1. EXT.601
(ADVANCES IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION)
Submitted to:
Dr. J. B. Patel
Associate Professor
Dept. of Agril. Extension and communication
B. A. College of Agriculture,
A.A.U., Anand.
IMPLICATIONS OF WTO, AOA FOR EXTENSION SERVICES,
REORIENTATION OF EXTENSION SERVICES OF AGRI-BUSINESS
AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES, GOI-NGO COLLABARATION TO
IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF EXTENSION
2. INTRODUCTION
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an
organization that intends to supervise and liberalize
international trade. The WTO is the only global
international organization dealing with the rules of
trade between nations.
The WTO superseded and replaced the GATT
which was a provisional, multilateral agreement
governing international trade from 1947 until Jan
1, 1995.
The WTO has larger membership than GATT, the
number of members stand at 153. India is one the
founding members of the WTO.
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3. INFORMATION ABOUT WTO
Established: 1st January 1995.
Created By: Uruguay Round negotiations
(1986-1994)
Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland
Membership: 158 member states
Secretariat Staff: 625
Head: Pascal Lamy (Director-General)
Budget: 196 million Swiss francs (approx)
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4. OBJECTIVE OF THE WTO
To accept the concept of sustainable
development
To protect the environment
To ensure optimum utilization of world
sources
To enlarge population and trade of goods
To ensure full employment and increase in
effective demand
To improve the standard of living of people
of member countries
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5. FUNCTION OF THE WTO
To deal with regulation of trade between participating
countries
To provide a framework for negotiations and
formalization of trade agreements
It is responsible for enforcing trade laws and agreements
It monitors trade services and trade related aspects at
intellectual property rights
To assist international organizations such as IMF and
IBRD
To provide a framework for dispute settlement
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6. STRUCTURE OF THE WTO
World Trade Organization is supervised by a
highest authority called ministerial conference
which consists of representatives of all WTO
members.
It meets at least once in two years to take
decision on all matters of multilateral trade.
WTO consists of a general trade body called
general council which directly reports to the
ministerial conference.
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7. It delegates responsibilities to 3 bodies-
Council for trade in Goods
Council for trade in Services
Council for trade-related aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights(IPRs)
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8. ROLE OF WTO
The main goal of WTO is to help the trading industry to
become smooth, fair, free and predictable. It was
organized to become the administrator of multilateral
trade and business agreements between its member
nations. It supports all occurring negotiations for latest
agreements for trade. WTO also tries to resolve trade
disputes between member nations.
WTO acts as the administrator. If there are unfair trade
practices or dumping and there is complaint filed, the
staffs of WTO are expected to investigate and check if
there are violations based on the multi-lateral
agreements.
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9. THE RELEVANCE OF WTO
The system helps promote peace.
The system allows disputes to be handled
constructively.
A system based on rules rather than power makes life
easier for all.
Freer trade cuts the cost of living.
It gives consumers more choice and a broader range
of qualities to choose from.
Trade raises incomes.
Trade stimulates economic growth and that can be
good news for employment
The basic principles make the system economically
more efficient, and they cut costs.
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10. Agreement of Agriculture (AOA)
AOA of WTO recognizes free and market-
oriented trading system in agriculture. It has
the following main features.
WTO member countries are subject to
following obligations on domestic support to
their agriculture. However, there are many
issues under the AOA which are considered
against the interests of developing countries
like India.
Firstly, the minimum access for import of
primary goods flouts the basic rule of
promoting free trade under WTO agreement.
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11. Secondly, distortions emerge from inequity in domestic
subsidy discipline due to different base positions. The
developed countries are heavily subsidized countries and are
allowed to retain up to 80 per cent of their subsidies but
developing countries can subsidize their farmers not more
than 10 per cent of the total value of agricultural production.
Hence, the domestic support by developed countries needs
to be reduced substantially in absolute terms.
Thirdly, India has argues that for low income countries,
market access and domestic support discipline should be such
that their food requirements are met from domestic sources.
The volatile international market can get transmitted to the
domestic economy and can affect the prices of food grains
and food entitlement of the poor.
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12. i) Green Box Support: It is given on items
which have minimal impact on trade, e.g.,
pest and disease Control, market intelligence,
it is an exempted support.
ii) Blue box support: It is product-limiting
subsidy and pertains mainly to the developed
countries. It is exempted from reduction
commitment under WTO.
iii) Special and differential treatment box
support: It includes investment subsidy to
agricultural sector for farm development
work like land levelling, shallow wells etc.
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13. REORIENTATION OF EXTENSION SERVICES FOR
AGRI-BUSINESS AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES:
Facilitate prepare participatory strategic action plan at
village/mandal/district level with convergence and client
consultation using village level participatory approach
(VLPA) and implement them with farmer
organizations/SHGs, CROs etc.
Introduce result oriented management.
Encourage Farmer-to-Farmer extension lead farmer centric
extension through Farmer Field School demonstration and
other media / methods for realizing multiplication effort.
Reach the unreached especially vulnerable section of
society and less endowed areas.
Recognize the role of NGOs, CBOs and private services
providers as an asset to compliment and support the
Government Extension Service.
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14. Employ modern means of communications
demonstrations (FFS, community Radio, TV ICT etc)
with traditional media to reach and teach the farmers.
Retraining the existing extension staff periodically to
build their capacity to handle futuristic extension
needs is an important activity for the extension
services.
Strengthening institutional support including mobility
with reward systems introduced in Extension.
There is need for recognition of the fact that there is
need to maintain a sizable ratio of extension workers
to farmers to educate and empower them. Besides, it
can be good support mechanism to instil confidence
and hope of success.
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15. The MANAGE, EEIs, SAUs and Professional NGOs
should intensify research and development activities to
build models which can be replicable by the state
department of agriculture and private service providers
to keep pace with futuristic extension needs.
Training & visiting programme in the 1980s agriculture
extension was expected to act as a 'transmission belt'
between agricultural research centres and farmers by
recruiting, training and deploying large and dedicated
cadre of technical workers with formal training in
agriculture.
When the World Bank funding stopped, the extension
system had to be maintained by central and state
government funds, which resulted in the slow decay of
the T&V system as it became ineffective in several
States.
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16. ATMA initiated the preparation of a strategic
research extension plan (SREP) at the district
level. It also identified the research extension
linkages which form the basis of the state
extension work plan.
The concept of a Farmer's Friend for every two
villages was introduced after revamping of ATMA
in 2010, this part-time functionary is meant to be
selected from among the farming community,
building on the assumption that he/she will enjoy
greater local connect and knowledge of the local
ecosystem.
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17. ICT has significant potential to reach large numbers of
farmers in a cost-effective manner. It can also facilitate
two way information flows between farmers and the
extension agencies. Here we focus on some of the
schemes launched in the past three years:
Farmers Portal
mKisan
Kisan Call Centre
Kisan TV Channel
Agriculture Clinic and Agriculture Business Centres
targeted young rural agriculture graduates who wanted
to turn entrepreneurs seeking to provide fee based
agriculture services to farmers. The scheme involves
mandatory training and subsidy to set up a rural service
centre.
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18. Some private sector agribusiness and input
manufacturing companies also undertake direct
extension activities. Hyderabad based Nuziveedu
Seeds has done a lot of extension related work
through its programme, 'Subeej Krishi Vignan'. These
extension activities are in support of their product
brand and seek to help the famer realize higher
production (and thus returns) through necessary pre-
sowing preparation, optimum seed rate, correct
agronomic practices, application of nutrients and
harvesting techniques.
In the case of fertiliser companies, especially large
cooperatives like IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser
Co-operative Limited) and KRIBHCO (Krishak
Bharati Cooperative), extension activities include a
wider range of interventions, such as conducting
farmer meetings, organizing crop seminars, arranging
for soil testing facilities, adopting villages etc.
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19. Agriculture to Agri-business
Agriculture was traditionally used as a livelihood
option now it is looked as an agribusiness.
The transforming agriculture as agribusiness means
moving from substance farming to modernisation of
agriculture.
Agri-business is the key for agricultural production.
The farmer need to grow demand driven crops
/enterprises, manage the farm to reduce the costs in
a value chain way, maintain farm records, increase
the production and add the value for the product
which can fetch him more income. These trends
need to be incorporated in Extension Advisory
services.
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20. GOI & NGO COLLABORATION TO IMPROVE
EFFICIENCY OF EXTENSION:
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally
constituted organization created by natural or legal persons
that operates independently from any form of government.
The term originated from the United Nations (UN), and is
normally used to refer to organizations that are not a part of
the government and are not conventional for-profit business.
NGOs are funded totally or partially by governments, the
NGO maintains its non-governmental status by excluding
government representatives from membership in the
organization.
Govt. of India and many Govt. of various Nations of the
World viz. South Africa, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Uganda, Zambia and Mexico
have enacted several laws, established various Govt.
Departments, evolved policies, and created schemes for the
cause of the social development.
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21. Though social development has emerged as a very important
sector in 21st century there are no Institutionalized
mechanisms of collaboration of the Govt. & NGOs. The need
of the hour is to evolve long term, sustainable and
institutionalized collaboration between the Govt. & NGOs.
Govt. of India has prepared and released a draft National
Policy on NGOs, incorporating the areas of collaboration of
the Govt. & NGOs. The Planning Commission of India and
various Ministries of the Govt. of India are working on the
modalities of collaboration between Govt. and the NGOs.
Similarly Govt. of Andhra Pradesh on an innovative approach
given by us has formed a State level coordination Committee
of the Govt. officials and NGOs headed by the Chief Minister
for promoting the coordination between the Govt. & the
NGOs.
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22. On the same lines district level coordination cells have
been formed headed by the district in charge Ministers
with Collectors, Officials and NGOs as members. Govt.
Orders are issued for frequent meeting of the
Committees and evolving the mechanisms of
collaboration between the Govt. & the NGOs.
There is imminent need for Govt. of India and various
State Govts. to release the National Policy as well as the
State Policies for Institutionalized mechanisms of
collaboration between the Govt. & the NGOs. On the
lines of National Policy of GOI.
Govt. of India through various Ministries has been
funding the NGOs to a tune of Rs. 10,000 corers per
annum for implementation of various schemes.
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23. CAPART and various Ministries have evolved schemes
to be funded to the NGOs for implementation in various
areas concerning Human & Social Development of
people.
Similarly several schemes are also being funded in
Natural resources development & Environment.
Various Ministries of Govt. of India have evolved
formats, prescribed procedures, and evolved inspection
and monitoring mechanisms for effective
implementation of the schemes being funded in the
NGOs sector.
There is an urgent need to put an end to distortions in
social development and evolving the institutionalized
mechanisms of collaboration between the Govt. The
NGOs and the peoples Institutions.
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24. Agriculture Related Activities of NGOs
1. To provide facilities to increase water and other
vital resources for bringing more land under
cultivation and to increase production
2. To get cultivable land from government and
distribute them to landers agricultural laboures.
3. Programmes of agricultural development
(Agricultural inputs , Crop loans etc.)
4. Animal husbandry programmes.(providing milch-
animal , sheep unit , poultry etc.)
5. Provision of seed, manure etc.
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25. 6. Bringing up more dry land area under
cultivation .
7. To provide facilities for afforstation in suitable
place.
8. Identification and rehabilitation of bonded
labour.
9. Enforcement of minimum wages to agricultural
laboures.
10.To provide employment to people in all works
like – agriculture, small – scale industries etc.
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26. The following are a few important areas requiring
attention and action of the Govt. Officials, Policy
Makers, NGOs, and the peoples Institutions:
Each of the State of India and UTs have to evolve their
State Policies, which are in tune with Govt. of India and
with necessary innovations for implementation.
There is need to form department wise, coordination
cells of the Govt. of India as well as of various State
Governments for active collaboration.
Each of the Department coordination cell must
document the NGOs projects for the last 05 years,
analyze the same and evolve guidelines for coordination.
District level coordination cells are required to be
formed of the Official and NGOs.
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27. District level Coordination Cells must document the
NGO activities analyze and evolve guidelines for
coordination.
Similarly World Bank and International development
agencies have to form National and regional level
coordination cells.
The National & Regional coordination cells must
document the activities at least for the last 5 years.
Planning is a very important area of coordination, and
each of the cell must evolve the process of the Planning
at various levels.
Training Programmes on Capacity Building are required
to be taken up for Self Help Groups, various
committees, PR Institution, NGOs & Donor agencies for
promotion of institutionalized mechanism of
coordination. 27
28. A project approach of joint action of the Govt. & NGOs
on a geographical project area, and on a fixed time scale
must be done, so as to saturate the project area with
development in one or two decades depending on the
need of the area.
Long Term sustainable development can be achieved by
joint action.
Ultimately model villages can be created through
joint action and campaigning for development of the
people, Govt. Officials and the NGOs through multi-
sectoral coordination and convergence approaches for
the development.
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