By Japhet Laizer, AGRA Program officer
Agriculture in Africa has the potential not only to satisfy its own domestic food needs but also those of the rest of the world. Agriculture remains one of the driving sectors for the continent, supporting the majority of the population and accounting for 14% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa. As agriculture becomes more integrated with the agri-food chain and the global market, it faces challenges in meeting the growing demands due to a rapidly increasing population, competitiveness in global markets, and ensuring the quality of agricultural products for overseas markets. Agricultural extension is a vehicle for modernizing, commercializing, and transforming agriculture in many sub-Saharan African countries.
While extension services targeting smallholder farmers have expanded in recent years, there are still significant gaps in many African countries. The extension system and service provision face numerous challenges, including a limited number of extension officers, scarce resources, and a lack of awareness among smallholder farmers accessing these services. This impacts both the sector’s development and the economic and social welfare of the farmers. Furthermore, the system often overlooks women and youth in providing access to extension services. Most African countries face significant issues regarding the availability and dissemination of agricultural advisory services to the majority of smallholder farmers. In many nations, the ratio of extension agents to farmers is alarmingly high, sometimes reaching between 1:3000 and 1:10000.
For example, in Nigeria, the current ratio of extension agents to farmers ranges between 1:5000 and 1:10000, with a total workforce of about 7000 public agents (TASAI, 2020). In Tanzania, the average ratio of an extension worker to a farmer is 1:1172 for crop farmers and 1:500 for livestock farmers (Busungu, C., et al., 2019). These constraints hinder the broader vision of revolutionizing and commercializing the agriculture sector. To truly transform the sector, a recommended ratio of 1:500, or even 1:250, is essential to provide efficient technical advice to farming communities on the proper utilization of improved technologies for better crop productivity and overall livelihood improvement.
Agricultural inputs are pivotal in scaling innovation and enhancing productivity to accelerate the adoption rate. This results in better yields, improved nutrition, and increased income for rural farming communities. Farmers require support beyond just purchasing seeds; they need to adopt advanced agricultural technologies to realize the full potential of high-yielding crop varieties on their farms. Thus, technical expertise and understanding, or “technical know-how” and “technical know-why,” are fundamental for farmers to achieve high crop productivity and maximize the income from value chains.
To address the existing gap caused by a limited number of public extension agents, the private-led extension model was developed. This aids marginalized farmers. Increasingly, private sector actors are offering extension and advisory services to farmers as an integral part of their service provision. This initiative has led to increased sales turnover, expanded influence zones, broader geographical coverage, and a strengthened brand reputation among farmers. Due to the escalating market competition for seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection products, many agricultural input companies have initiated rural advisory services to educate, inspire, and encourage farmers to purchase their products. These companies often set up demonstration plots near main roads, village centers, and markets to showcase the performance of their products, especially seeds, chemicals, and fertilizers. Several input companies collaborate with Village-based advisors (VBAs) to develop and oversee learning sites (demonstration plots). This role offers VBAs incentives and commissions, allowing them to continue supporting farmers with technical insights on sustainable farming, while also collecting input demands from these farming communities. Such initiatives have enabled seed, fertilizer, and chemical companies to effectively market their products, forging stronger relationships with farmers for future business engagements.
AGRA Tanzania is dedicated to fortifying the private-led extension by recruiting and training over 6,000 Village-based advisors (VBAs). Their vision is a sustainably growing African food system. VBAs, self-employed farmers trained in good agronomic practices and other rural income-generating activities, cascade this knowledge to their local communities. Selected by farmers themselves, VBAs collaborate with public extension agents to offer advisory services to smallholder farmers. The training equips VBAs with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, covering a range of sustainable farming practices. These range from seed selection and timely planting to post-harvest handling and rural entrepreneurship. Furthermore, VBAs have connections with various businesses, from input companies and aggregators to NGOs, which allows them to disseminate educational resources and essential products to farming communities, improving their overall livelihoods. The VBA model has profoundly impacted many youth farmers, both male and female, changing their mindset on agribusiness and ensuring their inclusion in farming activities.
Many input companies have fortified their agronomy and extension departments to reach rural farming communities more effectively. They have expanded their input supply networks, leveraging VBAs, retail outlets, and hub agro-dealers as preferred distribution channels. These companies are also transforming mindsets by showcasing agricultural innovations at farmer field days and exhibitions. The services they provide include technical guidance on crop care, harvesting methods, safe pesticide use, and more. Additionally, seed companies are raising awareness by offering free seed samples, allowing farmers to test the ecological viability and performance of particular seeds, enticing them to buy in the subsequent cropping season.
In this digital age, agricultural input companies are leveraging digital technology to enhance value-chain efficiencies. These platforms not only serve as marketing tools but also provide e-extension services, connecting farmers with various value chain actors. They simplify access to information, financial resources, and market linkages. The move towards digitization especially appeals to the youth, portraying agriculture as “smart” and offering innovative solutions that address current challenges.
Iinput companies play a pivotal role in promoting the private-led extension model. Not only do they market their products, but they also facilitate the adoption of yield-enhancing technologies. The VBA model complements this by addressing the gap in public extension services, ensuring farmers receive quality technical advice and information on agricultural technologies. It is crucial for both public and private stakeholders to recognize the importance of this model and invest in its scaling and sustainability. By doing so, they can accelerate adoption rates and holistically transform the food system for the better.
*Japhet Laizer is an AGRA Program officer, based in Dar es Alaam.