Economic Opportunity Mailing List Archive

["Vinay Chand" <<address removed>>]

I find Dick's comments on extension and cooperatives unsettling, I suppose 
because they question what I am sure for many of us are basic assumptions and 
it is always good to be so challenged.

Cooperatives are often misused in developing countries so it has become a knee 
jerk reaction to write them off. However, corruption and inefficiency that has 
brought this overall conclusion is unfortunately not restricted to 
cooperatives. By this token, we would have to avoid many of the 
Governments and bureaucracies and dare I say it some aid agencies we have to 
deal with since they are just as liable to catch the disease of poverty.

Farmers have to be organised in groups if we are to help them help themselves. 
Whether it takes the form of a cooperative, a self help group or service 
company, they all face similar risks. The costs of organisation and 
administration ultimately have to be lower than additional benefits, mainly 
income, generated. That means the intervention has to result in tangible 
benefits to be justified. There are very many instances of beneficial farmer 
organisations and although they be less important in industrialised countries 
today, they nevertheless played an important role in creating wealth.

As for extension, everybody appears to be seeking ways to avoid face to face 
work with farmers whether it be through computers or other mass media. All this 
despite the fact that many farmers are illiterate and do not enjoy access to 
computers. Of course, Dick is right about informal learning but 
does it not reflect the degree of knowledge of your neighbours and your 
situation. While it is advisable to pool extension to very small farmers living 
conveniently together, my strong gut instinct based on experience is that in 
order to change things we should actively court one to one contact 
with small farmers, the key factor being that we wish to effect change. If the 
public sector cannot provide it, by all means let us encourage agricultural 
graduates and other private sector parties to set up agriclinics or other 
vehicles. The extension workers can be given media to enhance their 
own learning and can be better equipped to allow them to increase their 
productivity but in my opinion it must be conveyed to the farmer through 
personal contact.

Best wishes,

Vinay Chand
<address removed><mailto:<address removed>>

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