Modern Extension Approaches for Livelihood Improvement for Resource Poor Households

Agricultural extension in India has grown over last six decades. It is supported and funded by the national government—through its Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and other allied ministries. The share of agriculture in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has declined from over half at the time of independence to less than one-fifth this year. Indian agriculture sector has an impressive long-term record of taking the country out of serious food shortages despite rapid population increase, given its heavy reliance on the work of its pluralistic extension system. The frontier extension programmes such as KVK and ATMA still struggling with quality HRD and resources to cater the need of farming community. In mid-1990s, the Govt. of India and the World Bank began exploring new approaches to extension that would address these system problems and constraints resulting in new, decentralized extension approach, which would focus more on diversification and increasing farm income and rural employment. Encouraged by the success of Pilot Testing of the ATMA Model in 28 districts, the Planning Commission, Govt. of India constituted a working group on Agricultural Extension for formulation XIth FYP approach (2007-11). Discussed in this paper are some of the significant extension approaches adopted and practiced in India and lessons learnt thereof.