Extension Strategies for Human Resource Development

The role of agriculture has become even more important in the context of current global negotiations on bringing the farm sector into multilateral trading system, which will open up tremendous opportunities for exports and imports at competitive prices for food surplus and deficit countries. In the context of globalization, liberalization and privatization it is imperative to have structural changes relevant to agriculture and rural development, such as liberalization of market, export orientation, encouragement of foreign and private sector investments and the constitutional amendments to reorganize and strengthen panchayat system. All these warrant proper planning and management of human resources in agriculture sector to increase the capacities, motivation and overall effectiveness of the system. In view of the changed scenario, there is need to gear up 6,00,000 extension staff engaged worldwide in serving farming community. In the present scenario, the role of agriculture extension is to teach farmers how to make decisions not to choose decisions. Thus, extension plays important role in HRD. There is need to develop human resources, indeed the potential for development of human resource is unlimited. It is indicated that most intelligent individual use only an average employee’s application of his mental power on his job is just about 15-20 per cent of his capacity. The economic development cannot be accomplished in developing countries unless they have well trained, highly achievement motivated and properly developed human resources. In India, only 8 per cent of its working force is in organized sector and remaining 92 per cent is still in unorganized sector. Thus, the role of agriculture extension is to build properly motivated human resource to apply maximum capacity whether in organized or unorganized sector. This book covers important topics on present scenario of Indian agriculture, globalization and its impact on Indian agriculture, entrepreneurial competencies, transactional analysis, rapport building, assertive behaviour, HRD techniques, Extension through export system, etc.