HISTORY OF P

AGRICULTUR EXTENSION SYSTEM IN

PAKISTAN

The first agriculture extension department in today’s Pakistan was established in 1905 on the
recommenda-tions of the then Famine Commission set up to sug-gest ways for the development of
agriculture in Indiansubcontinent. Since then much changes and improvement have been tried in the
advisory services in thecountry

During 1960s and 1970s, Pakistan’s extension services played a distinct role along with research and
other stakeholders in bringing about the Green Revolution. During 1970’s the country’s extension
services significantly benefitted from major projects funded by the World Bank when the Training & Visit
system of extension was being promoted.

Although agricultural extension in Pakistan has been public from the start, yet it has never been a
federal government’s responsibility. Until the start of devolution process in 2001, the main agricultural
extension department, headed by a Director-General, was located at provincial level in all five provinces.
Although the provincial extension offices have not been disbanded, the extension responsibilities have
been shifted to district level administration. Now each district has an extension directorate, which is a
part of provincial department of agriculture. Local Government is now actively involved in agricultural
activities including extension.

According to a recent survey conducted by FAO, Pakistan’s investment in agricultural extension during
the year 2009 was US$ 86,923,170, and the extension agent to active rural population ratio was 1:
6,881. Agricultural extension services in Pakistan, which were already criticized for their less than
satisfactory performance, have suffered under devolution. The devolution-related problems for
agricultural extension in Pakistan include confusion about new role of extension, abundance of
bureaucratic paperwork, burden of non-extension tasks, isolation from provincial extension office, and
enhanced political interference. In addition, several administrative levels simply create more red tape
delaying decision making. The role of provincial vis-à-vis district extension offices needs to be re-defined
as the provincial offices feel disconnected from the field.
Extension services in Pakistan remain traditional, using old extension methods and top-down and
technology-driven approaches. Linkages with research and agricultural academic institutions are
minimal at best. There is hardly any female field extension staff. The organization suffers from a lack of
in-service training, mobility means, scant career development opportunities, and grossly inadequate
operational funds. Gender-sensitivity is non-existent in terms of extension access by rural women.

In spite of a plethora of research stations, contacts between research and extension remain scant. The
private sector has been very active for years in the sale of various farm inputs like seed, fertilizer,
pesticides, herbicides, farm machinery, etc. However, sometimes, the prices are too high for small
farmers. Pakistan has both rain-fed and irrigated areas. Improved technology for rain-fed areas is not
adequate. It is not easy for small farmers to get credit in some parts of the country due to collateral
requirements. Although the majority of farmers are subsistence, with small holdings, there is sizeable
number of commercial farmers who run their large farms like business.

Major Institutions Providing

Extension/Advisory Services
Public Institutions

Provincial Directorates General of Extension

In spite of devolution, the Directorate-General of Agriculture and Applied Research still exists. This office
carries out various duties including advice on agriculture sector to the provincial government,
implementation of provincial projects and maintenance of links with the district governments for
agricultural extension matters. The responsibility for livestock extension lies with the Veterinary Officers
and Veterinary Assistants of the provincial Livestock and Dairy Department. A Directorate-General for
On-Farm Irrigation exists at provincial level. But like the Directorate-General of Extension, it also
provides policy advice to the provincial government.

District level extension organization

Under the District Coordination Officer are a number of Executive District Officers (EDO), and one of
them is for agriculture, called Executive District Officer for Agriculture (EDOA). The EDOA coordinates
agricultural activities with other departments at district level. Under the EDOA is a District Officer for
Agriculture (DOA) who is also based at district level, and is responsible for overall agricultural extension
work in the particular district. At district level, the Livestock and Dairy Department has more or less the
same structure as the Department of Agriculture, staffed by District Livestock Officers, Veterinary
Officers and Veterinary Assistants. The Irrigation and On-farm Water Management Directorate provides
extension advice on relevant matters mainly through Water Users Associations. Within the districts,
extension offices are located at the following lower layers of bureaucracy:

Tehsil level extension offices

Under the DOA are many Deputy District Officers for Agriculture (DDOA), based at tehsil level. Their
number corresponds with the number of tehsils in the particular district. The DDOAs handle agricultural
extension activities in their respective tehsils.

Markaz level extension offices

Under the DDOA, there are many Agriculture Officers (AOs) based at markaz level. These numbers
correspond with the number of markaz in the particular tehsil. The AOs are responsible for carrying out
agricultural extension responsibilities in their respective markaz.

Union Council level extension offices

Under each AO are several Field Assistants (FA) based at Union Council level. Their number corresponds
with the number of Union Councils in the particular markaz. The FAs are frontline agricultural extension
workers. Extension advice is provided in the areas of crops, fruit, vegetables, livestock, fisheries, and
marketing. Under each FA are two Beldars who are fieldworkers. They are more laborers than technical
persons, and help the FA in daily agricultural activities.

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC)http://www.parc.gov.pk

Although PARC is essentially apex agricultural research body, it has a social sciences wing, which is
engaged in policy level activities in marketing and extension. Statutory functions of PARC are to aid,
promote and coordinate agricultural research, expedite utilization of research results, establish research
facilities, train high-level scientific human resources, generate, acquire and disseminate agricultural
information, and establish a research library. The PARC sets national agricultural research agenda,
maintains national and international coordination and conducts in-house strategic research on national
issues. Pakistan’s national agricultural research system (NARS) consists of 20 federal research
establishments for basic and applied research, 10 provincial research institutes for applied research, 14
agricultural universities and colleges for basic research, and private agro-industry research organizations
for applied research on pesticides, fertilizers, seed and machinery, and it is PARC which provides
strategic thinking and orientation to the entire NARS.
Public universities

Just like agricultural research, Pakistan has a vast network of universities. Main agricultural universities
are the following:

University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (in Punjab province)

Arid Agriculture University (also known as Barani University), Rawalpindi (Punjab province),

Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam (Sindh province)

Agricultural University, Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province)

All these universities have agricultural extension departments which offer degrees up to Doctorate.
University of Agriculture at Faisalabad is the oldest and largest institution in Pakistan among agricultural
academic institutions.

Non-Public Institutions

Private sector

There are many private companies actively engaged in extension advisory work. Some of them are as
follows:

Syngenta (sells both pesticides and seed)

Fauji Fertilizer Company

Lakson Tobacco Company

Pioneer Pakistan

METRO

MACRO

Nestle

Seed Association of Pakistan

These companies work in most cases with only those farmers who have signed contracts with them or
have informally agreed to follow their instructions in crop production. They do not charge any fee to
their farmers. Motives behind extension support by the private companies are either to obtain good
quality raw materials from growers, and/or to enhance the sale of companies’ products. Of course,
farmers also benefit in many ways such as gaining technical knowledge and skills and enjoying
satisfaction of a guaranteed market for their harvest at reasonable prices. The extension support by
private companies excludes those farmers who do not join their programs.

Subjects of extension advice include plant protection, plant nutrition, introduction of new and improved
varieties, entire crop production cycle (sugarcane covered by sugar mills; tobacco covered by national
and multi-national tobacco companies; maize by seed and corn-processing companies; oil seed by edible
oil processing companies and Oil Seed Development Board; and milk by national and multi-national
companies), and credit (covered by micro-finance institutions and commercial banks).

The companies maintain well-equipped, well-educated, experienced and mobile staff in the field, and
are apparently popular among farmers. Their extension methods include demonstrations, field days, and
visits to individual farmers, farmers’ group meetings, training of farmers, tours to model farms, phone
calls, and published materials. The staff usually works through progressive farmers who are in most
cases large landholders.

Non-governmental organizations

Pakistan has hundreds of NGOs, both national and international. A comprehensive list of the NGOs may
be seen on the website http://www.urdusky.com. A few examples of NGOs in Pakistan are as follows:

National Rural Support Program (NRSP), Islamabad

national NGO; Telephone: (92) 51-282 2319

Rural Development Foundation, Islamabad

national NGO; Telephone: (92) 51-225 1492

CABI South Asia, Rawalpindi

international NGO; Telephone in Pakistan: (92) 51-9290332

Kashf Foundation, Lahore

national NGO; Telephone: (92) 42-111 981 981

Plan Pakistan, Islamabad

international NGO; Telephone in Pakistan: (92) 51-260 9435 41

Farmers-based organizations and cooperatives

There are quite a number of farmers’ or famers-based associations. Some examples are:

Pakistan Agriculture & Dairy Farmers Association

Farmers Associates Pakistan

Livestock Farmers & Breeders Association

Dairy Association of Pakistan

Farmers Association of Pakistan

Mango Growers Association Pakistan

Poultry Farming Association