Study On The Approaches And Models To Extend The Techniques Used In Animal Production By Agricultural Corporations

Extension of agricultural technology is a bridge to link between agriculturaltechniques and productivity. Agriculture extension, together with agriculture scientificresearch and agriculture education, forms "three mainstays" of agriculture development.With the animal husbandry in the market economic system during past 15 years from1990 to 2005, 14 large agricultural corporations and 179 farmers in 6 different counties inAnhui province were employed to this study. According to a series of theories (farmers'action changing theory, communication theory, creation and pervasion theory, agricultureextension framework theory), the methods which included literature information statisticsanalysis, questionnaire investigation, visiting and discussion and comparative analysis,were used to know following things: to summarize the major breeding technology, theapproaches and models for extension in these corporations during these 15 years; toimprove the efficiency for the technology extension by using these models; to analyze theadvantages/disadvantages from corporations during agricultural technology extension; togive some suggestions and measures. The purpose of this paper is to provide some usefulexpertise for the corporations during extending the agriculture technology. The results aredescribed as follows:Ten approaches for extension, which were considered to be effective by bothcorporation and farmer, described as follow: the demonstration of new techniques; thedirection indoor by extension agent; training courses; service of materials for production;influence from the farmers which employed the new technique before; technologicalconsultation; exhibition of new techniques; communication with experienced users;advertisement; newspaper, magazine and technological information. These approachesshould be used skillfully based on the economic condition, education level and ageperiods of farmers, and the five different phases adopting new techniques. Two or moreapproaches can also be combined to improve the usage ratio of new technology forfarmers. Operation skill to these approaches should be considered at the same time.Four models for technology extension are used popularly by the agriculturalcorporations (the corporation contract with farmers for responsibility of technologyservice, technology contract with materials, company add base (cooperation or animalhusbandry zone) add farmers, selling techniques) and mainly focused on the foregoing 3models. Currently, technology contract with materials is the most popular model, thoughcompany add base(cooperation or animal husbandry zone) add farmer is considered themost effective models. Corporations could choose freely one or more effective andappropriate extension models. To improve the efficiency of technology extension,corporations should gain enough support from the government and cooperate with otherorganizations, such as Agricultural University, Science Research Department, AgricultureExtension Organization, Farmer economic Cooperation Organization and professionalunion, and construct a close relationship with finance system and insurance agent.Corporations also should ensure the expense of technology extension, seize the availablechance to extend technology, establish an effective mechanism (including hire, check, rewards and punishment, supervise and training), and reinforce the research for farmers'action, adopt correlative measure.The main techniques of animal husbandry extended by the corporations includes:breed extension and breed improvement through cross, artificial insemination (AI), usageand manufacture of formula feed, management of animal thrm and ways, prevention ofanimal disease, etc. At first stage, the single technique was extended one by one andcurrently then the multi-techniques was extended popularly, i.e. supplying materials atpre-production, technological direction and training course during production and helpingthe farmers sell their products after production to increase the farmers' benefit. Thecontent of extension were changed according to the need of different periods, and threestages(pure technology type period, benefit type period and farming industrializationdevelopment type period) were developed.The advantages for extension of agriculture technology include these fields: numbersof agricultural corporations increase rapidly and the economic strength of the corporationboosts gradually; the number and the quality of technician in the agricultural corporationare higher than in the governmental basic extension organization; The agriculturecorporations adapt to the requirement of technology extension in new epoch; acclimate tothe world developmental stream of technology extension; Simultaneity the maindisadvantages lied in as follows: happen in the same time between shortage of effectiverequirement of science & technology achievements and deficit of practical technologyfruits which adapt to extension; the key point of the breeding technology couldn't extenddeeply in the content of extension; communications between corporation and technicianaren't enough in the system of extension; The advantages of Corporations is not obvious;The coupling mechanism of industrialization management in corporation and farmer'sinterest is not perfect and stable; technology extension couldn't cover widely; Nationaleconomy in different regions couldn't develop balance. Therefore, we gave followingsuggestions and measures: increase the power of law execution to make technologyextension under a legal system way; make a series of relevant sustaining policies tofoster the leading corporations; construct a good interest relationship between agriculturalcorporation and farmers; definitude the extension direction, obey the selective principle ofbreeding technology extension item; reinforce the alarm research for breeding production;strength the technology extension in the west region; establish a informative networkservice system and create new methods for technology extension; deal with therelationship between different corporations reasonably; use a"research-production-extension" integrative way.