This paper examined the Indian Agricultural Extension Systems and its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Various lessons learnt over a period of time have also been documented. Hence, the paper recommends that the extension managers and policy makers should focus on the identified...

The major issues before Indian extension system are: how to improve the effectiveness of extension systems? How to serve the small land holders and marginal farmers in diversified farming systems? and proper allocation of fund, human resources and its management. The ATMA model has been...

India's agricultural extension system is at a pivotal point in its development. During the past 50 years, the Indian extension system has evolved to reflect national priorities. At the outset, extension worked to bring about broad-based rural development. However, the food crises starting in the...

This case study explains the steps taken by the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) in the Patna District of Bihar India to help very poor farmers link up with reliable markets to produce and market high-value medicinal and aromatic crops. The lead crop, which is the focus of this...

Presently, Indian agricultural extension has wide mandates and despite the pluralistic extension approaches, its coverage and use of services is limited; particularly in rain-fed regions that are represented by marginal and smallholder farmers’. Hence, there is need to develop “need-based”...

In India, the first SAU was established in 1960 at Pantnagar in Uttar Pradesh. The SAUs were given autonomous status and direct funding from the state governments. They were autonomous organizations with state-wide responsibility for agricultural research, education and training or extension...

Decentralizing a large, complex national extension system is not easy, but the Government of India appears to be moving toward this long-term goal. Although ATMA model has been successful in addressing many of the extension problems and has shown exceptional impacts during the NATP phase but it...

The study is based on data collected under the project entitled "Tracking change in rural poverty in household and village economies in Eastern India". Data were collected from sample households through panel interview method in four villages namely; Arap, Baghakole, Inai and Susari. The study...