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Extension Strategies and Rural Development

The document discusses the significance of rural areas for national development and the necessity for their improvement through rural development strategies. It defines rural development as a multi-dimensional process aimed at enhancing the quality of life for rural inhabitants, addressing income disparities, food security, and access to social amenities. The text outlines objectives, pilot project concepts, and strategies, including agricultural extension and community development, to achieve sustainable rural transformation and empower local populations.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
25 views16 pages

Extension Strategies and Rural Development

The document discusses the significance of rural areas for national development and the necessity for their improvement through rural development strategies. It defines rural development as a multi-dimensional process aimed at enhancing the quality of life for rural inhabitants, addressing income disparities, food security, and access to social amenities. The text outlines objectives, pilot project concepts, and strategies, including agricultural extension and community development, to achieve sustainable rural transformation and empower local populations.

Uploaded by

xavierwambani
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

EXTENSION STRATEGY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION

Rural areas are of importance to the nation as they serve as the base for the production of
food and fibre. They are also the major source of capital formation for the country and
provide market for domestic manufacturers. Rural areas serve as a place of refuge during
crisis and most urban dwellers goes there to relax. Majority of the population lives and
derives their livelihood from the rural areas and despite their importance, they have not been
adequately developed as most of the rural areas lack basic social amenities such as water,
electricity supply, motorable roads, health centre, schools and so on. Therefore, the need to
develop rural areas in order to improve the quality of life of rural inhabitants and also to raise
their standard of living cannot be over emphasised.

Meaning of Rural Development

There is no universally acceptable definition of rural development; the term is used in


different ways and in many divergent contexts. It may be centred around income criterion
when it addresses the problem of poverty; It can be defined in a sociological concept whereby
rural poor people represents a reservoir of untapped talent, a target group that should be given
opportunity to enjoy the benefits of development through improved education, health and
nutrition.

Rural development can also be view in terms of concept, a phenomenon, a strategy and a
discipline. As a concept, it involves overall development of rural areas with a view to
improve the quality of life of rural people. In this sense, it is a multi-dimensional concept and
it includes the development of agriculture and allied activities such as the cottage industries
and craft, socio-economic infrastructure, community services and facilities, and above all,
human resources in the rural areas. As a phenomenon, it utilises the interaction of various
physical, technological, economic, socio-cultural and institutional factors. As a strategy, it is
designed to improve the economic and social well being of a specific group of people in the
rural area. As a discipline, it is multidisciplinary in nature representing an integration of
engineering and management sciences.

Rural development therefore implies the transformation of rural community into a socially,
economically, politically, educationally, orderly and materially desirable condition, with the
purpose of improving the quality of life of the rural populace. Rural development must be
clearly designed to increase production. It recognises that improved food supplies and
nutrition together with basic services, such as health and education, not only directly improve
the physical well being and quality of life of the rural people, but can also enhance their
productivities and their ability to contribute to the national economy.

Objectives of Rural Development

The objectives of rural development are to:


1
• improve income distribution between the rural and urban dwellers to narrow the disparities
between the two parts of the society
• increase food production to enhance household, nation and global food security
• increase productivity through sensitisation of the rural people to their potentials for
development, and acquiring the education and training needed to translate the potentials into
productive efforts
• widespread literacy so as to allow rural people participates intelligently in the political,
economic and social activities of their society
• narrow the gap between the rural and urban areas in the provision of social amenities and
infrastructures such as pipe borne water, electricity supply, motorable roads and other welfare
needs.

3.1 Concept of Pilot Project

Pilot project on rural development is usually a social laboratory designed to integrate


agricultural research, education and extension as a viable step towards effecting a rapid and
lasting impact on such communities. It is set up to enhance rural development by using the
concept of regional or area planning. The rural pilot project approach is hinged on the
assumption that better results can be achieved by taking a project approach in a particular
location during a specific time period with large infusion of outside resources. Ample levels
of facilities are provided to staff including availability of foreign advisers. Success is
measured through achievement of short run changes.

Rural development activities are usually organised and implemented under the general areas
of agriculture, health, women programmes in home economics and youth development. In the
area of agricultural activities, farmers are encouraged through their farms to incorporate
improved cropping patterns, they are also organised into groups and hold monthly planning
meetings which in turn serves as an avenue for extension training of contact farmers. Health
activities are facilitated by the supervisory staff from established government hospitals or
nongovernmental agencies. Emphasis is usually laid on preventive and curative medicine
noting that health is wealth and there is a strong relationship between health and productivity.
The health personnel usually incorporated into their programmes; immunisation,
environmental sanitation, maternal and childcare educatiion

2
Women activities centre upon areas of home economics and child care, processing and
preservation of crops and livestock products, food preparation and home management.
Follow up are carried out to check whether the acquired skills are well utilised. Recognising
the importance of youth as rural adults of tomorrow, the rural development programmes
usually pay attention to them by providing training for them in the areas of health and
agricultural activities.

Steps for Achieving the Objectives of Pilot Project

The following are steps for achieving the objectives of pilot project:

• Selection of a project area in accordance with some predetermined criteria.


• Benchmark survey and situation analysis.
• Formulation of a development programme and determination of specific activities with
village representatives through a process of dialogue and reflection.
• Implementation of the programme by villager’s themselves and their local organisations.

The above procedure is in line with extension principles and tenets which states that
extension should start from where people are, assist people to determine their own problems,
help them to find desirable solutions to their problems and to encourage them to take action.
Extension should be based on the needs and interests of the people which are closely related
to improving their livelihood. Extension should provide maximum opportunity for the
people to work on the programmes that have been designed by them and others.

Pilot project in rural development was based on the principle of liberating education
otherwise known as conscientisation, which involves establishing dialogue among learners
that generate analysis of social reality. An objective perception of that reality leads to higher
levels of consciousness and eventually transforms limiting structures. The process also leads
to attitudinal and behavioural changes. Extension education programme considers that in a
rural development process, teaching and learning should be carried out in an atmosphere of
mutual trust and respect between the change agents and their clientele. The first meeting with
the villages’ farmers occurred in a casual manner as significant number of people starts to
dialogue about the extension project. The purpose of the meeting will be highlighted and the
difficulty that will be encountered in carrying out the initial investigations of the areas
without their cooperation, understanding and trust will be mentioned. At the concept of the
leadership, a bench mark survey to obtain agricultural, environmental, social and cultural data
on

3
the life of the area will be achieved through dialogue with the people. The situation will be
studied and the problems discussed together with a view to developing an agricultural
programme based on their existent, reality and needs. This preliminary joint meeting will be
followed by a series of planning and programme review meetings on the activities of the
extension staff and farmers in the village.

3.2 Rural Development Pilot Project

The objectives of the project are to:

• create an innovative work and research area for students and staff of the faculty
• promote local initiative, self reliance, confidence and participative involvement of rural
people in planning and implementation of activities for their own development
• provide a basis for linkage between the rural population and several agencies working for
them
• establish a real life laboratory type situation in which staff and students of the faculty and
university can learn study and participate in agriculture and rural development.

The plan of action for achieving the above objectives included:

• selection of a project area in accordance with some pre- determined criteria.


• thorough benchmark survey and situation analysis.
• formulation of a development programme and determination of specific activities with village
representatives through a process of dialogue and reflection.
• implementation of the programme by villagers themselves, local organisations and other
government agencies with the project playing a facilitator and a catalytic role.

4
Each village is assisted to conform and practice the dialogical process in the identification of
problems and determination of solutions. Voluntary groups were democratically organized
based on trust and commitment. They should meet regularly to re-evaluate progress and make
future plans.

The project outcome is to better the lives of the farmers in the participating villages as they
have increase in yields and incomes due to adoption of improved practices and access to
factors of production.

5
Fig. 1: Sample Organisational Structure of a Project

6
The head of the department of agricultural extension and rural sociology of should be the
director of the project and is responsible to the university for all its activities. He/she
establishes liaison with the aid granting agency, assisting him is the project planning
committee which comprises of all members of staff in the department.

The committee under his/her chairmanship is responsible for the planning, execution and
evaluation of the project and it must approve all research activities connected with the
project. The planners’ should have firm control over all activities going on in the villages,
other interested departments in the faculty of agriculture and elsewhere in the university are
co-opted to work with the planning committee as necessary.

At field level, it is headed by a coordinator who directed the execution of the planned action
programmes and relaying field problems to the director and the planning committee. Under
the coordinator are two posts: an agricultural technician and an agricultural assistant, there is
also a home economics with field assistant who is responsible for planning all programmes
related to women.

Strategy
Once the objectives are clearly stated, a programme of planned action should be developed in
cooperation with the people involved. The strategy should foster closer relationship with
other agencies or institutions in creating essentials and accelerators of change that were
lacking such as improved planting materials, adequate supply of farm inputs, information
sourcing on credit and effective communication on improved technological information.

Planned Action Programme


In planning the action programme, the project coordinator responsibility to direct the
activities by preparing operational plans, executing them summarising and reporting results.
He/she gains the supports of other agencies and interested department by keeping them
informed on the activities of the project, its achievements as well as constraints.

Action programme should be initiated in areas of agriculture, intermediate technology


program, home economics and cooperative studies in order to obtain the following results

1. Efficient technologies for producing crops


2. Development of a simple low-cost dryer to improve the
marketing of crops at the time when prices are most favourable.

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3. Formation of cooperative societies to handle the marketing of the crops and to channel credits
and loans for agricultural activities.
4. Introduction of adult literacy programmes.
5. Improvement in child nutrition, resulting in reduction of infant mortality, and the awareness
among the women of the need to seek medical attention for themselves and their children.
6. Development of audio visual aids for teaching improved technological practices and for
functional literacy programmes.
7. Development of formidable group capable of accepting responsibility.
8. The launching of the monthly newsletter an alternative means of carrying information to the
villages and of giving the residents an opportunity to express themselves.
BASIC STRATEGIES INVOLVED IN PILOT PROJECT FOR RURAL
DEVELOPMENT

Strategies For Rural Development

INTRODUCTION

In rural development process, different strategies are being used to achieve the desire result.
These strategies are referred to as systematic, comprehensive and reliable tool aimed at
bringing about desirable rural transformation.

Meaning of Strategy in Rural Development

Rural development strategy refers to a systematic, comprehensive and reliable tool aimed at
bringing about desirable rural transformation.

A strategy for rural development is expected to produce results, hence it has been tested and
found effective under certain circumstances and can be replicated under similar
circumstances in another setting. Strategy is a campaign plan indicating the main lines of
action to be adopted in pursuit of a given set of objectives.

Development means a process of self determination and can only be what the people
themselves consider it to be. The people whose development is at stake must decide what the
specific content, objectives and means of attaining the objectives should be.

Development must also be democratic because it is under this condition that people can freely
express themselves. Rural development in a contemporary context of deliberate policy action
is essentially a transition of a rural society from an existing state to a desired state. Therefore,
the strategies employed in bringing the development of rural areas into reality are strategy of
rural development.

Agricultural Extension Strategy

Agricultural extension strategy is based on the premise that the cheapest materials in the rural
areas are land and these resources can be developed through effective agriculture extension
services. This strategy aims at increasing agricultural productivity and welfare of rural
farmers. It helps farmers to increase their production by persuading them to adopt improved
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technical practices.

Agricultural extension develops skills, knowledge and attitudes in farmers and their families.
It finds solutions to the problems of the farmers by taking the problems into research for
solution and the solutions back to the farmers. It utilises various methods in teaching the
farmers such as demonstration farm visits, group meeting and mass method through audio
visual and printed materials.

Since farm families are closely linked together, agricultural extension incorporates
programmes on home economics and in youth development using individual, group and mass
methods.

There is a little difference between agricultural extension and community development both
of them are educational programme and aims at developing people. Agricultural extension
concentrated only on agricultural development but indirectly concerned with rural problems
such as health, nutrition and cooperatives. It encourages related agencies to extend their
services in rural areas while community development agencies endeavour to provide some
of these services to the rural areas. The training received by the agents enables them to
perform their different roles.

Agricultural extension as a strategy to rural development helps to improving the farmer’s


productivity and changing the outlook of farmers towards their problems while its
shortcoming as a strategy lies in its ineffectiveness in promoting agricultural development.
The main reasons for this are:

• low ratio of extension agents to farmers who are to teach the farmers improved farm
practices.
• inadequate credit facilities to purchase farm inputs
• inadequate use of local leaders to assist extension agents in teaching farmers
• inadequate motivation of extension on workers
• inadequate funding of extension services by the government.

Community Development Strategy

Community development is a social process by which people become more competent to


control local aspects of economic and social change. It can be define as a conscious and
deliberate effort aimed at helping communities recognise their needs and to assume
increasing responsibilities for solving their problems thereby increasing their capacities to
participate fully in the life of the nation. Community development emphasizes self-help by
citizens and also initiates a people directed process that is based upon their own perception of
their needs. It involves local people in planning and the actions necessary to satisfy their
needs, encourages the development of community as an integral whole and it provides
technical and other services in ways which encourages initiatives. It therefore uses the
principles of initiative felt needs, self-help and citizen participation to achieve its objectives.

The concept of community development assumes that:

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• the local community has been overshadowed by a larger society as a result of long isolation,
colonial domination and the consequent decline in community spirit
• the local people are poor owing to an under development of both the available resources in
their environment and their own individual potentials
• people everywhere want better conditions of living and a richer economy and can develop the
capacity to improve these things by themselvesmany problems facing rural populations can be
solved at the community level with local community resources and with outside intervention
limited to education and technical aid
• participation of people in decision on major changes taking place in their communities is
desirable
• local people do not see their problems in isolated package but as a whole hence community
development is multipurpose in nature.

As a result of community development been perceived as a process by different organisation


and institutions, six approaches have been developed namely:

• community approach
• the information self help approach
• the special purpose problem solving approach
• the demonstration approach
• the experimental approach
• the power conflict approach.

The community approach utilises holistic approach to community problems and it involves
broad based participation, democratic procedures and indigenous leadership. The special
purpose problem solving approach focuses on a particular problem of the community and
tries to solve it. For instance, water, electricity and so on that are in common interest of the
community populace. The informational self help approach was of the view that the right
kind of information applied by knowledgeable participants at strategic points in the life of a
community can make a difference to the quality of living. The experimental approach
involves the application of a quasi-experimental design to community development activities.
This approach test and verify how a concept of particular community development effort can
be transformed into theory that can be used by other communities. The demonstration
approach involves the display of methods that work or that other procedures will probably
results into failure and lastly the power conflict approach which indicates that the action of
social interveners and controllers of power is very important in community development. For
examples, if a group is advocating for poverty eradication in a community and power to
effect such change is given to another group, they may be frustrated in achieving the change
of reducing poverty in that community.

The approaches to community development can be classified into two:

• government community development and


• local people’s community development approach.

Government community development approach is a multi-purpose approach which attempt at


developing rural areas by coordinating the extension services of the various executive
10
ministries by integrating the people, organises self-help and cooperative actions with the
specialised services of the government and other voluntary agencies. Here, community
development has been seen as an umbrella organisation within which many varieties of local
level programmes could be found. Governmental community development approach can
further be divided into three namely:

• Extension
• Project
• Service.

The extension approach focuses on the teaching of local people on the improved methods and
techniques of farming, healthcare, or reading and writing (agriculture, health and adult
education). The project approach is based on the initiative of the people. It involves the
provision of social amenities like postal agency dispensaries, town halls and the likes on the
needs of the community. Here, the benefiting community is expected to pay for part of the
project.

Local people’s community development approach makes use of the principles of self help.
This is a case where people themselves through discussion, stimulation through
demonstration and internal enlightened leadership, identify their needs and mobilise their
own resources to meet such needs. Examples include building of a town hall, new road,
market stalls, community bank, police station, palace, maternity, dispensary and schools. We
therefore have many community development associations and community based
organisations (CDAS and BOS) seeing to the welfare development of their community and
associations.

Steps in Community Development

Community development process usually follows the following procedures:

• informed survey, fact finding and identification of community concerns


• identification of a small group of leaders or interest groups who can serve as the initiating
sets
• identification of immediate community problems
• sharing of the problems identified with community leaders for legitimation
• diffusion of problems and definition of needs
• security citizen’s commitment to act and identification of needed resources
• approach of available internal resources and invitation of external aid where necessary
• formulation of detailed plan
• implementation of the action and evaluating
• identification of problems arising, finding solution to it and planning for the
continuation of the process.

The problems with using community development strategy are:

1 It is not easy for one person to be effectively trained in all sectors of rural
development; hence community development agent may be ineffective
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2 There is often no formal coordination between the agencies working at the local hence the
change agent has no power is enforce cooperation by other development agencies.

3.0 Integrated Rural Development

This strategy is based on the premise that a combination of factors not only the right
technology and education but also access to physical inputs and attractive markets will get
agriculture moving.

Integrated rural development is multipurpose in nature because it entails inter- connectivity


of programme on education, health, agriculture, nutrition, cooperatives and the like and no
one is treated in isolation but together.

The strategy contends that the key to improving the productivity of small scale farmers and
the promotion of more effective government support is a package of reinforcing activities.
These activities include the provision of farm credit, extension agricultural inputs, reliable
marketing facilities, assured agricultural product prices, rural public works and stronger
village institution.

It becomes popular in the 70s because of the realisation that rapid economic growth does not
guarantee availability or equitable access to social services and amenities.

The strategy apart from increasing agricultural production, also addresses the basic needs of
the population. It helps in modernisation of agriculture and also improves the quality of life
through formation of farmer’s cooperative society. Increase in agricultural productivity is
dependent on rapid technological change and since agricultural technology is
location specific, it cannot just be transferred from area where it is developed to another area
without being adapted to local ecological conditions. Research and extension that will make
this adaptation possible are required. It helps in the mobilisation of human and materials
resources for the creation of a healthy national economy whose benefit will be shared by all
the rural people.

Various development sectors are considered together rather than in isolation and the
relationship can be seen. The strategy helps in motivation of rural people to participate
actively in decision making process concerning their progress and their developmental
activities.

Integrated rural development combines active participation of the people concerned with the
establishment of an efficient institution and of administrative facilities supplying effective
communication at all levels. It should be headed by a coordinator and the administration of
this strategy is important. An integrated rural development council, with a top level
administrator as the chairman. The council members will be made up of top administrators
from every ministry or organisation involved in such rural development project.

The functions of the committee are to:

• facilitate communication
• clarify the whole concept of integrated rural development
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• help obtain additional funding.

Corresponding rural development coordination councils should be set up at the state, zonal
and local governments, local leaders should have the opportunity to serve in the committee.
Rural development is capital intensive and requires heavy process, thus public expenditure
and accountability is therefore required in product management.

PURCHASING, DISTRIBUTION OF INPUTS AND MARKETING OF


COMMODITIES OF RURAL PEOPLE

INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is the major occupation of people in rural area they engage in crop, livestock, and
fish production, majority of the males engage in these occupation with low percentage of
women. Women are prominent in processing and selling of the commodities produced by
their male counterparts. However, they are faced with numerous problems during production
of crops and livestock among which are inadequate farm inputs which affects their output and
poor marketing with its attendant’s effects on the income accruable to the farmers.

Farm Inputs and Production

Farm inputs refer to materials that are used during the course of production in the farm to
obtain results or output. Majority of farmers in rural areas are peasant farmers practicing
subsistence agriculture cultivating a small piece of land and mostly food crops are produced.
Agrochemicals are not often used; they make use of primitive tools, plant local and
unimproved varieties of crops thereby resulting into low production which causes food
shortages. Science and technology has played an important role in the development of
agriculture through the breeding of improved varieties of crops and animals that are early
maturing and pests and diseases resistant. Agrochemical such as pesticides, insecticides,
fertilizers, production of farm implements such as tractors, ploughers, mowers, planters,
ridgers and harvesters to better the farm production.

However, non-availability of these farm inputs at the appropriate time and at affordable price
constitutes barriers to effective production of crops and livestock by farmers in rural areas.
Extension and rural development programmes succeed only when linked to research and the
organised delivery of farm input. Most of the farm inputs are supplied by agro marketing
companies or subsidised public agro-marketing companies. Private agro-marketing
companies and government owned input supply agencies that are linked to ADP provide
support in areas where agricultural extension operates often fails to meet the demand or
farmers. This is partly because their sales depots are far away from where most rural farmers
live. There are complaints by government – owned agencies of having short supplies from
their headquarters and they have to plead with farmers to wait for weeks to replenish their
stock. Failure of these nature have often affected rural development activities when the farm
inputs to be purchased by farmers are not available in time and agricultural activities such as
planting, spraying even harvesting are time bound activities.
13
In order to solve this problem, it is important for inputs supply agencies to open up none
distribution centres in rural areas and increase the stock of goods meant for sales to farmers.
These input supply agencies must reduce complex chain of command that causes delays in
their communication process prior to actual release of supplies to buyers. Hoarding by
middlemen and unfaithfulness of the company should not be tolerated and the cost of farm
inputs should be subsidised so as to make it affordable to the users. Rural people can form
cooperative society and purchases in bulk the farm inputs.

Concept of Marketing

Broadly a market can be define as an area or region over which buyers and sellers interact to
establish the price of a defined commodity over a specify period of time. Market facilitates
business activities and can be used for answering basic economic problems like what to
produce where to produce and how to distribute the product. Market can be defined with
respect to a space, location time and product. With respect to space a market is define as a
geographical area covered by marketing activities at a defined time. In respect to location we
talk of market in terms of their name and location. For instance, Ketu market in Lagos and
Dugbe market in Ibadan. Market can also be defined in respect to the products or conditions
involved e.g. cocoa market, cattle market and grain market. Some markets are held daily,
weekly or fortnightly and may be located in rural areas or urban cities. The essence of market
is that it enables buyers and sellers to strike bargain and exchange to take place.

Marketing can be said to involve all the process that occurs from the time the goods are
produced until it finally reach the ultimate users or consumers. In terms of agricultural
products, this includes everything that happens to the farm products after it leaves the farm
gate till it finally gets to the final consumer. It involves such activities as assembling
transporting, grading processing, packaging, labelling advertising, financing and storage,

The aim of marketing is to create utility for the goods. There are three types of utility that can
be created.

• Form utility – This involves changing the form of one thing to another to increase
satisfaction desirable e.g. yam to yam flour, cassava to garri and maize grains to corn flakes.
• Time utility – This is the marketing of goods and services available in good condition when
it is needed and
• Space/partial utility – This is the transporting of commodities from one place to another.

Importance of Marketing Farm Inputs

a. it supplies the urban population with food in quality and form wanted.
b. it serves as a source of foreign exchange for exporting countries. The revenue that is obtained
from exporting food is used to finance development programmes.
c. it serves as an indication of consumer preferences through prices they are ready to pay and
farmers will react to it accordingly.

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d. creates employment to marketing agents and supporting staff.
e. it generates income to farmers thus raising their standard of income.
f. stimulates research into techniques of food (crop and livestock) preservation and preparation
of various food items.
g. marketing ensures supply of seasonal commodities and enables food to be available year
round.
h. encourages the provision of basic social amenities such as roads, markets and storage
facilities.

Marketing is usually carried out by marketing agencies and they are bodies whether
individuals or group cooperative, government department or corporation there are involved in
marketing of agricultural products. They carry out marketing functions and other marketing
services. The marketing agencies include the following:

a. on farm collectors or country buyers


b. wholesales
c. retailers
d. marketing boards
e. cooperative society
f. middlemen

Problems/Challenges of Rural Development

a. lack of commitment to rural development programmes by the government


b. policy associated problems in designing and implementation to the beneficiaries.
c. lack of systematic and coordinated implementation of programmes (resulting in duplication
of efforts by governmental and non governmental agencies.)
d. lack of community empowerment as some of the rural development projects that are top
driven viewing small farmers irrational and incapable of making progress on their own
initiatives.
e. high level of corruption
f. poor statistical base for effective planning
g. lack of proper planning, monitoring and evaluation.
h. role conflict may arise where the change agent is expected to fulfil the desires of the
sponsoring agency rather than what the community wants.
i. inadequate understanding of the rural community in terms of its structure, communication,
decision making patterns, existence of factors, norms and values by the change agent.
j. lack of follow up as many rural development programmes went into comma, immediately
after the expiration of the initial period planned for the programme.

Problems of Agricultural Marketing as it Affects Rural People

The characteristics of agricultural product as it affects marketing lies in their seasonality,


bulkiness, perishable ability, small scattered of products and non-consumable nature of
agricultural products in raw form. Seasonality - agricultural commodities are always seasonal
because of their dependence on weather thereby constituting addition tasks for the marketers
in storing them to add more value to it. Most of agricultural products are bulky or heavy
therefore difficult to transport. Bulkiness incurs additional cost to the cost of production e.g.
15
yam, cassava, potato and sugarcane. Vegetable crops are highly perishable thus creates an
addition burden to the marketers in the sense that they have to be transported as quickly as
possible to the consumer. They get spoil within some few days thereby causing shortage for
the farmers.

Also, small scattered units of farms pose problems for collecting and assembling of their
wares. Non consumable nature of some agricultural commodities in raw form brings in the
need to process it to another form before it can be purchased. There is usually lack of
processing plants in the rural areas as most of the processing plants require electricity.

One of the characteristics of the rural areas is lack of good motorable road. This affects the
farmers in that it add more to their costs of production and when perishable goods are unable
to get to the market it leads to loss of income. There is lack of efficient handling packaging
and processing facilities in rural areas, this makes the crop producers to sell their products
immediately after harvesting even at a ridiculous price.

Apart from the above, another problem is instability of prices. Prices of agricultural
commodities are usually manipulated by speculations with adverse effect on both the
consumers and the producers. Price instability often debars producers from producing more.

A rural development programme must take into account all of the above and other variables if
it is to succeed. Farmers in rural areas should be encouraged by government to construct
cribs, barns and rhumbus for proper storage of farm produce and by granting them loans.
Government must provide facilities such as silos and cold stores in rural farming society.
Government must buy excess produce during peak periods and stored them for future use
during the period of food shortages.
Government must establish processing facilities industry in the rural faming communities.
This is to encourage wealthy and multinational corporations to establish processing facilities
in rural areas. New feeder roads should be constructed to link rural areas and rehabilitate the
existing ones that are due for rehabilitation. Marketing channel should be well organised to
make produce available in the market. Agricultural produce should be price well to encourage
farmer to produce more.

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