Agricultural extension is an informal type of education given to farmers so that they can
improve their farming. Agricultural extension in Zambia is faced with a lot of problems
which are discussed below. The possible solutions to the identified problems are also
suggested every after each problem.
One of the problems of agricultural extension services in Zambia is population. The increase
in the population of the farmers in the country has created high demand for extension
services. The challenge here is that, in Zambia there are more farmers than the numbers of
extension staff, the officers who should provide these agricultural extension services to the
farmers. About 80% of the farmers population are unable to have access to extension
services because the few agricultural extension officers cannot reach out every farmer at each
and every corner of this country. According to Adams (1982:57) states that the population
increase swamps any improvements in services. In economically advanced countries, the
ratio is 1:350 and 1:1000. Whereas most developing countries, are lucky if they have 1:5000
farmers. In Zambia, it is estimated that one extension officer will be expected to have 1500
farmers. The problem of population increase can be resolved by selecting contact farmers
who will play a role of that of the extension officer. Let the farmers themselves select their
own contact farmers in their locality. Farmers can be grouped in groups so that they can have
a contact farmer.
The other problem of agricultural extension service is that lack of supporting services in
developing countries. It is estimated that about 50 to 80% of households are dependent on
agricultural employment. The majority are poor and illiterate. Private commercial suppliers of
seeds, agricultural chemicals, tools and spare parts are in most cases not there. Farmers have
the frustrating experience of getting less revenue for their marketed farm produce than they
really expected. The cost of production is very high in Zambia and the market for farm
produce is very unstable for it is politically inclined. In all these issues little can be achieved
by the lone extension worker. It is very difficult to convince a farmer under these agricultural
conditions. Nchimunya (2010:56) identified that for field staff there is a lack of support from
their supervisors who do not always help to remove constraints to effective work, research
workers who do not always use feedback from extension agents when choosing research
problems and who do little research in farmers fields. Input suppliers do not always ensure
an effective and timely distribution of farming inputs. In all these circumstances where
agricultural extension officers are not supported by their supervisors or employers and
farmers themselves also not supported, it becomes extremely difficult for the extension
officers to take extension services to all the farmers. Farmers who are not given the farming
inputs on time may find it unnecessary to listen to the advice from the extension officer. The
possible solution to this problem is that there is a need to coordinate extension with other
services. This simply means that other stakeholders should be engaged to provide other
related services. For example, private commercial suppliers of seeds, agricultural chemicals
and other farming inputs must be locally available. Farmers with access to these services will
be motivated and willing to receive agricultural extension message. This will make it easier
for the agents to offer their services. Also extension officers need to be supported by their
supervisors and employers. For instance, researcher workers to always use feedback from the
extension agents when choosing research problems. Most of the rural farmers are illiterate
and such farmers are neither able to write nor read. Therefore, providing functional literacy
programmes will really help to alleviate this problem. Deal with real or physical objects that
farmers have. Also introducing incentives may help to induce farmers to read.
The other problem is that of lack of decent accommodation. The accommodation for
extension officers in Zambia is pathetic and this demotivates the officers to deliver extension
services to farmers effectively. In Zambia it is observed that most of the extension officers
live in towns where there is decent accommodation. The possible solution to this problem of
Agricultural extension is that the ministry need to build descent houses for extension officers
across the country, give enough housing allowances to all the agents. Furthermore, extension
officers should take advantage of the prevailing situation of lack of descent accommodation.
They can acquire a piece of land and build descent houses as they will continue getting
housing allowance from their employer and when they are transferred, they will leave those
houses on rent.
Lack of practical skills is also the other problem of agricultural extension in Zambia.
According to Saville (1965:12) indicates that extension workers are often lacking in
practical ability as a result of poor training and selection. Due to lack of practical skills,
extension officers are not offering these services to the farmers. They cannot offer skills
which they do not have to the farmers. What is happening nowadays in Zambia is that
farmers are the ones who are teaching extension agents on how to go about certain
innovations when it should be the other way round. This is because extension officers have
no such skills and it becomes a serious problem in offering extension services to farmers.
Their demonstration plots show how much extension officers have to learn from the farmers
they are supposed to teach. The possible solution to this problem is that there is a need to put
in place improved selection and training of staff, in-service training, principles of non-formal
education such as seminars and workshops. Practical skills can be acquired through these
arrangements.
Extension officers are also faced with the problem of transport. For the extension officers to
reach out the farmers, they need transport but this is not always the case here in Zambia. The
work of the extension officer should be in the field and not doing paper work from their
offices. They are forced to do paper work from their offices because transport to visit farmers
in the field is not adequate. Akinsanni (1981:135) pointed out that, transport is a major
problem, with inadequate budgets for travel allowances, few vehicles and roads are
impassable in most of the African countries. Zambia is one of the African countries with this
challenge in providing agricultural extension services to farmers. Inadequate resources are
allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture making it difficult for the Ministry to procure enough
vehicles for the extension officers in various districts of the country. Roads in most of the
places where farmers are operating from are impassable making it difficult for the extension
officers to visit their fields. It is observed with deep regret that extension officers just call
farmers to a central place where they will meet them and share whatever information they
have without visiting their fields. This is actually due to inadequate transport coupled with
inadequate manpower as earlier alluded to. This problem of transport can be resolved by
providing loan kilo meter allowance in salary to all extension officers. The employer needs to
give transport allowance to its extension agents for them to be able to execute their duties
effectively. Alternatively, the Ministry responsible through the government of the Republic of
Zambia should procure more vehicles for the said ministry so that extension officers are
being taken to the field and bring them back at knocking off time. Extension agents need to
be treated the same way Zambia army officers are treated, transport readily available for them
for they also ensure food security of the nation.
Furthermore, in-service training in Zambia is the problem where Agricultural extension is
concerned. Extension officers cannot acquire new knowledge and skills due to lack of further
improvement on their qualifications. This is necessitated by the fact that extension officers
live in difficult conditions far from schools and other facilities. This creates a problem in the
acquisition of new knowledge and skills and as a result, extension officers are not updated
with new innovations. This makes it hard for them to teach farmers on these new
developments. The possible solution to lack of in-service training is that there should be a
need to put place or introduce non-formal education such as seminars and workshops.
Through seminars and workshops, extension officers will be able to share ideas, skills and
knowledge. This will help them acquire skills and knowledge just like the way it is with
teachers in the ministry of general education. They organise CPDs termly where teachers in
various Zones meet and discuss certain topics considered to be challenging. By so doing, they
share knowledge among themselves. This can also help extension officers through having
workshops and seminars.
Tradition and culture also creates a problem in the provision of Agricultural extension
services in Zambia. Traditional beliefs by some sections of the society may have limitations
in offering extension services. Extension officers may not be accepted to teach anything
against their beliefs. For example, the area that is dominated with the Seventh-day Adventist
will not accept the rearing of pigs. Due to this, extension officers may not even bother to visit
such places thereby limiting Agricultural extension services to few farmers living in such
areas. This problem can be best handled by the extension officers to learn reasons why they
behave that way. Extension officers need to be aware about the customs of the local farmers.
Work overload is also one of the problems of Agricultural extension in Zambia. Extension
officers are sometimes given too many tasks such as writing application for credits and
subsidies for farmers, filling in many questionnaires and forms for headquarters, setting up
and maintaining demonstration plots and distributing supplies. Ngugi, et al (1987:141) states
that due to work overload, extension officers spend more time writing reports than the time
devoted in the field. This means that very little time is left for working with the farmers or in-
service training. The possible solution to this problem is that extension officers need to
understand their job description. They should not become excited for performing duties that
someone else should do, otherwise, Agricultural extension services will not be able to reach
the local farmers due to extra work. Knowing job description dispels out work overload in
any organisation.
The other problem of Agricultural extension is to do with management. In most developing
countries inclusive Zambia, extension services are organised along similar lines to civil
service agencies with offices at the national, provincial, district and rural council levels. This
actually brings about communication problems with the upper and lower levels. All the
instructions and reports have to be transmitted according to the chain of command and this
delays the transmission of extension message to a local farmer. The possible solution to this
should be that for this complex organisation structures that seem to complicate
communication, there is a need to introduce single, direct line of support, control and simple
management procedures. This will help to reduce the delay of transmission of extension
messages to local farmers.
REFERENCES
1. Adams, M. E., (1982). Agricultural Extension in Developing Countries. Longmans
Groups Ltd, England.
2. Akinsanmi, O., (1981). Senior Secondary Agricultural Science. Longman Group Ltd.
Malaysia.
3. Nchimunya, Z. S., (2010). Agricultural Extension Module (ED 262). Natural
Resources Development College (NRDC), Lusaka.
4. Ngugi, D.N., et al, (1987). A textbook for Secondary Schools. Macmillan Publishers
Ltd, London.
5. Saville, A.H., (1965). Extension in Rural Communities: A Manual for Agricultural and
Home Extension technician Workers. Oxford University Press.
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