KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

UNIT TITLE: AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION

UNIT CODE: AGEC 313

NAME: EMMANUEL MWITA

REG NO: EDU-1-6099/2021

1)In short explain why the study of culture is important for an extension agent.

Farmers and their families are members of the society in which they live therefore they are under
pressure from the society to behave the way they do. The pressures are mostly cultural.

In all societies there are certain ways of doing things and these ways are related to the culture of doing
things there extension agents needs to know these things.

An extension agent study culture so that he/she can be more effective. By understanding cultural
background of farms with whom he/ she works e.g preferences, aspirations, values, attitudes,
perception beliefs and Customs

2 a) Explain what is meant by the term “Communication”.

Communication is the process through which message are transferred from the source ( extension
agent) to the receiver ( farmer) through appropriate channels.

b) What is the use of communication in extension?

It's to transfer message ( knowledge) from the source, extension agent to the receiver, farmer

Also is to introduce new knowledge and ideas in rural areas in order to bring about changes to farmers
and their families.

c) Discuss briefly the various communication models in Extension.

Source
Is the person who communicates or come up with the message

Message

Is the content to the communication

Good message developed when the ext. agent understands the situation of the farmer. A good message
develops when farmer and the ext. agent work together to implement the messages. When designing
messages the following factors must be taken into account

Purpose what change is to be done

Content is the message relevant

Treatment is the message simple & understandable.

Channel

This in the means through which the message will reach the intended audience e.g speeches, written
e.g newspapers, magazines, journals, brochures, visual channel e.g film, ( video show), photographs.

Receiver.

Is the person who listens, he/ she receives the message, understand the message and he/she consumes
the message

On receiving the messages the receiver goes through some physical and mental process in diffusion and
adoption process.

Feedback

Is the response or what to receiver does for the response that he/she makes as a results of
communication that received.

3 a) What are extension principles?

Principles (philosophy) of extension

Extension works with the people not for the people. Extension helps people to solve their problems by
providing them with information. (participatory approach).

Extension is accountable to its clients.Extension programs are based on the need of the people and also
technical and economic need.
Extension is a two way link. Extension agents should be ready to receive farmers’ ideas suggestion and
advice as well as give them.

Extension cooperates with other rural development organizations e.g with politicians, co-operatives, and
other rural development organizations e.g. Agro firms colleges, health services, local schools,
community development agencies.

Extension works with different target group

b) Explain clearly the basic philosophy of agricultural extension

The basic philosophy of agricultural extension is centered around the following key principles:

1. Empowerment of farmers: Agricultural extension programs are designed to empower farmers by

providing them with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to improve their agricultural
practices. This includes training farmers in modern farming techniques, introducing them to new
technologies, and helping them access markets and credit.

2. Sustainable agriculture: Agricultural extension promotes sustainable agriculture practices that are
environmentally friendly and economically viable. This includes techniques such as crop rotation,
conservation agriculture, and integrated pest management, which help to preserve soil health, reduce
the use of harmful chemicals, and improve food security.

3. Farmer participation: Agricultural extension programs recognize the importance of farmer

participation and collaboration in the development and implementation of agricultural practices. This
involves working closely with farmers to understand their needs, preferences, and constraints, and
involving them in the decision-making process.

4. Gender equality: Agricultural extension programs aim to empower women farmers by providing them
with access to knowledge, resources, and opportunities for leadership and decision-making. This
includes training women in agricultural techniques, promoting women's participation in farmer
organizations, and supporting women's access to credit and markets.

5. Community development: Agricultural extension programs view agriculture as a means of community

development and poverty reduction. This involves working with communities to develop and implement
agricultural projects that not only improve food security and livelihoods but also contribute to the
overall development of the region.

c) Discuss the various extension principles.

 Some of the principles of learning are:-

The educator must also be a learner

1. Learners require motivation. People do not learn unless they feel that the learning will result in
making them satisfy a need or a want. Motivation could either be external or internal.

External is money (profits)

Internal motivation is satisfaction

Internal motivation is hard to achieve

2. Dialogue and practice are important for learning. Farmers should be allowed to ask question and to
be given an opportunity to practice what they have learnt.

3. Learning and adoption occurs in stages:

Awareness stage the farmer becomes aware of an innovation

Interest stage

Evaluation the farmer evaluates the information received to see whether is worth trying.

Trial stage the farmer tries the idea in a small scale.

Adoption

d) Write explanatory notes on the individual methods of Agricultural Extension

Individual methods involve the following

Farm visit

Planning a farm visit; Visit without good planning hardly produces results

Put them in work plan in your calendar

State the objective of each visit in your note book

Make an appointment with the farmer

Make the farmer know the purpose of the visit and the objectives.

If its a follow up visit then review previous records and plan accordingly.

Implementation the visit

Observe culture of the community e.g. greetings, how to enter the house, where to sit.

Allow the farmer to lead the discussion.

Let the farmer discuss his/her problems

Assist the farmer accordingly. If demonstration is necessary then follow the right procedure.

Make a record of what transpired during the meeting.

Follow up visit and ensure that every farmer has a record card for recording visit.

Extension agent should have a record of the farmers in the area.

Advantages of farm visits

Extension agent is able to get 1st hand experience or knowledge about the farmers problems

Problems that are relevant to the farmer are discussed.

Useful in discovering local leadership.

Helps in developing confidence in each other.

Limitations

Costly in terms of time and resources

Tendency to visit same farmers repeatedly.

Loss of contact with entire community. This could create jealousy and resentment to farmers who are
not visited.

e) Write briefly on the components of group methods

Meetings

Meetings are useful in introducing new ideas especially after using mass ideas. Used in getting people
opinions. Useful in getting the local support. Used in creating awareness.

Steps in planning for a meeting

State the objective of the meeting. Is it creating of awareness of a new practice? Or is it a change of
altitude or what do you want to do?

Decide on the convenient time for the meeting.

Choose a convenient meeting venue

Publicize the meeting through effective channels e.g Chiefs, village elders, schools or church elders.

During the meeting, Master the topic and the message should be specific.

Procedure.

Follow the established procedure in the area. For example. Common procedure is;

i)Chief welcomes the audience

ii)Extension agents are introduced by the chief

iii)Chief states the agenda of the meeting and invites the ext. agent to speak

iv)Ext. agent must have adequately prepared himself and is better to put everything in a written form e.g
presentation plan.

Extension agents can follow the following procedure;

ext. agent introduces the topic of the meeting through linking motivation and overview (CMO)

Presentation of the new information in print form. Use a checklist to ensure that no point is forgotten.

Summarize important point to emphasize the main message. open a discussion and questions

Note important points or decisions during the discussions

Distribute any ext. literate if any.

Closing the meeting

Call on the chief to close the meeting

Follow up activities

Take quick action of the decision made in the meeting and make a follow up.
Group discussion

Preparing for a discussion

Convert topic into a problem for discussion

Write problems into questions which when answered will solve the problem.

Arrange the question in a logical sequence

Clarify responses

Make a list of approved practices

Discuss implementation of the results

Method demonstration

Is a method which aims at showing participants how to perform a skill and showing them step by step.

Preparing

Identify skills to be shown

Ensure that you are competent by performing the operations in advance. This performance assists to
see to it that the equipment is working.

Assemble equipment and materials at the site of the operation.

Usually the materials are arranged in the order they shall be used. Usually from left to right.

Presentation

Arrange participants so that all are able to see and to hear. Recommended arrangement is horse-shoe
arrangement.

Discuss the importance of the skills to be demonstrated

Show the audience the equipment, materials and parts of the equipment and tell them about safety
precautions and other importance points.

Use a 4- step procedure.

1st Go over the operator at normal pace with not comments

2nd repeat the operation slowly and making comments

3rd Repeat operation at normal pace

4th Call at one or two participants to perform operation while others watch.

Conclusion

Conclude with a discussion or with the implementation and also some problems.

Result demonstration

This is a method where the farmers are shown the result of a method demonstration. E.g. effect of
recommended agriculture practices. This method is recommended because it operates on the principle
of seeing and believing is able to teach in the absence of extension agent.

Result demonstrations are of 2 types.

Comparison result demonstration - New practice of innovation is compared with a old outdated practice
or less effective practice or a new variety vs an older less productive variety.

Practice/method result demonstration The ext. agent wants to show the proper application of a
practice without comparing with an other practice e.g. proper application of fertilizer or proper pruning
or thinning practices.

4 Discuss the mass methods of extension

Mass media methods can be divided into three groups

1. printed media such as wall newspapers, black boards, new leaflet folders and pumplets, fact sheets,
projects, posters etc

2. Static media such as exhibition or displays e.g agricultural shows, flip charts, flannel graph, wall charts
and maps, photographs

3. Audio visual such as radio and TV, projected visuals, films film strips, overhead, power points.

Posters

A poster is a sheet or cupboard of paper with an illustration or writing.

Designed to attack the attention of a passersby.

Posters can easily be passed unnoticed by people unless they are appealing.

Should not be wordy

On their own posters have low teaching effects but when used in a campaign with a variety of other
teaching methods and materials with a purpose of constantly reminding the public of the principle
points of the campaign message.

Use a variety and place them in strategic positions.

Guidelines for making a poster.

Decide exactly who the audience is.

Decide exactly what the poster must tell them;

Put this information on a sheet of paper including pictures and drawings

Try to put the message into a few words. i.e slogan that is catchy.

Use bold lettering on the poster. Use colours to improve attractive and attention or to provide contrast.

Do not crowd the words or use dark colours around the contact of the pictures poster to provide a
boundary.

Photographs

Used where demonstration is not possible. However they illustrate one point at a time.

Photographs stimulate people to action.

Series of photographs can show the success over result demonstration.

Limitation

Susceptible to mis-interpretation unless they are well chosen.

Flip chart
This is normally in a form of a series of pictures or a photograph telling a story. It is like photographs in
an album.

It is a step by step story

Occasionally if need be explanation s could be included at the bottom.

Exhibits & display (Real objects)

Normally organized in agric shows

Normally stimulate interest in the subject matter.

Should be built around a single idea and message

Messages should be clear e.g new and better variety.

Improves the attention because they deal with real/live objects

Use of lights and movement could increase the attraction further.

Coordination of rear objects models, lights movement to illustrative materials plus a bold sign usually
gets the point a cross.

Projector visuals

Motion pictures /video cordings

Stimulating and appealing because of the following can reproduce past events, can record and store
event e.g demonstration which one can use over and over.

Very appealing to the audience therefore very effective.

Limitations

Require special equipment to make a show which may not be available.

Require electric power which may not be available in some cases.

Transportation, storage and maintenance of hardware and software require special consideration.

TV
Combines both audio and visual channels

A large population is reached because can be spread over a wide area. Because of the close point of
viewing the viewer can note key points.

Process reaching much time can be condensed to few minutes

Limitations

There is intense competition in other T.V programs which other people may be interested in

Most T.V sets are found in urban areas where there are very few farmers.

Cost of a T.V set is prohibiting to most rural farmers.

T.V set requires a set of electric power which may not be available.