Let us talk about Agricultural Extension

Abstract

I have always been interested in agricultural extension from the time I used to see extension workers visit my mum, then a peasant farmer in the village, working hard to make sure her family was always food secure. Even though her husband (my father) was out on a government job, she understood that she had to do her bit. His salary would be reserved for paying school fees for the children, putting up good housing, and providing some material goods that could put them at a certain level in society. Cash was highly valued, as it still is today. My mother was not farming to sell. Whatever excess she had would be shared with needy relatives and neighbors. With the support of extension workers who used to provide free seeds, teach how to make compost manure, and then guide farmers all the way to harvest and storage, we never lacked food except when there was a very serious famine. I remember feeling hunger pangs, at a time when we had porridge only for breakfast, no lunch, and then had a full meal at dinner. The memory of those hunger pangs is the reason why I am not happy when I hear of children going hungry for whatever reason.