Helen Kassa

                  Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Agricultural Extension

1.         Background

            The world population is rapidly increasing; the demand for food is dramatically rising.  The land size for cultivation and agro forestry is reducing to marginal.  To feed the increasing number of the world population, the earth has to produce consumption food and livestock and also sustain available natural resources.  In order to enable this, the optimum use of technology, that is environment and ecological friendly and sound, fairly to social and economic aspect is needed.

            The public extension has been made great efforts to improve Agricultural productivity.  However, due to thinly spread capacity of Public extension services in terms of capital, human resources and other logistics in many countries, the public extension alone could not achieve the intended results.  Agricultural Extension information has many sources.  To address the in efficiency of Public extension and to clear the assumptions that has been said as small farmers or societies do not accept the Agricultural information and technical support unless the government comes along is no more working idea.

Farrington J. (November, 1996) states “The fundamental Promise of Public Sector Extension that low income farmers are unlikely to obtain technical information unless it is provided by government increasingly being challenged”. 

The notion that many countries led to the idea of having many agencies have more efforts and capacity straightly as to reach the poor and attempt in full filling the changing demand of the population as well as the world market.

1.1              General objective

            This term paper attempts to point a few information on public and private Agricultural Extension with the intension of contributing to the multidimensional view points of various private and commercial agencies who are involved in assisting and facilitating the process of extension systems to the ranges of rural and remote areas of farming societies and complement the public extension which presumably to play the controlling and managerial roles.

1.2              Specific objectives

• At the end of this session, the participants will be able to analyze the situation of Public Private Partnership extension.
• Differentiate the roles and responsibilities of public and private extension functions.

·        Share the experiences of presented countries and the participants’ experiences on public and private partnership extension.

·        Give inception of appreciation for those who practice public-private extension approaches.

1.3              Methodology

This paper is prepared using the following methods:

·        Assessing and using Articles from internet.

·        Journals, Books, handouts and thesis.

1.4              Problem Statement

·        The government funds are getting stressed as donors limited funding for extension for many reasons of their own.

·        Many small farm communities, poorest categories and women farmers do not gain any benefit from public extension services.  The public transport cannot reach to them because they are located in the remote areas where infrastructure is not accessible.

·        The public sector has got very many commitments and responsibilities and cannot continue the work that can be done in better way by private sectors.  This does not mean that the private sector is an alternative means for public, rather the private extension will pursue to reaching the mass-grass root, diverse, risk-prone and small farmers in appropriate timing and delivery to respond the needs and issues of farming societies.

1.5              History of Agricultural Extension

            Agriculture was started since ever human beings appeared as living part of nature in this world.

            Agricultural Extension was established in late 19^th century with the aim of learning a better ways, techniques and information and make contacts with farmers who are involved in tilling the soil, cultivating crops and rearing livestock. Since then, the roles of extension have been controlled by governments, Ministry of Agriculture in many countries. 

Axinn H.G. (1988 p.57) in Williams (1968, p.6) quotes “During 20^th century the department been the main source of advice to farm people about farming methods”.

            This has got the consideration of public extension alone can not satisfied the needs of various categories of the society as well as increasing market demand. As a result public sector creates conducive policy environment as the private partnership can complement, supplement, work in partnership or substitute public extension whenever it is needed.

1.6       Concept, Meaning & Definitions of Public Private Partnership Extension

            Public Private Partnership is collaborated working parties where Public, Private sector and those who are voluntary organization as well as other cliental are involved in to work towards a betterment of the society by means of joint efforts. It has different definitions. Such as:

“Public Private Partnership is a type of contractual arrangement between Public Sector & Private Sector. It is also a quantity of equality to relationship between Public-Private Partnership Company”. Arathy Ashok (2006, P.9) in Birner et al. (2005). He has mentioned also “… strategy designed to minimize transaction costs. Arathy (2006) in Williamson (1979)”.

Public Private Partnership (PPP) having these definitions and also contain the basic conceptual terms that are more explicit to the functions.

As extension plays agricultural and rural development activities, The Public Private sectors have considered its function as crucial role in the agriculture. When public reformed its part closely to work with other institution and private sector in the form of PPP takes the following tasks:

            The Public Private Partnership can have various actors who have their own labour division based on the following principles.

·        Equity

·        Transparency

·        Common objective

1.7       Importance of Public Private Extension Functions

·        Recognition of Extension as crucial role player in agriculture.

·        PPP Takes a broad-based & holistic scopes

·        PPP Proactive & Participatory

·        It serves as knowledge or information agents and facilitates equitable knowledge based transactions that is the Research, farmers, trainers & other actors.

In order to sustain the indicated functions practical, the public made certain opportunities or initiations, such as:

·        Policy Reform

·        Restructuring Institutions

·        Strengthening Research-Extension linkage

·        Capacity building

·        Empowered farmers

·        Effective use of media

Singh, A. Singh L., Burman, R. R. (2006 p. 338)

The private sector also has made strong effort to work with NGOs on the basic and major activities, such as:

·        Survey of Socio-Economic & Agro-Ecologic conditions & opportunities & their Constraints as well as possible solutions with respective communities.

·        Advice, Awareness, Skill Development and Rural Education.

·        Feed back on new technology to Research.

·        Future Researchable Agenda from community to research institutions.

·        TOT to grass roots, diverse, risk Prone, Small categories.

·        Deliver inputs timely as they have close contact with them.

“Private agencies & NGOs have better knowledge of rural problems, felt needs of local people, being close to the people they gain confidence & trust of the People”.

Jasu, A.K. (P.138)

Chapter 2: Public Private Partnership extension Experiences from different countries:

                  The concept of Public Private Partnership arose in 1980s with the critism against National Agriculture Extension System in high income countries. They had also change in structure, policy and community/grass-roots. This had led to look for market, and profit making. William M. Rivera (2000) in Smith (1997).

2.1 India case

                  It is one of the known countries that are fastening Public-Private Partner Extension. The Public Private Partnership functioning is taking place in the following pattern:

·        The funding is from mixed sources.

·        It has large number of co-operatives.

·        Community based private extension sectors and strategic research plans upto date the needs of the farmers. There are numbers of farmers user groups at grass root level who can play to ways of communications. For the innovation dissemination and technology transfer, they use Farmer to Farmer Extension approaches. ‘The Agricultural Consultants’ firms also help and serve the farmers in nearby farms.

2.1.1 StrengthFarmers Involvement in Extension activities.

·        Incorporation of Indigenous technical knowledge in to farming system.

·        Local Problems to be identified and solutions are seeked by partnership between farmers and Extension agencies.

·        Extension agents acquired new skills in negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Mobilization.

·        Minimized dependency syndrome on public

·        Working in rural & remote Hill areas.

·        Promotion of Para-Professional Extensionists to supplement public

·        Practice participatory approach

·        Net working Environment

·        Redesign of Extension service to reach women farmers

·        It has opened employment opportunity

2.1.2 Weakness

·        Extension is a very serious, people centered, problem solving and focused on serving farmers cannot be left to commercial agencies that are business oriented, profit making and rivalry each other.

·        The fact that the draw back of the public sector from the extension service status as the public suffers form the shortage of the budget for extension, private sectors and NGOs will have stronger efforts in pulling the resources and optimum use of it. In this respect the involvement public as partner in finding resources and sharing benefits of the result is controversial and not sustainable function.

·        Under the cases there are two examples that illustrate strength and weakness of public, farmers and private sectors PPP involve with in mango production and marketing and provision of credit facilities in the production and marketing process in India.  

Farmer’s satisfaction towards fairness and competence of the extension

Personnel (Mango Production & Marketing)

Example 1.                                                                              (Arathy Ashok, 2006)

                                                                                    Response categories (% of respondents, n =40)

Sl. No.             Statements                                         SA          A         UO      DA      SAO                                                            

1.                     The PPP personnel were

                        competent enough to provide                22.5        32.5     25.0     12.5     7.5

                        Cost effective & Technologies

2.                     The PPP Personnel were

                        competent enough in solving                  20.0        40.0     20.0     7.5       12.5

                        farmer’s problems

3.                     The PPP personnel were

                        honest & do not involve in                     20.0        52.5     15.0     5.0       7.5

                        mal practice

4.                                          The PPP personnel do not                    15.0        37.5     15.0     12.5     20.0

Show any favoritism

Average                                              19.3        40.63   18.75   9.37     11.87

Farmer’s satisfaction towards provision of credit facilities (production & marketing)

Example 2.                                                                              (Arathy Ashok, 2006)

                                                                                    Response categories (% of respondents, n =40)

Sl.No.              Statements                                         SA          A         UO      DA      SAO

1.                     Through PPP proper

                        institutional credit                                  -              -           -           32.5     67.5

                        facilities provided

2.                     Credit facilities were

                        available at affordable                           -              -           -           32.5     67.5

                        interest rate

3.                     Credit facilities were

                        available for needed                              -              -           -           32.5     67.5

                        services

4.                                          Availing credit

Facilities did not                                    -              -           -           32.5     67.5

                        Involve any complex

                        Procedure

                        Average : -                                         -              -           -           32.5     67.5

Tasmania state (Australia) & New Zealand cases

            Tasmania state (Australia) and New Zealand are the I^st and long experienced countries in the world in privatizing extension. In 1982, Tasmania had established advisory professional experts and fee-based extension.

            New Zealand (1985)- Commercialized Agriculture & Fisheries & Established the I^st Management Advisory consultancy with government of New Zealand and became                the sole share - holder of the state in 1992. The Fee based Extension in both Tasmania & New Zealand were not success full. Because 90% of the farmers reduced their contact with extension experts as they had to pay for the contact they make. The contact manner of Farmers also changed that is face to face changed to telephone. In New Zealand the number of Extension Professionals also reduced as the transition was taking place.  According to Bloom P. (Spring 1993).

3.1 Conclusion:

            The Public Private Partnership and other voluntary organizations who work on the extension aspects to specifically focus on the rural and pre-urban communities as development strategy and a means to alleviate poverty. It is true to work with rich and progressive farmers are easy and fast. But from the development view point, empowering the weak and reaching an inaccessible communities indicates it’s efficiency and effectiveness at large and will be used as effective development tool for wider spectrums. 

References:-

1.  Ashok., A. (2006 P.7) in Williamson (1979).  Effectiveness of public-private partnership in Delivery of Agricultural Extension Services.  Theoretical orientation of Public-Private Partnership.

2.   Ashok, A. (2006 p.9) in Birner et al 2005.  Effectiveness of public-private partnership in Delivery of Agricultural Extension Services.  Theoretical orientation of Public-Private Partnership.

3.  Ashok, A. (2006 p.56).  Effectiveness of public-private partnership in Delivery of Agricultural Extension Services.  Farmers’ Satisfaction towards fairness and competence of the Extension personnel (Mango production and marketing).

4. Ashok, A. (2006 .p.53).  Effectiveness of public-private partnership in Delivery of Agricultural Extension Services. Farmers’ Satisfaction towards provision of credit facilities (Production & Marketing). 

5.                  George Axinn, H. (1988 p.57).  In Williams (1968 p.6).  Guidelines Alternative Extension Approaches:  Assumptions (ESHE) Human Resources.  Institutions and Agrarian Reform Division FAO1988 ROME.

6. Jasu, A.K. (p.138).  Private Extension through Non-Governmental organizations.  Extension Approaches, Strengths, and weakness of private extension services.  Experiences of Ramakrishna Math Private Extension: MANAGE.

7. Singh, A.K., Singh Lakhan,  Burman, R. Roy (2006 p.338).  Dimensions of Agricultural Extension: Reforms in Agricultural Extension-Government Initiatives.

8. Rivera W. (2000 p.34) In Smith (1997).  The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 2000.  Ideological Developments conflicts surrounding the New Paradigm, Vol.7 9. Bloom P. Spring 1993. Assistant Director, Illinois Co-operative Extension Service University of Illinios at Urbana-Chapaign, Journal of Extension.  Privatization lesson for U.S. Extension from New Zealand and Tasmania: Fee-based Extension No. I Vol.31.