Primary Agricultural Extension System In China: A Historical And Theoretical Investigation

The core of agricultural modernization is the constant substitution of traditional production factors with modern production factors. In the innovation system of agriculture technology, foundation, applied research and extension application are all indispensable. The roles of agricultural technology extension are to transfer and disperse various advanced practical agricultural technology to agricultural production through experiments, demonstrations, dissemination and training. Since 1980s, the extension system born in the era of planned economy has been reformed many times to adapt to the deep changes in rural economic structure and agricultural operation forms. However, the deep conflicts between the service of agricultural technology extension and the rural economic development has not been fundamentally solved. The working efficiency of governmental extension departments is still under general suspicion. And as the state institutions directly facing the countryside and farmers, grass-root agricultural technology extension agencies is also one of difficult aspects of deepening reform of township governmental agencies. It's becoming more urgent after the reform of agricultural taxes. Therefore, analyzing the fundamental issues of governmental agricultural technology extension system, studying the main factors affecting its working functions and efficiency, and putting forward the suggestions for the future development are very important to realize agricultural modernization and improve farmers' income.The analysis logic of the research is to construct a new public agricultural technology extension system based on -the application of the related theories and methodologies of new institutional economics and the analysis of the reform history of governmental extension agency system. The paper consists of 9 chapters:Chapter one is introduction. It introduces the research background and significance, research methodologies, research logic and framework and puts forward the research assumptions for the paper. It also briefly summarizes and reviews the related domestic and overseas researches.Chapter two discusses the theoretical foundations for the existence of public agricultural technology extension system in China. This chapter studies the supply of agricultural technology extension services from the dynamic perspective of public goods characteristics. The commonality of public goods will change with the factors such as political system, economic development level, technological conditions and demand elasticity. It's one reason why the corresponding agricultural technology extension system should be adjusted after the major reform of agricultural operation system. As a special product, the services provided by agricultural technology extension agencies are consumed directly by farmers; while the agricultural technology products are consumed indirectly by consumers of agricultural products.