11.5 Implications of Extension "Privatization"

In general, a more commercialized approach broadens the focus of extension personnel and makes an extension service more responsive to client needs and changing economic and social conditions. But other immediate implications of privatization appear to include:

 

1. The tendency toward a reduction of linkages both among organizations and among farmers in the exchange of agricultural and other relevant information;

2. The tendency to enhance large-scale farm enterprise to the detriment of small-scale farming;

3. The diminishing emphasis on public-good information and the advancement of knowledge as a saleable commodity; and

4. The trend toward agricultural development services that cater primarily to large-scale farming.

 

  • Institutional Implications
The new developments highlight greater institutional pluralism. Extension, interpreted broadly, now is often a mixed system or a "complex" where services are provided by private and public sector entities. The larger context in which a mix of public and private services operates presents a new challenge with new potential roles and responsibilities for the public sector. A major premise of this topic is that policy makers must consider the entire agricultural extension complex when planning to allocate funds or seeking alternative funding arrangements for the public sector.

 

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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.