agricultural advisory services. In practical terms, extension means giving farmers – for us, smallholders in developing countries – knowledge of agronomic techniques and skills to improve their productivity, food security and livelihoods.

The context of extension and advisory services varies widely across countries (and localities within countries). That said, agricultural extension is a relatively old technology that may be increasingly challenged by the rise of digital. Information and communication technology can serve rural communities by providing local content and basic services to people marginalized by distance or geography. It can also help rural communities stay in touch, eliminate intermediaries, directly access markets and value chains, grow bargaining power, facilitate the provision of agriculture extension services, aid long-distance learning, improve farm productivity, and develop nonagricultural economic activities. Here and there, agricultural extension services may need to clarify what value-added they bring in relation to and concert with information and communication technology (e.g., e-agriculture). The site at https://www.fao.org/e-agriculture/ may be of interest.

Agricultural extension services typically include capacity development through training, strengthening innovation processes, building linkages between farmers and other agencies, and helping to strengthen farmers' bargaining position through appropriate institutional and organizational development .Extension provides a critical support service for rural producers meeting the new challenges confronting agriculture: transformation in the global food and agricultural system, including the rise of supermarkets and the growing importance of standards, labels, and food safety; growth in nonfarm rural employment and developments.

The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) is an autonomous institution set up at district level to ensure delivery of extension services to farmers. ATMA under Innovation Technology Dissemination (ITD) component of National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) has emerged. ATMA is a registered society of key stakeholders, at the district level, involved in project planning and implementation of various farm activities. The basic philosophy is to help farmers to help themeselves in the identification and finding solution of problems.

Globally Agricultural Extension aims at bringing about change in knowledge,attitude and skills of the farmers/respondents. Agricultural Extension always aims at training the consultant on different ways of cooking the broath instead of supplying cooked food. Rytu Bharosa Kendras are the new initiatives in Andhra Pradesh, these are serving as single shopper shops for the farmers for the technologies,inputs, advisory services and improving communication facilities.

EAS are effective in improving the farmers income,bargaining capacity ,developing enterpreneurial behaviours by producing value added products and improving the the collective bargaining, marketing capacity through group approach

Globally, Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) constitute all the mechanisms and systems which intend to build and enhance the capacities of diversified range of actors in agriculture innovation system. The role of EAS has been extended beyond the traditional transfer of technology. EAS can be done thru public / private / public private partnerships / civil society organizations.

Agricultural extension now focuses on facilitating the process for the farmer or the value chain actor to choose from a wide range of technologies or options that will be effective to transform the product value in question.