The New Nation - Internet Edition

Professor M Zahidul Haque

THE Government deserves appreciation for allocating a huge fund in the budget for fiscal 2008-09 with a view to bringing about true development in our agri-sector, ensuring food security and farmers' welfare. A good sum of money has been earmarked for providing subsidy in some fields of agriculture including diesel for irrigation. Endowment fund for enhancing agricultural research already in operation is also encouraging.

Meanwhile it is gathered from a TV report presented by prominent agricultural activist Shaikh Siraj on Channel i (dt.10/06/08) that our farmers are almost unaware about budget and other development measures taken by the govt. for improving their farming, raising crop production and their income. It is evident from the said TV report that the common farmers are not at all familiar with the term 'budget'.

What they need is, ensuring of timely supply of seed, fertilizer, and irrigational facilities. A few farmers had however stressed on the need for disbursing the allocated money by maintaining transparency and through controlling corruption.

In order to increase farmer's awareness on various agricultural issues, agricultural extension service has to be modernized and a special fund should be allocated to educate farmers through imparting agricultural extension education. It is unfortunate that some people without knowing the importance and implications of Agricultural Extension often underestimates the role of agricultural extension , a discipline which has brought revolutionary changes and development in the field of agriculture world over. In reality, Agricultural Extension imparts necessary non-formal education to the farmers so that they can learn how to apply/use agricultural technologies for boosting farm production. Broadly Agricultural Extension performs the following two main roles, viz. (i) Human resource development and (ii) Technology transfer. These two roles are basic building blocks of agricultural development. Through providing non-formal education on different issues of agriculture, agricultural extension contributes to the development of skilled human resources while through dissemination of agricultural innovations release by the research organizations among the farmers, agri extension ensures technology transfer.

Meanwhile for making our agricultural extension service more effective and modern, this author feels that the following measures should be taken :-

1. Agricultural Extension workers should adequately be trained on various technologies and techniques for raising crop production and for making the farming business more profitable. In this respect, agricultural diploma course should be revised at par with the demand of time and need of the farmers. The authorities concerned have to ensure that courses are properly taught by the teachers and learned by the students at different Agricultural Training Institutes (ATIs) under the govt. Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

2. All the private radio and TV channels plus the govt. controlled BTV and Bangladesh Betar should start broadcast/ telecasting co-ordinated programs on agricultural issues under the supervision of Agricultural Information Service (AIS) of the Ministry of Agriculture. 3. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) should undertake farmer's literacy program in collaboration with other related departments to impart daily-needed knowledge to the common farmers.

If the above mentioned measures are implemented, there is no doubt that the farmer's efficiency will be enhanced and they will contribute effectively in the development of agriculture and in achieving food security through utilizing govt. fund and facilities.

(The author is Chairman, Department of Agricultural Extension & Information System, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka)