TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY- Chitrasena Padhy

ROLE OF EXTENSION SYSTEM IN TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY TO THE FARMERS

                                               Chitrasena Padhy

Agricultural Extension is the engine of agricultural development. It plays a major role in transfer of technology from laboratory to land, land to laboratory and solution of farmers’ problems. Agricultural Extension helps the farmers training them by educating them to increase their knowledge, skill, attitude and finally to adoption of technology. It plays a major role in promoting agricultural productivity, increasing agricultural productivity, increasing food security, increasing rural livelihoods, and promoting agriculture as an engine of Pro-poor economic growth. The farmers should get the latest information through various sources like leaflet, folder,   Television, Internet and other mass media. They should be trained in the areas of Information Technology. Agricultural Extension can help for global community practice that facilitates dialogue, information exchange and sharing of ideas related to the use of information technologies for sustainable agriculture and rural development. It can help people to express and communicate their problems and needs as they themselves perceive them. It is often said that a problem well defined and stated is a problem half solved. Extension believes in the principle of local leadership .Local leaders are people that can influence and direct the activities of a group of people for achieving the targeted goal.  The farmers can get an idea about the individual and group. Local leaders are those who ensure that progress is made in line with the group needs .They have some amount of influence upon the local community although they are not occupying some formal position. Other villagers go to them for advice. They are sociable, generally interested in community problems and have the wills to help solve the problems of farmers. They are people with integrity and repute.

                                     The attitude of local leaders would influence the success or failure of rural community. They are expected to help the rural communities, solve some pressing rural problems. They make use of unbiased and technically accurate sources of information and they are better equipped than their followers in terms of knowledge, insight and judgment to put innovations for practical use .They are usually cosmopolite in their attitude. They mix well with other people, are of relatively high social status and tend to be more innovative than their followers. The personal influence of opinion leaders is very important in the persuasion stage of the innovation-decision process. It is very important in uncertain situations and in influencing late adopters. The local leaders are recognized as experts and sowers of sound advice. They maintain direct with agricultural research and extension worker.

The Extension worker can involve   the whole   family members for taking any important decision. The family is the basic unit of society and it is the first major social institution. All the members have equal importance and they should be developing equally. Extension work is for the whole family and it should reach all the members of the family. Extension worker has a better chance of success if the extension workers have whole family approach instead of separate and disintegrated approach. Any innovation liked by male member of the family, not liked by the others, the decision may be affected. 

C. Padhy- Head of the Department of Agricultural Extension, M S Swaminathan School of Agriculture

                                              Centurion University of Technology and Management

                                                                         Paralakhemundi