Problems
According to studies of natural resources, South Africa, as in most other developing countries, has a good agricultural potential. How to exploit this agricultural potential in the various regions to the maximum, in order to achieve optimum sustained agricultural production, has not been achieved, as evidenced by the static or steadily declining agricultural production and natural resources in many areas.
This problem is not however unique to Africa, it is worldwide, particularly in the developing countries.
There have been teams of experts, commissions, and individuals, who have investigated some areas in depth, and who have put forward solutions for improved agriculture. Vast information from research exists and is available for improved production, but implementation of schemes or programmes for such increased production is sadly lacking in many areas at present – communicating useful information from its source until it gets right to the grass roots level is a very slow process.
In the pre-occupation with the physical and biological sciences both in extension and formal schools of learning, agricultural scientists tend to ignore the fact that education and extension are subjects equally worthy of study. (Bembridge, p.20, 1976)
In an investigation into the extension services in South Africa, it was indicated that Extension Officers are not adequately equipped to perform their duties effectively and efficiently and that the present formal agricultural training in South Africa should be investigated as a matter of urgent priority. The Extension Officer in this programme must therefore understand that the effectiveness, efficiency and success rate of his own learning programme will depend on his own skills. The investigation further states that the productivity and efficiency of Extension workers has been depressed by neglecting in-service training in both technology and extension methods and techniques. Consequently, the majority of Extension workers lack the necessary skills and ability to supply practical advice to the farmers.
“The quality of extension staff may well be a more important constraint in the diffusion of innovations than the farmers themselves. It is the extension agent who provides the link between local knowledge and the needy farmer. It is his job to uncover the knowledge or innovation which will be helpful to the farmer … to convince him … to encourage and support him … “. (Macarou and Fredkin, p. 171, 1975)
The problem investigated in the study is the generally low productivity and efficiency of Extension workers trained in the Eastern Cape Province. The problem to be investigated has been restricted to some of those aspects of behavior, which, it is considered, should be a natural outcome of broad-minded and inspired agricultural education and training offered.
It is the objective of this information towards the Ikhwelo Extension Officer that the Extension Officer must understand the problem in the past and his role to be played in this pilot project.
The need for agricultural training and education
The spectacular technological advances which characterize this modern era have served to stretch the need for re-appraisal of the economic and social roles of economical education and training. Education is an “investment in human capital” which is a nation’s greatest wealth. Agricultural education, together with research and extension in “intellectual investment”, has a simultaneous two-fold objective which is “productive investment” (an increase in the productivity of human labour and investment in wellbeing – (development of man). (Burger, p.1, 1964)
“Agricultural production and extension must be considered as a system whose components are the farmers, the environment with which they are working to produce food and fibre and extension and servicing organizations. In any social system, one crucial requirement is a complex of information, knowledge and understanding of the system in all its components”. (Bembridge, p. 20, 1976)
Agricultural education and training should provide such information, knowledge and understanding of the system.