aistand south~ern afrkca - (PDF, 101 mb) - USAID

Figure 2. The analyical framework.
ROLE
OF THE
PRIVATE SECTOR
POLICY CONTEXT
Mobllilsa'jonof power within the state and the brobder acoclety
Problems confronted by the state
Repertoire of accepted solutions
Economic, political, social, environmental end administrative resources
research and extension require considerable
investment ofcapital and operational budgets to
be effective. Agriculture is a strategic sector in
the economies of sub-Sahar an Africa, e.g. about
80% of the total labour force is engaged in
agriculture and agriculture accounts for between
35 and 60% of foreign exchange earnings.
Agriculture contributes about 35 to 50% of the
gross domestic product of the countries under
consideration.
The topic under discussion is researchextension
linkages in relation to efforts to
increase livestock production. Research in this
context can be defined as the development of
better crop or livestock germplasm to suit a
particular demand or the generation of new
technology to solve a particular constraint,
Extension can be defined as the furthering and
popularisation of knowledge. It signifies the
stimulation of desirable agricultural illumination.
It can also mean information flow into
farming communities and flow of information
from farmers to researchrs,, input and services
suppliers and policy makers. Extension plays an
important role in the formulation of policy for
agricultural development and sits at the centre
of the agricultural information network. It is not
a passive conduit but an active system that can
be directed, it seeks out and organises
information and then channels it to and, equally
important, from farmers. This paper argues that
research-extension linkages are very important
i. transferring developed technologies from
those who generate them to the users. To
communicate effectively, reseamch must be as
strong and efficient as extension. Both must
ROLE OF THE STATE
Policy objectives
Policy formulation and Implementation
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH
AND EXTENSION
Factors affecting the
OrgansationlI
organlsatlonal structure adjustment mechanisms
Complexity
integration mechanisms
Functional specialisation
Buffer mechanisms
Interdependonce
Decentralisation
FARMERS
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have well-qualified and motivated staffwho have
an adequate resource base to work from.
Information flow between
research and extension
It has been stated that agricultural development
begins with increajed control over the environment
and increased output of desirable plants
and animals. This development must be a
sustainable one, which is explicit to the promotion
of agricultural technologies that are
ecologically sound, economically viable, socially
just and meet with the needs of the present
population without compromising the ability of
future generations to batisfy their own needs.
Hence, for both research and extension sustainable
agriculture must be the key strategy. An
agricultural system performs well if the developed
or generated technology is comprehensively
transferred to the users.
Roling (1990) argues that scientists involved
!n basic, strategic, applied and ad otive
research, together with subject-mtter
specialists, village-level extension workers and
farmers, should be seen as participants in a
single agricultural knowledge and information
system. The interface between research and
technology transfer is an important one in
determining the performance of the whole
system. Roling (1990) argues that, historically,
research has stopped too early in what should be
a continuous and dynamic process of developing
and diffusing new technology. Researchers have
been physically and mentally isolated from
farmers, with the tendency to hand down an
unfinished, untested product to extension staff.