined and approaches in Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan with particular reference to crops (including fruit) and livestock extension services are and synthesized. More specifically the paper focuses on a number of guiding questions, including:

1) How extension services have evolved in Pakistan?

2) What is the current setup and approaches of agricultural extension and research in

Pakistan?

3) What is the evidence on constraints and challenges faced by the extension system in

Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces?

4) What are the ‘ways-forward’ and what policy implication can be drawn?

Context: setting the scene

Agriculture is the dominant sector of Pakistan’s economy with 21% contribution in overall GDP, and engagement of 45% of total labor force of country in this sector. More importantly, livelihoods of rural people 1 depend on agriculture and livestock enterprises. Agriculture considerably contributes to improving food security, accelerating economic growth and reducing poverty in rural areas (Government of Pakistan, 2013). According to the researchers, agricultural sector of Pakistan has the potential to be a frontline sector in boosting economic growth and reducing rural poverty (Haque, 2002). Majority of the farmers in Pakistan are smallholders whose subsistence livelihoods depend on agriculture (Bhutto and Bazmi, 2007), and proper functioning and performance of agriculture sector is linked with the overall wellbeing of small farmers (Government of Pakistan, 2007). Nevertheless, despite fertile soil, an efficient canal irrigation system, supportive climate, good agricultural education and research setup, full-fledged public agricultural extension set-up, and hardworking farmers (Davidson and Ahmad, 2002), Pakistan is a food insecure country (WFP, 2010) and yield of most of the crops is considerably lower as compared to yield obtained by many developed countries. Many

researchers and practitioners (see for example, Burton et al., 2012; Davidson et al., 2001; Muhammad, 2005) have argued that an efficient agricultural extension and information system is inevitable for boosting agricultural productivity in any country.

Sustainable, profitable and more productive agriculture with scarce resources is the challenge being faced by the developing countries around the globe (Burton et al., 2012; Zijp, 1998). There are no two opinions on the fact that future agriculture will be more reliant on modern technologies, innovations and intensification – instead of increasing cultivated area or using more natural resources (Rivera and Alex, 2004). As a matter of fact agricultural technologies and innovations are continuously changing and farmers are needed to be well aware about recent advancements in order to enhance their crop yield. In this milieu, agricultural extension, being an institutional input, is one of the key factors which make significant contribution towards agricultural development (Davidson et al., 2001). Agricultural extension service equips rural agrarian communities with basic agricultural education and it is the vital mechanism which helps farmers in improving their capabilities by adopting and diffusing agricultural innovation (Betz, 2009). According to Farooq et al. (2010), it is an arranged and systematic communication with and among farmers with the purpose of helping them. Its purposes are especially tailored to an improved insight into the need of farmers, their practices as well as problem identification and solution (Havrland and Kapila, 2000).

During the past few decades – particularly after green revolution – agricultural extension services are emerged as the most important institutional part of agriculture sector. Agricultural extension is one of the key components of Agriculture Knowledge and Information System (AKIS) – research and education being other two components. Most of the researchers agree that AKIS would be effective if there is strong linkage between its components i.e. research, education and extension (Ashraf et al., 2007; Qamar, 2005). The extension education is now a full-fledged discipline, having specific philosophy, principles and objectives (Moayedi and Azizi, 2011). Extension services give high importance to utilize the potential of rural communities, improving their livelihoods, and bringing positive changes in their behavior (Rivera and Alex, 2004). In order to achieve the primary task of farmers’ education and technology dissemination, agricultural extension organizations use a wide variety of extension teaching methods (Muhammad, 2005; Bajwa et al., 2010). Agricultural extension is among various ways which have role in poverty reduction and food security improvement (Farooq et al., 2010). It can also help the farmers in judicious use of natural resources for a sustainable agricultural development (Ikram-ul-Haq et al., 2009).

Many extension reforms around the globe stem from the focus on rural development as a necessary element of poverty reduction. Decisions made by the millions of rural households on different aspects of crop production, soil fertility and resource management depend on the knowledge and information available to them. The effectiveness of rural development programmes largely depends on an efficient extension system. Pakistan, which is primarily an agricultural country and majority of the rural population is directly (or indirectly) involved in agriculture and livestock related activities, have achieved substantial improvements in agriculture sector but still production and yield of most of the crops is unsatisfactory. In this context, this paper attempts to analyze agricultural extension system and approaches in Pakistan and analyzes some of the factors (challenges) hindering the effectiveness of agri. extension services in Pakistan’s largest provinces (Punjab and Sindh).

Agricultural Extension Services in Pakistan: Challenges, Constraints and Waysforward