Extension Strategies for Agriculture and Rural Development

In the wake of globalization, the concept, philosophy and methodologies of extension system has gone under rapid change. In order to face the emerging challenges, there is need to develop synergistic and coherent strategy for enhancing crop productivity and providing livelihood options to the rural masses. For the purpose, an initiative was taken to document the salient contributions and approaches of esteemed personalities who are involved in agricultural and rural development process as the scientific expert, policy planner and stakeholders. This book entitled "Extension Strategies for Agriculture and Rural Development" devoted on five sub-themes (i) Policy initiative in extension education (ii) Market-led extension and commercial farming (iii) ICT application and methodological advances in agriculture (iv) Entrepreneurship development and innovative approaches in extension and; (v) Gender mainstreaming in farming system. The topics covered in the book have got tremendous variation and move around with the strategies and recent approaches by which agriculture can become more productive and income generating enterprise leading to turn economically viable and socially acceptable profession. This book is more useful for the scientists, development professionals, teachers, extension workers and policy planners who are involved in the area of agriculture and rural development.

Extension Strategies for Agriculture and Rural Development Ashok K. Singh Professor, Extension Education Rajendra Agricultural University Pusa (Samastipur) 848 125, Bihar In the wake of globalization, the concept, philosophy and methodologies of extension system has gone under rapid change. In order to face the emerging challenges, there is need to develop synergistic and coherent strategy for enhancing crop productivity and providing livelihood options to the rural masses. For the purpose, an initiative was taken to document the salient contributions and approaches of esteemed personalities who are involved in agricultural and rural development process as the scientific expert, policy planner and stakeholders. This book entitled "Extension Strategies for Agriculture and Rural Development" devoted on five sub-themes (i) Policy initiative in extension education (ii) Market-led extension and commercial farming (iii) ICT application and methodological advances in agriculture (iv) Entrepreneurship development and innovative approaches in extension and; (v) Gender mainstreaming in farming system. The topics covered in the book have got tremendous variation and move around with the strategies and recent approaches by which agriculture can become more productive and income generating enterprise leading to turn economically viable and socially acceptable profession. This book is more useful for the scientists, development professionals, teachers, extension workers and policy planners who are involved in the area of agriculture and rural development. About the Editor Dr. Ashok K. Singh born in a village of Pratapgarh district (U.P.) in the year of 1958, he is presently working as Professor in the Department of Extension Education, Rajendra Agricultural University, Bihar. He received his Ph.D. degree from Magadh University and advanced training from Center for Psychological Study of Social Change and National Development, Department of Psychology, Allahabad University, Allahabad. He is teaching various specialized courses of social science and extension education at the undergraduate and post-graduate level and associated with numerous research projects in the area of agricultural and rural development of National and International importance. He supervised twelve M.Sc. and three Ph.D. Thesis of Extension Education and published more than sixty research papers/articles in Indian and Foreign journals of repute, apart from various research reports/monographs and two books (i) Technology Assessment and Refinement through Institution Village Linkage Programme, 2005, R.A.U, Pusa (ii) Pioneer Research in Extension Education, Scientific Publishers (India), Jodhpur, 2008. Dr. Singh also traveled many countries like Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Bangladesh and Nepal for his academic endeavour.