New Agricultural Extension Policy.

The New Agriculture Extension Policy is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The Policy aims at encouraging the various partners and agencies within the national agricultural extension system to provide efficient and effective services which complement and reinforce each other, in an effort to increase the efficiency and productivity of agriculture in Bangladesh.
The Department of Agricultural Extension provides services to farmers for increasing production of crops, including vegetables, fruits and homestead crops.
Extension programmes will include specific activities for women farmers and other women household members, young people, small and marginal farmers, large and medium farmers and landless households. Extension staff will work closely with farmers to identify agricultural problems, using participatory methods and techniques. Farmers’ problems will set the extension agenda, and according to this, extension services will be demand led. Extension staff from different agencies will work with groups to provide a forum where decisions can be taken for farmers to take co-ordinated action leading to self-reliance.
Through training, skill development, institutional strengthening and logistical support, the efficiency of agricultural extension services will be improved. In order to solve basic production, management and marketing problems, trained extension agents will be provided to work effectively with all categories of farmers and with all members of households. Indigenous technical knowledge of farmers is environmentally sustainable, so learning from farmers should be supported as well as the formal research system.
Government agencies and many non-government organisations provide extension support to the farmers. For implementation of extension programmes, Extension Policy seeks the devolution of the responsibility, especially in the government sector. The National Task Force was constituted under the Ministry of Agriculture to develop an effective extension policy. Furthermore, the National Task Force is responsible for the development of an Implementation Strategy for New Agricultural Extension Policy.