6.4 Extension Funding
The most difficult and challenging policy issue facing extension today is to secure a stable source of funding. With the widespread trend to cut government budgets, including structural adjustment programmes, many policy makers have the impression that public extension is both expensive and a drain on the government's limited resources.
In countries where funding support to extension
is low, the funding for extension should be increased to levels that reflect
the anticipated economic rates of return and the social benefits when public
funds are properly invested and managed. The issue of funding extension
continues to be the most difficult policy issue faced by extension. This issue
is complicated by the increased demand for more extension services on the part
of increasing numbers of farm households who have fewer land and water
resources. Furthermore, extension is being called to integrate sustainable
development messages into its extension programmes.
• Stability
A
good extension policy promotes extension system stability, yet allows
sufficient flexibility to reflect the dynamic nature of the agricultural
sector. Extension should not be rigid; rather, "It should be responsive to
all major groups of farm people and sufficiently inclusive to allow public,
private, and non-governmental organizations to contribute fully to the
agricultural development goals of the country". Frequent organizational
changes within extension system, such as being transferred from one government agency
to another, directly impact the organization's effectiveness. Such instability
is costly in that trained staffs are poorly utilized and opportunities for
improved productivity will be lost.
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This Learning Resource was Created by the Regional MSc AICM Program at the Haramaya University RDAE Department with Support of AgShare Project.