The current system of agricultural extension in the country is based on a linear transfer of technology model, which needs to be made more responsive to local situations and community needs. To improve the scope and efficiency of extension, the focus should shift to providing an integrated range of services, making grass root workers devote more time to location-specific problems and be more accountable to the community.

• Both panchayats and community-based organisations should be treated as platforms for delivery of an integrated range of services from production to post-harvest storage to marketing.
• New methods of collaboration between scientists and farmers must be institutionalised in order to identity their needs, set priorities in work programmes, test and refine the technologies and evaluate the final results.

9.  Redesign the existing support systems.

• Support systems should move from input-centric model to output-centric models. This requires redesigning the support systems and incentives in the existing centrally sponsored schemes like Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), National Horticulture Mission, National Food Security Mission, and National Watershed Programme.
• The scope of the NREGS should be expanded to support small and marginal farmers in the production of food crops like traditional staples such as millets, organic soil management, Natural Pest Management, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), etc.

10.  Document and disseminate successful experiences and good practices.

• The current extension system is based on technologies generated in the formal research institutions. This completely ignores the successful technologies generated by farmers and civil society organisations, which are based on local knowledge and may be more locally adaptable and with stronger ecological principles.
• Therefore special initiatives are required to find and document the successful experiences of farmers in particular areas and encourage their dissemination by the formal institutions and support systems.

11.  Improve the capacities and expertise of extension workers.

• Extension workers must be provided with the necessary resources and facilities to carry out their work effectively, including transport and communication facilities such as two-wheelers and mobile phones where necessary.
• The present extension staff must be retrained to be able to provide information and assistance not only for agriculture and animal husbandry, fisheries and horticulture, but also with respect to methods of storage, transport, market access, value addition, credit etc.
• The syllabi in agricultural colleges and agricultural polytechnics must be restructured to prepare a cadre of extension workers who can broaden extension delivery.
• Institutional arrangements need to be developed to ensure continuing education of those involved in agricultural extension, whether in public institutions or in private capacity.

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