Dear

It is an interesting question. In view of the increasing budgetary pressure on governments, and introduction of new and affordable technologies, I think there is a lot of rooms that the private sector can play in the agricultural extension system. Since, we expect the private sector tend to focus on high value agricultural commodities, rich farmers, accessible areas etc., still the role of public extension system should continue for the years to come to serve the needy and non-served by the private sector.

Dear

It is an interesting question. In view of the increasing budgetary pressure on governments, and introduction of new and affordable technologies, I think there is a lot of rooms that the private sector can play in the agricultural extension system. Since, we expect the private sector tend to focus on high value agricultural commodities, rich farmers, accessible areas etc., still the role of public extension system should continue for the years to come to serve the needy and non-served by the private sector.

Dear Kidanemariam Gebregziabher, thank you.

I agree with you.

Yours Abdulrahman

Private advisory service cannot play a sustainable role in agricultural extension services because they will have to transfer the cost pertaining to delivery of advice to the end user or farmer who cannot afford to pay. However, government can because they are force to commit budget for agriculture and this services are provided freely to farmers both near and distant.

Dear Kwamina Ewur Banson, you are all righte, to play a good role by private sector, that is need accountability by government.

Thank you Dr Sajda Taha Mahmood, I' m glad to uour participation in this descussion.

Private advisory system will be a game enhancer

Dear Mala Babagana Gutti, thank you, private sector wants to acheive profit by sale inputs (hardware), which can its information (software) play important role to promot it.

Dear Abdulrahman Alkhaldi

Special consultancy services are very important because this makes competition in providing extension service in agricultural extension with the governmental agricultural extension agencies.

But must be defined by law so as not to cause additional costs to farmers or agricultural investors .

Both are required.

Thank you Mr Emmanuel Vijayanand Murray, yes private and public agencies can play important role in agricultural extension.

Bost

Dear Ali Hashim Abdulrazzaq, thank you for your participation, and I agree you.

Best regards

Abdulrahman

Dear Dr Elsaid Elashry, excuse me I did not understand what you mean " bost"

Dear Haji Saediman, thank you so much.

Regards

Abdulrahman

Private and public agricultural advisory systems should play complementary and synergistic roles. Delivery of farm advisory services should be linked to policy framework of the state. it should adopt a nottom-up approach, that is, based on felt need

Dear Likita Tanko, thank you. I agree at every word you write it.

Regards

Abdulrahman

The both systems have advantages and drawbacks.

We can see in different countries that public advisory is needed to improve the general organisation of agriculture to face to wars, famines... Public agricultural advisory is important to enhance the agriculture in a country but it can be seen as a system of inspection to impose standards.

That's why private agricultural advisory is developed with it's own ambitions.

However we can see in many countries that both private and public agricultural advisory is becoming paying.

Both can have advantages and challenges: This paper provides a good overview: http://www.ifpri.org/publication/how-make-agricultural-extension-demand-driven

I think it might be one of the possibilities to leverage the government based agricultural extension system in most African countries.The question here would be how?The extension work requires huge investment and the private system might not bear such a load with out immediate profit.

Yes

The private advisory service play a great role. But, it is context specific, which means for the countries that whose farmers afford the cost it is better due to many reasons

1. It increase the farmers motivation to implement the recommendation

2. It reduce the government burden

3. It strength the bottom up Extension approach

4. It increase the multi stakeholders integration

Though, it is not preferred for poor countries. Since the farmers may not afford the cost that hinder them to use the extension services

my dear The public sector is still limited to meeting the requirements of the private sector in the light of lack of knowledge and lack of vision and guidance

Dear Hasan .T. Zanzal, thank you for sharing this discusion.

Dear Tegegne Derbe, thank you for sharing this discusion.

Pluralistic extension system is desired for better outputs. In this aspect, the role that could be played by private extension system cannot be relegated. It may be appropriate in commercial oriented farming systems like irrigation areas. The precondition is to identify the most appropriate areas (locations and commodities), which may be context specific, suited for this specific advisory system.

It's a tricky question. One size does not fit all. You can have a look at the matrix model of university, government, industry and civil society collaboration.

Article Responsible innovation through conscious contestation at the...

I agree that public system is investing a lot for agricultural advisory and simultaneously they provide basic inputs for the agriculture which is generally free of cost.

It has been observed very frequently that whenever anything is available free of cost, its' importance diminishes. The same is happening with public advisory as well as with its inputs.

That's what I do feel, private system should come into the play, and permit them to give advisory and input supply with some charges (compulsorily) which should be small enough to bear by the farmers. While at the same time, public system can pay compensation to the private sector for the services.

Hence I believe when advisory and input supply will be charged, farmers will give importance to it as well as use it for the right purpose. It may bring a lot of change to the farmers by involving private sectors.

I think both - two systems have advantages. But, in my opinion, the private advisory system is faster, more flexible and more effective.

Before passing the decision, it would be better to see the country’s economic status. For developed countries, I suggest private extension advisory system is very good because farmers can willing to pay for each advisory services. In the case of developing countries, public extension system is preferable since the smallholder farmers couldn’t able to pay for the advisory services. Of course, on both of the two cases, the paying capabilities of farmers might not be equal at the household level. Therefore, pluralistic extension service delivery mechanisms are very important, regardless of the country’s economic status.

Now a days, I see the growing effect off private extension in some countries. The services is provided solely but as an provided after-sale services from some agricultural companies selling seeds and fertilizers to the growers. probably the services will be developed when a complete trust is built between the two sides of this relationship then the growers will pay for such services. until that moment, the growers will be satisfied with the governmental free of charge extension services.

Private sector will look for financial return. If this is achieved by anyhow, it will provide that service. So, how this financial return will be provided, that is the question. in developing countries, this services is provided associated with sold agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers and pesticides). in some developed countries, this services is provided on demand by farmer's payment.

Yes, Private sector can provide extension service along the agro-input being marketed and distributed to target clients. This is based on profits which at times may be biased to promoting trade rather than sustainable agriculture. Hence, its important that governments still regulate and control extension services, especially now that agroecology is increasingly becoming key

Some time ago, I answered this question. For me, both systems must be harmonized, to the benefit of each.

Both go hand in hand with a promising agricultural discipline with the available agricultural resources to achieve a breakthrough in sustainable agricultural development. With appreciation