STATUS OF PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION IN ASIA: A CASE OF MISSING LINKS IN INDIAN LIVESTOCK SECTOR

Agricultural researchers and farmers require stronger linkages for improvement of research and extension scenario. In this context, an effort was made to highlight the status of agricultural research and extension system in Asia in general, and Indian livestock sector in particular using primary and secondary data. The study involving livestock farmers, extension workers and university scientists from four states of North India showed that about 21 per cent of livestock farmers contacted extension officers of state department while only 3 percent respondents contacted university sources for information. Further, review of literature (82.5 %) and personal field experience (65%) were the basic source of idea for research to the scientists and extensionists, respectively to generate and disseminate livestock technologies. The attitude of scientists and extensionists were more favourable than the attitude of farmers towards the livestock technologies developed. The wider gap between farmers-scientists and farmers-extensionists indicated a missing link among the stakeholders. It clearly showed that there is a need to gear-up the linkages among multi-stakeholders for generation and effective transfer of technologies. The study suggested that research & development institutions must generate and transfer need based, field relevant and appropriate livestock technologies to the farming community.