AN ASSESSMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES POSSESSED BY EXTENSION FIELD STAFF OF PRIVATE AGRI. EXTENSION SYSTEM IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

In Pakistan, privatization of agricultural extension system was started in 1988 on the recommendation of National Commission on Agriculture established by the government to look into the causes of poor performance of agricultural sector. Currently, private sector (320 multinational, national and generic pesticide companies) is actively engaged in extension activities in the Punjab. The sector is bound to provide extension services to the farmers in addition to selling pesticide products. In the present study, Narayana’s Lotus Model was adopted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of competencies possessed by extension workers of private extension system. A cross-sectional research design was used for the study in Punjab province. Simple random sampling technique was used for the selection of respondents. Sixty (60) respondents (private extension field staff) from selected multinational pesticide company (Syngenta) were personally interviewed with the help of pre-tested and validated research instrument. Results show that mean values of professional competencies of private agricultural extension workers regarding knowledge, attitude, skills and attributes were 3.68, 3.82, 3.84 and 3.73 with standard deviation of 0.47, 0.39, 0.38 and 0.49, respectively. This means that competencies possessed by extension workers of private sector (Syngenta) were perceived in the range of strength and great strength on the likert scale. But, keeping in view some other studies conducted to measure competency of extension field staff (EFS) through farmers respondents, a great discrepancy in opinion existed among farmers and EFS on the same issue.