The potential role of agricultural extension in future: A review and roadmap

Introduction

Most countries around the world especially the developing countries aim to achieve the comprehensive development through the developing plans and programs in order to reduce the ignorance people especially rural area (Al-Hafidh, 2023). [1] The organization of extension is one of the main pillars of agriculture sector which tries to create development and change the rural family through the operations of extension. The extension process is an informal educational process aims to increase the rural people's knowledge to improve their skills, correct their attitudes, enable them to understand the modern technology and adopt these devices in their fields (Rana, 2025) [31] . Today, the agricultural extension works among others to translate science for practical application, Identify emerging research questions, find answers and encourage the application of science and technology, to improve agricultural, economic and social conditions. In order to achieve that the relevance of agricultural extension in any agricultural revolution is certain and therefore it is posited that no meaningful agricultural development can happen without the services of agricultural extension (Adnan, 2022) [1] . In another perspective, Lafta et al., (2022) [25] explained agricultural extension systematically as a process which helps farmers to analyse their present and expected future situations, helps farmers to become aware of the problems, which can arise in such an analysis, increase knowledge and develops into problems and helps to structure farmers' existing knowledge, helps farmers to acquire specific knowledge related to certain problems, solutions and their consequences so that they can act on possible alternatives, helps farmers to evaluate and improve their own opinionforming and decision-making skills.

Literuture Reviw

Agricultural extension is an essential pillar both for rural community progress and as part of a strategy of agricultural research and development (Mahmoud, 2010) [27] . Jasim et al. (2020) [9] confirmed the agricultural extension is a general term meaning the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. As mentioned by Challob et al., (2020), agricultural research remains an academic endeavour unless it is informed by real problems on the ground and efforts are made to deliver solutions to farmers by appropriate forms of extension. Research institutions focus on the technical aspects for generating useful technologies, while agricultural extension focuses on the acceptance and adoption of those technologies by users and; it emphasizes taking knowledge gained through research and education and bringing it directly to the people to create positive changes (Al-Awsi, 2008) [6] . According to Saleh et al., (2020) [34] , the agricultural extension provides non-formal education and learning activities to farmers throughout the country particularly education to people rural communities. On the other hand, Ramadan (2023) [30] confirmed the agricultural www.extensionjournal.com extension is the function of providing need and demand based knowledge in agro-economic techniques and skills to rural communities in a systematic, participatory manner, with the objective of improving their production, income, and by implication quality of life. Along these lines, Rana (2024) [32] tried to look at agricultural extension from the modern perspective, that explains it from the aim which extension seek to accomplish; the main aim, in this case, is to teach both the rural clientele how to determine their problems and be able to solve problems using their own locally available resources so; she further explained extension as having three important dimensions namely: Firstly, Educational component which involves changing the behavior complex. Secondly, Economic dimension which includes: increased income of the clientele, increased crop yield, better financial management. Finally, Social dimension which also includes: leadership development, development cooperation, increased zeal for development. Below is complete overview of the potential role of agricultural extension in the future as a review and roadmap:

New Approaches and Paradigms of Agricultural Extension

With the changing environment of agricultural extension, institutional pluralism and bottom-up participatory approaches are essential (Lafta, 2016) [19] . The public sector was still in need of playing an important role in providing agricultural extension services due to the services' public good nature. Nevertheless, its role needs to change in the face of the increasing role of the private and nongovernmental organizations sectors and new and additional responsibilities of extension services (AL Khafaji et al., 2022) [5] . In line with the above, Jasim et al., (2025) [9] confirmed that the new approaches to extension need to emphasize three elements: strategies to develop agricultural innovation systems, pluralism of service providers and extension services should be demand-driven. On the other hand, Al-Hafidh et al., (2025) summed up those four possible combinations each of which could represent a different new approach and paradigm of agricultural extension as follows: 1. Technology transfer (persuasive and paternalistic). This paradigm was prevalent in colonial times and reappeared in the 1970s and 1980s when the "training and visit" system was established across Asia.

Technology transfer involves a top-down approach that delivers specific recommendations to farmers about the practices they should adopt.

Tasks Agricultural Extension Education in Future

Extension should play the role of facilitating the access to and transfer of knowledge among the different entities involved in the innovation system of agricultural extension education in future and create competent institutional modes to improve the overall performance of the innovation system inability to play this important role would further marginalize extension efforts in future (Al-Kubaisy, 2021) [7] . In the same vein, Rana (2025) [31] , mentioned to three basic tasks of agricultural extension education in future as; disseminating useful information, applying it to the analysis of practical problems and help people to use it to help themselves.

In another perspective, Saleh et al., (2025) [35] summed up the tasks and aspects of agricultural extension education in the future as follows: 1) Evolution of extension system and operationalization of approaches. 2) Future extension education initiatives.

3) Collegiate participation of farmers. 4) Web enabled technology dissemination. 5) Developing cases as tools for technology dissemination. 6) Agriculture as a profitable venture. 7) Scaling up of group mobilization. 8) Micro-enterprises promotion.

Scope of Agricultural Extension Services

Extension services are the different programmes-projectsrecommendations, which the extension service make available to their clientele through the use of extension education process (Lafta, 2011) [15] . Agricultural extension services encompass all aspects of agriculture. It includes the provision of timely information, the linking of farmers with sources of farming inputs and credit facilities and most importantly, the provision of education services to farmers. The mistake people have been making was that of limiting agricultural extension services to helping the farmers to procure their planting inputs and other inputs needed on their farms; but people through hard experiences have come to realize the fact that for any agricultural project or programmes to succeed, agricultural extension must be fully involved, so as to participate in all its activities from planning to execution (Rakhit, 2025) [29] . As mentioned by Ridha et al. (2020) the modern agricultural extension scope, covers a wide spectrum of services, which include; improvement in production, marketing, storage, processing, fish farming, agro-forestry, input supply and distribution, man-power development, home economicswomen in agriculture, irrigation, land management, farm www.extensionjournal.com mechanization, erosion control, livestock management, human resources-development, administrationmanagement, programmes planning and evaluation, youth development programmes etc.

Conclusion

The scope of agriculture sector is very broad. It is not a mere matter of giving the farmer actual knowledge from new research and technology, to help him raise his efficiency. It is this, of course, but it is more. It hopes to change his view of life, to persuade him and his family that they may reach and enjoy a higher and richer existence. Yet, the role of agricultural extension in agricultural development is pertinent. It has been established that no nation will have real growth in the agricultural sector without effective extension service. Agricultural extension is an educational process and brings about desired behavioral change in farmers.

Recommendations

Increasing interest in agricultural scientific research by providing the necessary capabilities to fulfill its hoped-for role in solving agricultural problems and; finding an appropriate mechanism to link agricultural scientific research with agricultural and field guidance devices in order to find a good solutions to field agricultural difficulties so that the outputs of scientific research are commensurate with the field agricultural sector reality and the needs of rural residents.

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