Agricultural

Extension
Prof. Agnes M. Caliza
What is EXTENSION?
Extension has been defined by various
writers in several ways but they mean
practically the same things.
There is no widely accepted definition of
agricultural extension. The ten examples
given below are taken from a number of
books on extension published over a
period of more than 50 years.
The term extension was first used to
describe adult education programs in
England in the second half of the 19th
century; these programs helped to expand –
or extend – the work of universities beyond
the campus and into the neighboring
community. The term was later adopted in
the United States of America, while in
Britain it was replaced with “advisory
service” in the 20th century.
 A service or system which extends the
educational advantages of an institution to
persons unable to avail themselves for them
in a normal (formal) manner (Cambridge
University). Under the definition extension
takes to the people, particularly the rural
people, that form of educational assistance
best suited to their needs.
A service or system, which assist farm people.
Through educational procedures in improving
farming and home making methods and
techniques, increasing production efficiency
and income, bettering their levels of living,
and uplifting the social and educational
standards of rural life (Addison Maunder).

An out-of-school system of education in

which adults and young people learn by doing
(L.D. Kelsey, C.C. Hearne, and E.D. Spider).
A system of rural education which endeavors
to make available to rural people who cannot
attend school to obtain scientific knowledge
in agriculture, home economics, and the
results of experience of farmers and
homemakers, to aid them in applying these
results in their own work and thus bring
about a more satisfying family and
community life (F.G. Gallery).
A type of service designed to improve the living
conditions of farmers, homemakers and other rural
people by teaching them to adopt better and improve
methods in their farming pursuits, in homemaking
practices and in better community life. As a type of
service, it endeavors to help people to help themselves
so that they can improve and become better members
of their communities

The dissemination of useful information, methods and

procedures emanating from research to rural people
and influencing them to apply these information to
improve their levels of living.
An informal educational process that aims to
raise awareness, advance understanding, and
transform farmers’ attitudes towards farming
practices that boost up productivity and promote
management of the soil and other natural
resources.

A process of working with rural people to enable

them to improve their productivity and develop
their capabilities to conserve, protect and manage
their land and natural resources.
An essential mechanism for delivering
information and advice as an input to
sustainable farming.

In the AFMA document (1997), “Extension

Services” refers to the provision of training,
information, and support services by the
government and non-government organizations
to the agriculture and fisheries sectors to improve
the technical, business and social capabilities of
farmers and fishfolks.
Extension is an instrument of
premeditated deliberate intervention to
achieve the intervener’s goal; can only be
effective by inducing voluntary change and
hence satisfying client goals.
1949: The central task of extension is to help
rural families help themselves by applying
science, whether physical or social, to the
daily routines of farming, homemaking, and
family and community living.

1965: Agricultural extension has been

described as a system of out-of-school
education of rural people.
1966: Extension personnel have the task of bringing
scientific knowledge to farm families in the farms
and homes. The object of the task is to improve
the efficiency of agriculture.

1973: Extension is a service or system which assists

farm people, through educational procedures, in
improving farming methods and techniques,
increasing production efficiency and income,
bettering their levels of living and lifting social
and educational standards.
1974: Extension involves the conscious use
of communication of information to help
people form sound opinions and make
good decisions.

1982: Agricultural Extension: Assistance to

farmers to help them indentify and
analyze their production problems and
become aware of the opportunities for
improvement.
1988: Extension is a professional
communication intervention deployed
by an institution to induce change in
voluntary behaviors with a presumed
public or collective utility.

1997: Extension is the organized

exchange of information and the
purposive transfer of skills.
1999: The essence of agricultural extension is to
facilitate interplay and nurture synergies within a
total information system involving agricultural
research, agricultural education and a vast
complex of information-providing businesses.

2004: Extension is a series of embedded

communicative interventions that are meant,
among others, to develop and/or induce
innovations which supposedly help resolve
(usually multi-factor) problematic situations.
A closer look at the definitions of extension would
reveal that extension embodies the following
concepts:
The core concept is education
It means to extend to spread or disseminate useful
information or ideas to rural people outside the
regularly organized schools and classrooms.
It is a process of integrating indigenous and derived
knowledge attitudes and skills to determine what is
needed, how it can be done, what local cooperation
and resources can be mobilized and what additional
assistance is available and may be necessary to
overcome particular obstacles.
It is a method of non-formal education aimed at
inducing behavioral changes to improve technical
knowledge and skills to make possible income
generating projects and thereby increase income.

It’s role is to bridge the gap between the research

system and the client system

Research Extension Client

System System System
 Meaning and Terminology for
Extension in some selected
countries
Country: Netherlands

Word for Extension: Voorlichting

Meaning: Lighting the pathway ahead to help

people find their way.
Country: Germany*
Word for Extension: *Beratung
Meaning: An expert can give advice on the best
way to reach one’s goal but leaves the person
the final responsibility for selecting the way.

Word for Extension: *Aufklarung

Meaning: Enlightening so that one knows
clearly where he/she is going.
Word for Extension: *Erziehung
Meaning: Education, that is, to teach people to
solve their problems themselves.

Country: Austria
Word for Extension: Forderung
Meaning: Further or stimulating one to go in a
desirable direction.
Country: France
Word for Extension: Vulgarisation
Meaning: Simplification of the message for the
common man.

Country: Spain
Word for Extension: Capacitacion
Meaning: Improving the abilities of people,
normally through training.
Country: USA
Word for Extension: Extension
Meaning: Education

Country: Indonesia
Word for Extension: Penyluhan
Meaning: Lighting the way ahead with a torch.
Country: Malaysia
Word for Extension: Perkembangan
Meaning: Education the way USA interprets it.

Country: Korea
Word for Extension:
Meaning: Rural guidance
Country: Arabia
Word for Extension: Al-Ershad
Meaning: Guidance

Country: Persian
Word for Extension: Tarjiv & Gostaresh
Meaning: To promote and to extend
Types of Extension
Agricultural Extension – Offers technical
advice on agriculture to farmers, and also
supplies them with the necessary inputs
and services to support their agricultural
production.
It provides information to farmers and
passes to the farmers new ideas developed
by agricultural research stations.
Agricultural extension programs cover a
broad area including improved crop
varieties, better livestock control, improved
water management, and the control of
weeds, pests or plant diseases.
Where appropriate, agricultural extension
may help to build up local farmers’ groups
and organizations so that they can benefit
from extension program.
Non-agricultural Extension – this includes
all activities and efforts not directly
related to agriculture or livestock
production, but which are important to
the farm facilities.
Home economics, family health and
nutrition, population education and
community development are all non-
agricultural extension activities.
Origins of Agricultural Extension
1862 Morrill Act
The Cooperative Extension service was established in 1914
with the passage of Smith-Lever Act, but a number of
laws passed prior to that contributed to extension’s
present form. The first of those was the Morrill Act of
1862, which created the land-grant university system.
When the Morrill Act was passed few people could have
guessed its impact on the nation. The system it created
effectively brought the opportunity for university
education and vocational skills to all citizens. A uniquely
American system, land-grant universities serve catalysts
for growth and change in the states they serve.
1890 MORRILL ACT
Twenty-eight years later, a second Morrill
Act added institutions that primarily
served minority students and increased
funds available to the original universities.
Today, each state and territories of the
United States have a land-grant university,
and 17 states have an 1890 institution.
From the early focus on vocational education,
particularly in business, agriculture and the
trades, the land-grant institutions have
expanded their mission to include three
primary functions: resident teaching at the
undergraduate and graduate level; research,
both basic and applied, in response to the
specific needs of the state; and extension of
knowledge to all people of the state.
HATCH ACT
The 3rd major piece of legislation that has shaped
Extension is the Hatch Act introduced by William
H. hatch of Missouri. Passed in 1887, the Hatch
Act authorized establishment of agricultural
experiment stations to expand research
capabilities of the land grant universities. The
experiment stations engage in a variety of research
projects and communicate their results to farmers
around the state.
SMITH-LEVER ACT
This was passed in 1914 in response to the success
of the experiment stations. It established the
Cooperative Extension Service as a partnership
among federal, state, and local governments.
Congress directed the land grant colleges and the
US Department of Agriculture to work together
to established a new program to provide for both
the practical and liberal higher education of all
Americans.
Over the years the original act has been
amended a number of times but the intent
has not. Extension’s essential nature as a
non-formal educational resource for the
development of individuals, families and
communities in a democratic society
remained the same.
Agricultural Extension in the Philippines:
Historical Perspective
1565
The beginnings of extension work thru the Granjas
Modelos or model farms that were set up. They
served as:
Experimental stations of the Spanish government
Demonstration centers for farmers
Towards end of 18th Century

Extension had regulatory functions such as

supervision of tobacco fields and grading of
tobacco leaves for export.

October 8, 1901

Beginning of extension work under the American

regime
April 30, 1902

Establishment of the Bureau of Agriculture under

the Department of Interior

March 6, 1909

The College of Agriculture University of the

Philippines, Los Baños Laguna was established
July 1910
Demonstration and Extension Division was
created in the Bureau of Agriculture making it the
first formally organized government department
implementing extension and research programs.

Several experiment stations and demonstration

farms were set up in strategic places in the country.

Agricultural Schools were established to educate

and train government agricultural extension
workers and others engaged in agriculture.
July 10, 1919
The extension service organization was made a
separate unit of the Bureau of Agriculture as the
Demonstration and Extension Division. The
expanded operations included:

 Farmers cooperative organizations

 Rural credit
 Marketing
 Animal insurance
Persons engaged in this work were called FARM
ADVISERS
1923
The name of the division was changed to
Agricultural Extension Service.

Maria Y. Orosa founded the Home Extension

Service.
Home extension work was later known as Home
Economics under the Division of Organic
Chemistry of the Bureau of Science. The main
service was on food preservation.
1929

Bureau of Agriculture was reorganized. The Bureau

of Animal Industry (BAI) and Bureau of Plant
Industry (BPI) were formed. Both Bureaus
continued to expand their extension activities.
1936
Commonwealth Act 85 was passed. It established
the provincial extension service financed by the
provincial and municipal government. Significant
results:
Broader and more comprehensive agricultural
system emerged
Extension service in the Philippines became a
serious organized business .
The position of Provincial Agriculturist was
created
Farm advisers were now called Extension Agents
1942 – 1945
Japanese Occupation

Home economics and agricultural extension work

particularly in the provinces suffered drawbacks.

Extension work was paralyzed

1947

The Home Extension Unit of the Plant Utilization

Division of the BPI was fused with the Agricultural
Extension of the Bureau
1950
Upon request of the President of the Philippines to
the President of the USA to send to the Philippines
an Economic Survey Mission to consider financial
problems of the country and to recommend
measures that will enable the Philippines to
become and remain self-supporting . The Bell
Survey Mission came to the Philippines
July 1952

Creation of the Bureau of agricultural Extension

(BAEx) through RA No. 68O enacted by the
Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. This
was in response to the Bell Mission’s
recommendation. All the extension activities of
the Department of Agriculture and Natural
Resources became the responsibility of BAEx
August 8, 1963

The BAEx was renamed Agricultural Productivity

Commission (APC) placed under the Office of the
President. Under the APC the Agricultural
Tenancy Commission was organized as a separate
office.

The APC , the Land Authority , the Agricultural

Credit Administration and the Land Bank were
placed at the crest of the land reform program
Positive Consequence – A concentrated technical
assistance because of the teaming up of
agriculturist, home demonstrators, and 4-H club
officers in carrying out the responsibility in the
integrated national land reform program.

Negative Consequence - It revived all intra

departmental jealousies. Resentments arose from
other agencies that were covered by the program.
No Date
Creation of the Rice and Corn Authority (RCA)
through Executive Order No. 62. RCA extend credit
for seeds, pesticides, and harvesting. It also has a
fertilizer subsidy program for participating farmers.
1965
Reconceptualization of the rice self-sufficiency
program to include rice production, marketing and
distribution and the consolidation, integration, and
concentration of government as well as private
sector resources
1969
The National Food and Agriculture Council
(NFAC) emerged by virtue of Executive Oder No
183. It was given full control of the food
production program and so controlled a large
portion of funds for agriculture and the funding
from the US Administration for International
Development (USAID). The NFAC assumed a
major responsibility for overseeing the effective
delivery of the agriculture extension for the entire
1972
Declaration of Martial Law. Several organizational
changes affecting agriculture extension took place.

 Presidential Decree # 1 and Presidential Letter of

Implementation reverted the APC to its original
name BAEx
Functions and personnel in cooperatives were
transferred to the Department of Local
Government and Community Development
(DLGCD)
PD 970 abolished the Bureau of Farm
Management of the Department of Agrarian and
transferred its extension function to the BAEx
July 1, 1973
BAEx was again placed under the DA. The Abaca
and Other Fibers Board was fused with the BAEx.
1977
The World Bank Mission was requested by The
Philippine Government to appraise the country’s
agricultural extension service.
Results:
The Philippines adopted the Training and Visit
(T&V) system
The proposal for the National Extension Project
(NEP) was approved and became operational on
March 27, 1979.
The World Bank approved a loan of US $35M

The Philippine Agricultural Extension Service was

strengthened with facilities and resources acquired
through the World Bank
1978

Ministry –wide regional offices were created in the

Ministry of Agriculture by virtue of PD 1579. With
this set up, 12 ministry-wide Regional Directors
and 24 Asst Regional Directors (1 for livestock & 1
for crops in each region) were appointed. This was
followed by the designation of 75 Provincial
Agricultural Officers in 1980
1982
By virtue of EO 803, the province under the
leadership of the governor was designated as the
political unit of management for inducing
agricultural development, coordination and
supervision of operation of the various agencies
involved in the delivery of agricultural services.
This means the provincial governments were
empowered to have their own extension services as
provided for in R.A. No. 5185 known as The
Decentralization Act
The Organizational Structure for the
Implementation of the Integrated Agricultural
Extension Program
The Regional Directors were directly under the
Minister of Agriculture.
The Regional Director directly supervised the
Provincial Agricultural Officer (PAO)
The PAO was responsible for all municipal
agriculture officers (MAO)
At the provincial level the PAO was assisted by:

The Senior Home Management Technician (SHMT)

The Rural Youth Development Officer (RYDO)
The Provincial Subject Matter Specialist (SMS)

The MAO is directly responsible for all Agricultural

Food Technologies (AFT) in the municipality.
1991

The agricultural extension service of the DA were

devolved to the local government units (LGU) by
virtue of RA 7160 otherwise known as the Local
Government Code (1991)
Interrelationship of the Different Functions of a College
University

Research is the fuel that powers the engine of new

technology and the development derived from it.
Agricultural extension is widely accepted as the
governmental function that is responsible for
providing information and education services to
farmers about new technology.
Extension and research are like Siamese twins. They
have lasting relationship born out of the need for
each other. Without research, extension is likened
to a hollow drum; without extension, research is
like a fruitless tree.

Though an extensionist need not be an experienced

researcher, he/she must recognized that the inputs
of a research make extension work richer and
fuller.
Though a researcher need not be a committed
extensionist, he/she must appreciate that his/her
research outputs are useless without extension
that enables any end-user to benefit from the
discovered knowledge , values and technology .
Research outputs must not gather dust in the
shelves unable to find an end user that could
benefit from the discovered knowledge. Extension
should be able to utilize researchers to enhance the
content of their extension work.
Research, basic or applied is an obligation of a
professor . However, research becomes a useless
and expensive exercise if it is not disseminated in
term of technology to the end-user in the
surrounding communities through the extension
arm of the University. Thus the three functions are
interrelated and cannot be separated. The absence
of one makes the University inadequate and
ineffective as a hallmark of knowledge.
 Elements of Extension
It is a process of education conducted out of school
It is designed to educate people on the better ways
of doing things
Its teaching starts along the lines of the current
interest and needs of the target clientele
It gives emphasis to the improvement of
agriculture and home life and related areas
It underscores the development of people’s
capability to produce more efficiently and
Its ultimate purpose is to enable the clientele to
attain higher levels of living
Basically the emphasis of extension is social
and economic improvement in the life of the
people being served.
 Philosophy of Extension
Extension is based on the philosophy that rural
people are intelligent, capable and desirous of
receiving information and making use of it for
their individual and community welfare
Extension starts where the people are and with
what they have. Improvement can begin from
there.
The classroom is where the people are: on the
farms, in their homes and villages
People learn to do by doing
Extension works with and through the people.
Local leaders are trained by extension workers to
extend the information to others.
Education is carried on either with groups of
people or with individuals
The spirit of self-help is essential for democratic
living
Extension thus involves working with people
where they are, building on what they have and
adding to what they know
The philosophy underscores development of people
as the fundamental objective of extension work.
Operationally this philosophy asserts that real
development is not in the visible physical
structures of improvements put up by man nor in
the magnitude of material goods generated by
factories and farmers to be consumed by man.
Rather, real development is in man himself in his
vision, in his outlook, in his capabilities and his
total well-being.
 Principles of Extension
Extension works under a harmonious
complementation among local governance,
government institution, non-government
organizations and community organizations.

While there is no definitive statement of the guiding

precepts of Extension, the following derived from
a variety of sources, includes the most generally
agreed upon aspects of extension’s underlying
principles.
Extension helps people with self development by
helping them apply educational resources to their
own needs and desires
Extension helps people manage change in the
social economic and political arenas
Extension develops programs and activities that
address people’s needs and the priorities agreed
upon by the state and local partners
Extension works with groups for cost effectiveness
greater creativity and the encouragement and
strengthening of democratic process.
Extension helps people become educators by
encouraging them to participate in the development
of the learning activities.
Extension is flexible and innovative in program
approaches
Extension uses a team approach to program
development priority setting and problem solving
Extension works with not for the people. It
facilitates problem solving and decision making by
the farmers.
Extension is accountable to its clients but the
clients too must bear corresponding responsibilities
The clients are the decision makers and
implementers of solutions; they must be equally
responsible for the success of extension.
Effective extension occurs only when the client
fully understand the issue and is involved in
identification and implementation of agreed
solutions/action
Extension is anchored on relevant, practical
and doable knowledge or
recommendations/solutions thus the need for
continuous linking for knowledge and skills
enhancement
Extension must be local and accessible to facilitate
regular contact and decision making at the local
level.
Extension must bear economically interesting
message with production and marketing services
Extension proceeds with proper infrastructure and
mobility support and with responsive and timely
capacity building program
Extension is long stepwise process
 Profile of Extension

It is an agency of government created by law to

administer an out of school system of education
for rural people.
It is non-political, non-sectorian, and not restricted
in service to any party, race, religion, or members
of any organization
It is educational but differs from common concept
of an educational institution.
Differences between Classroom and Extension
Teaching
Comparison Classroom Extension
Nature Formal Non formal
Purpose Preparation for Actual life
life situation
Group served Generally Youth and
youth adults
Venue/place Classroom - Anywhere,
school where the
people are
Participation Compulsory Voluntary
 It has fixed curriculum of course of study
 It confers no degrees and gives no diploma
 It operates informally off-campus and uses farms,
homes and places of work/business as classroom
 It has a large and heterogeneous audience
 It deals with adults and youth in actual situation
 It has a large field of subject matter
 Its subject is more practical than theoretical and is
intended for immediate application in the
solutions of problems
 Application of the subject matter requires a change in
both mental and physical behavior
 Participation of people is purely voluntary since the
organization does not have policies power or otherwise
exercise control.
 It renders a technical service
 Its field of work is broad-agricultural and home
economics and subjects related therefore however it is
not unlimited
 It uses a variety of methods but emphasizes
demonstration.
 It values people more than it does things and aims
ultimately at the development of people rather
than the putting up of material or physical
improvement.
 It has the freedom to develop programs locally that
are based on the needs and expressed desires of
the people.
 It is based largely on research therefore it is
practical and dynamic.
 It makes extensive use of local leaders in its
operations
 It works with all members of the family as a unit
 Need for Extension
Extension is needed:

For government to respond to technology needs of

farmers

For government, non-government and people to

address issues and threats to sustainable upland
development together
 Purpose of Extension

 Emancipatory
 Formative
 Informative
 Persuasive
 Objectives of Agricultural Extension

 To act as intermediary between agricultural

development institutions and target groups
 To aid in the transfer and adaptation of research
results to/by the farmers as target groups/clientele
 To establish/structure new institutions
 To mobilize all the necessary resources in extension
work.
 Clients of Extension
 Farmers – women and men in agriculture and fishery
 Out of school youth
Communities and organizations
General conditions of the clients
1. Resource poor
2. Most neglected
3. Poor access to information and technology options
4. Inappropriate farming practices
5. Typically individualistic
6. Dole-out oriented
Requirements of Agricultural Modernization
1. Appropriate production technologies generated
by the research system or indigenous knowledge
system
2. Availability of input supply (fertilizers, seeds etc)
3. Market and favorable market environment
4. Policy support
5. Physical infrastructure
6. Responsive extension system
7. Support services (rural credit, vet services etc)