Pakistan Research Repository


Title of Thesis Privatization of Agricultural Extension System in the Punjab, Pakistan: A SWOT Analysis
Author(s) Shoukat Ali
Institute/University/Department Details Division of Education and Extension, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
Session 2009
Subject Agricultural Extension
Number of Pages 280
Keywords (Extracted from title, table of contents and abstract of thesis) Private agricultural extension system, cross-sectional research design.
Abstract Globally, there is a trend towards privatization due to poor performance of public extension services. Private agricultural extension system is considered demand-driven, cost-effective with efficient and quality service. In Pakistan, Privatization of agricultural extension system was started in 1988 when the then Government of Pakistan established a commission to look into the causes of poor performance of agricultural sector and suggest ways to improve its performance. The commission suggested the involvement of the private sector in reshaping agricultural extension. It was a major policy shift, in which the supply of inputs was shifted to private sector from public sector. Currently, 320 pesticide companies (private sector) are working in the Punjab. These companies not only provide pesticide products to the farmers through dealers but also provide advisory services to them. Privatization experiences in the world had mixed results. In some cases it has positive results while in other location the results are discouraging. The present study was conducted to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for private extension system in the Pakistani context where the literature is either silent or scanty about the performance of private sector extension. A cross-sectional research design was used for the study. The study was carried out in the Punjab province which comprises five cropping zones, out of which, three zones were selected purposively. Multistage proportionate sampling technique was used for the selection of respondents. A sample of 408 respondents was selected (136 from each zone) by using simple random sampling technique. Sample size was determined by using Fitzgibbon table (Fitzgibbon & Lynn, 1987). Similarly, a sample of 60 respondents from EFS of Syngenta (Pesticide Company) were also selected randomly by using the same table. The data were collected through personal interviews with the help of validated research instrument. The data, thus collected were analyzed by using computer software (i.e. SPSS). The results showed that a diagnostic skill of the EFS was strength of the system. Attributes of the EFS i.e. politeness and good conduct with farmers were also rated as strengths. Group discussion method was rated as strength of the system. However, subject matter coverage, target beneficiaries, extension approach and functions, communication, competencies of EFS of private extension found to be the weakness of the system. Limited opportunities existed for the demand of advisory services for specific crops at specific location and fee-based private extension system in the country. Overall it poses threat for the system. There were great discrepancies observed between the perceptions of the farmers and the EFS about the same questions. According to the EFS, the system has more strengths as compared to weaknesses. It is suggested that the steps should be taken to mitigate the weaknesses and ensure the strengths of the system. Similarly, threats should be converted into opportunities.


Download Full Thesis				1725 KB

S. No.	Chapter	Title of the Chapters	Page	Size (KB)

1	1	Introduction	1	112 KB
	1.1	Pakistan: An Introduction	1
	1.2	Agricultural Economy of Pakistan	3
	1.3	Agricultural Extension in Pakistan: A Historical Perspective	5
	1.4	Criticism of Public Sector Extension: Global Perspective	16
	1.5	Criticism of Public Sector Extension: Pakistani context	19
	1.6	Emergence of Private Sector Extension in Pakistan	20
	1.7	Privatization Experience: Pakistani Context	21
	1.8	Need for the Project/Rational for Study	22
	1.9	General Objective	23
	1.10	Assumptions of the Study	24
	1.11	Limitations of the Study	24

2	2	Review of Literature	26	329 KB
	2.1	Importance of Review of Literature	26
	2.2	Paradigms of Extension	26
	2.3	Need to Reform Public Extension System	32
	2.4	Forms of Private Extension System	38
	2.5	Types of Advisory Services Provided by Private Extension System	44
	2.6	Target Beneficiaries of a Private Extension System	46
	2.7	Professional Competency of a Private Extension System	51
	2.8	Extension Methods/Channels	52
	2.9	Effectiveness of Communication	59
	2.10	Attitude and Preferences towards Private Extension System	60
	2.11	Demand and Willingness to Pay (WTP) for Advisory Services	66
	2.12	Generating Funds for Private Extension System	70
	2.13	Technology Adoption through Private Extension Services	73
	2.14	Impact of Private Extension System	73
	2.15	Challenges of the Private Extension System	85
	2.16	Favorable Factors for Privatization of Extension System	87
	2.17	Job Satisfaction of Extension Field Staff	87
	2.18	SWOT Analysis of Extension Systems	88
	2.19	Synthesis of Review of Literature	103

3	3	Methodology	105	107 KB
	3.1	The Punjab: The Universe	105
	3.2	Research Design	108
	3.3	Selection of Pesticide Company: Syngenta	109
	3.4	The population of the Study	110
	3.5	Sampling procedure and sample size	112
	3.6	Constriction of Research Instruments	113
	3.7	Construction of scale	116
	3.8	Validity of the instruments	116
	3.9	Reliability of the instruments	117
	3.10	Data Collection	118
	3.11	Data Analysis	119
	3.12	Conceptual Framework for SWOT Analysis	120

4	4	Results and Discussion	125	552 KB
	4.1	Part 1 Quantitative Analysis--- Farmer Respondents	125
	4.2	Part 2 Quantitative Analysis---Private Extension Field Staff	173

5	5	Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations	217	98 KB
	5.1	Summary	217
	5.2	Conclusions	219
	5.3	Demographic characteristics of EFS	223
	5.4	Recommendations	229
	5.5	Recommendations for future research	232

		References	233	84 KB

		Appendices	246	225 KB