This document outlines the need for privatization of agricultural extension services in India. It discusses problems with the public extension system, including a high extension worker to farmer ratio and lack of technical expertise. Privatization involves reducing the government's role and increasing private sector involvement through organizations like NGOs and agribusinesses. The document reviews privatization models in other countries and initiatives in India. It summarizes two studies that examined farmer and extension worker attitudes toward privatization in India. Overall, the document argues that privatization can help address gaps in the public extension system to better meet the diverse needs of Indian farmers.

1. Privatization of Extension- Its
Role and Impact in Transfer of
Technology

2. Flow of Presentation
 Indian agriculture at a glance
 Issues on public extension system
 What is privatization of extension ?
 Why privatization?
 Two ways of privatization
 Privatization models in different countries
 Indian scenario
 Issues on privatization
 Research studies
 Conclusion
 Bibliography

3. • About 65% people are living in rural areas and are still
dependent on Agriculture. About 43% of India’s
geographical area is used for agricultural activity
• Agriculture continues to play a major role in Indian
Economy
 Total Geographical Area (TGA) - 329 M.H
 Potential for Biological Production - 265 M.H
 Net Sown Area (NSA) - 143 M.H
 Net Irrigated Area - 56 M.H
Indian Agriculture

4. Problems in public extension system
• Basic thinking is supply driven rather than
demand driven.
• Limitedly Focused on Farmers' Aspirations.
• Poor motivation of staff working at grass root
level.
• Inadequate technical qualifications of VLW

5. What is privatization of extension ?
• An act of reducing the role of government or
increasing the role of private sector in an
activity or in the ownership of assets.
• Transfer of technologies by private firms like
NGOs, Agri- business enterprises etc.

6. Need for privatization
• To reduce extension worker: farmer ratio is in
India.
• To increase the professional expertise of
village level extension worker.
• At present the role of VLW is confined to
providing advisory to the process of
production.

7. Two ways of privatization
• Dismantling
In this case, public sector extension organization is closed
down or abandoned and the services of the existing staff are
terminated.
• Controlled privatization
In this case, the public sector extension agency is
transformed to become more efficient and effective by
changing ownership, governance and funding pattern.

9. Some successful private extension
initiatives in India
ITC's e-Chaupal (2000,)
• The largest initiative among all Internet-based
interventions in rural India.
• 'e- Choupal' services today reach out to more
than 3.5 million farmers growing a range of crops
- soybean, coffee, wheat, rice, pulses, shrimp.
• It is spread in over 31,000 villages through 5200
kiosks across six states.

10. Mahindra Shubh Labh Company Ltd.
• The subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, has
set up about 50 agri-centres
Tata Kisan Sansar
• A chain of one-stop resource centres that
provide end-to-end agri solutions for farmers.

11. Issues
i) contradictory message flow.
ii) high cost of technologies.
iii) increase in regional imbalances.

13. Objective of the study:
To know the attitude of farmers and extension
workers towards privatization of extension
services
Hanchinal (1999) conducted a study on Privatization
of extension services: Attitudes and Preferences of
farmers and extension personnel.

14. Attitude of farmers towards privatization of extension services
Category Number Percentage Mean attitude
score
Less favorable (<93.36) 56 23.33 90
Favorable (93.36 to110.42) 101 42.08 102.37
More favorable(>110.42) 83 34.59 112.33
N=240
Mean-101.89 SD-8.53

15. Attitude of extension personnel towards privatization of
extension services
Category Number Percentage Mean attitude
score
Less favorable (<73.27) 20 33.33 72.45
Favorable (73.27 to105.55) 21 35.00 87.38
More favorable(>105.55) 19 31.67 108.53
Mean-89.77 SD-15.73
N=60

16. Saravanan (2003) conducted a study on public and
private agricultural extension service in Karnataka state
Objective of the study:
To know the objectives of selected extension
organizations as perceived by clientele and the
extension personnel

18. Conclusion
• Indian agriculture is self-reliant in food production.
But, Indian farmer is not self-reliant to meet all his
diversified and growing demands in this era of
modernization. He is looking for more profit through
his agriculture means. It may be through low cost
technology, high production technology, and value
addition, good marketing or through any other ways.
This needs individual understanding of the farmer
and attention, which the public extension finds
difficult to provide considering the large number and
diversified clients. The space created by this gap is
filled by private extension.

19. Bibliography
• Chandra Shekara, P : Private extension in India: Myths, Realities,
Apprehensions and Approaches.
• Hanchinal, S.N., Sundaraswamy, B. and Ansari, M.R. (2000). Attitudes and
preferences of farmers towards privatization of extension service.
• Shivalinge Gowda N.S. and Saravanan, R. (2000), Attitude and
preferencesof Agricultural Scientists towards privatization of Agricultural
Extension service.
Thesis
• Hanchinal (1999) : Privatization of extension services: Attitudes and
Preferences of farmers and extension personnel.
• Saravanan (2003): A study on public and private agricultural extension service
in Karnataka state
Text book
• Debabratha Das Gupta: Extension Education: Core Contents and emerging
areas
Research papers

20. • Hanchinal (1999) : Privatization of extension
services: Attitudes and Preferences of farmers
and extension personnel.
• Saravanan (2003): A study on public and
private agricultural extension service in
Karnataka state