IFPRI - Agricultural Extension Reforms in South Asia Workshop - Suresh Babu & PK Joshi - Public sector reforms in extension – assessment of atma - scaling up in India

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INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Suresh Babu,

Pramod K. Joshi,

Rasheed Sulaiman

Public Sector Reforms In Extension –

Assessment Of ATMA

Scaling Up In India

Agricultural Extension Reforms in South Asia – Status, Challenges, and Policy Options

February 17-18, 2015 New Delhi, India

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Organization of Presentation

Broad Changing Scenario

Current Status

Issues and Challenges

Options for Discussions

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Changing Extension Scenario

Extension reforms and investment

High value agriculture

Productivity gains needed

Environment and sustainability

Role of private sectors and NGOs

Funding scenario

State / Center relations

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Issues in Extension and Advisory

Services

Broad Changes

1980s Traditional GR T&V

1990s T&V - lessons

2000s -- 2010 ATMA

New Revised – 2014

Future of Extension and Advisory

Services

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Current Need

Farmers need an integrated set of advice and services

Extension should play a wider role

Extension should have links with several actors

Extension needs new theories/framework to reinvent its new mission- (systems perspectives)

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Spectrum of Extension and Advisory Services

Farmers State Dept of Ag

ICAR: SAU, Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Mass media – TV, Radio, Newspapers,

Mobile phones

NGOs and civil society

Private sector e.g. input dealers,

agriclinics

Other farmers

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What issues addressed?

Common issues to all countries – how to increase

the efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability of the

extension systems

What factors contribute to the improved efficiency

of the extension systems?

What factors contribute the effectiveness of the

extension systems?

What are the institutional innovations observed in

the current extension system?

What opportunities exists to improve the system

efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability?

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What issues addressed so far?

What factors improve the structure,

conduct and performance of the

extension systems?

What are the current policies that

make the delivery system inefficient,

ineffective and unsustainable?

What policy processes are needed to

achieve the expected policy outcomes?

What are the knowledge gaps?

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What is the emerging Analytical

Framework?

Broad political, macroeconomic framework for

economic growth objectives

Nature of the country context; geography, size of agricultural economy,

agricultural transformation goals

Agro ecology cropping patterns, natural

resource constraints,

Country Specific extension program

Interventions

Policy, institutional and market interventions needed to increase productivity and

sustainability

Reforms needed for Increase the Technology

change

Analysis of extension program

interventions

Analysis of Changes at the

farm, market and institutional levels

Analysis of extension

programs for Farm level impact

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Where do farmers get their

info?

% farmers for each info source (NSSO, 2005) Not accessed any source

Other progressive farmers

Input dealer

Radio

TV

Newspaper

Extension worker

KVK

Private agency/NGO

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Public sector MAIN extension arm in

India State Department of Agriculture

Present in all states, up to Block, Panchayat

Staff numbers low; weak research link; top-down, linear

Perform non-extension duties & implement schemes

ICAR – Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Present in all districts, multi-disciplinary team

Linear; staff low; partnerships/linkage rare; local coverage

ICAR –State Agricultural University

Lab to land, frontline extension in few adopted villages or near

location = farmer reach limited

Info rarely reflects local needs = centralised agendas

Weak partnerships and links in ICAR and also with Dept of Ag

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Innovations in public sector extension - the

10th and 11th 5 year plans

Support to State Extension Programs

for Extension Reforms (SSEPER) =

Agricultural Technology Management

Agency (ATMA)

Agriclinics and Agribusiness scheme

Kisan Call Centres

Soil Testing Programs

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Timeline of ATMA

NATP pilot (1998-2004)

» Market driven, integrate and converge institutions,

farmer group approach

GoI national implementation (2005-2010)

» Rely on state dept of ag – another scheme to

implement

GoI revision 2010

» Exclusive ATMA staff

» Contact farmer approach – farmer friend

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FU

ND

FLO

W

WO

RK

PLA

N

SAMETI &

SAU/ICAR institutes

District Training

centers, KVK, & ZRS

Agri-entrepreneurs

DAC, MoA, GoI

State-level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC)

Interdepartmental Working Group (IDWG)

State nodal cell

ATMA (GB & MC)

Block ATMA

cell

Farmer Friend

CIGs, FIGs, FARMERS

State farmers advisory

committee

District farmers

advisory committee

Block technology

team

Block farmers

advisory committee

Farm schools

New revisions to ATMA

June 2010

-Farmer Friend for

every 2 villages

-District/State FAC

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Hierarchical structure of officials in new

ATMA

Tamil Nadu no staff hired

Bihar

-hired SMS for every two

panchayats and increased salary

(not exclusive for ATMA)

- no BTM

- farmer advisor

for each panchayat

How will FF link to FAC at block?

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State experiences – Tamil Nadu

More extension activities + diversified, funding

easier

Still activities mostly in Dept of Ag, holistic?

Line dept and KVK low attendance to meets,

attend district > block level meetings

Meetings not monthly (staff over burdened)

District level activities >= block level activities

Farmer group formation low, sustaining difficult

Work with contact farmers of Dept of Ag, political

ATMA not autonomous, not independent

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State experiences - Bihar

ATMA funding mechanism good/easy and implemented

Added exclusive district staff state funding 2007

(PD, DPD, office assistant, accountant)

Dovetail with Dept of Ag

Activities production focus, tech dissemination

state/district activity > block activity e.g. SRI=state

FAC = farmers appreciate platform to share probs but

mostly specific problems not addressed

Block ag officer overburdened – FAC/BTT not meeting

monthly

ATMA not autonomous, separate institution

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How does each state adapt ATMA to suit their needs?

Can centre support flexible adaptation of model by states,

where key processes/principles still present?

And how does this influence what ATMA is and does?

What is delivered by ATMA? Largely still production oriented,

can it move towards market driven?

What Impact it can have on farmer livelihoods?

And has now?

Critical Questions?

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Issues for Extension Policy Options

A fuller understanding of the historical trends, and enabling environment

and the policy process

An evaluation of the outcomes and success of the reformed agricultural

extension system

An assessment of the reform process, from policy to program, and from

program to action that identifies all actors and players

An assessment of the necessary and sufficient conditions to improve the

relevance, effectiveness, and operational sustainability of the extension

system

An analysis of the factors affecting extension policy reforms and the needed

refinements

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Thank you