Agricultural Extension Reforms in South Asia: Status, Challenges, and Policy Options

Agricultural Extension Reforms in South Asia: Status, Challenges, and Policy Options is based on the agricultural extension reforms across five South Asian countries reflecting on past experiences, case studies and experiments. Beginning with a comprehensive overview of historical trends and recent developments in the region, the book then delves into country-wise reform trajectories and presents several cases testing the effectiveness of different types (public and private) and forms (nutrition extension, livestock extension) of extension systems. Further, the book also provides a comprehensive overview of the different challenges and constraints faced in formulating and implementing reforms, tying the results into a concrete set of lessons and highlighting the areas that require further research.

Agricultural Extension Reforms in South Asia: Status, Challenges, and Policy Options discusses how a major aspect of agricultural development is the productivity increase from the knowledge base of the farmers and translating research results into knowledge base for farmers requires designing and implementing well-functioning extension programs. As such, the readers will gain a solid understanding of the challenges facing academics, researchers and policy makers in agricultural transformation through a wide range of experiences, lessons and case studies.

• Presents the current challenges and solutions by region, and provides insights for application in global settings
• Provides key foundational information for the effective and efficient design of future intervention programs
• Includes workshops and presentations based on real-world research of specific aspects of extension systems and provision of advisory and consultation services to various governments