10 Major Problems of Agricultural Planning in Developing

 

The development of plans and measures to achieve greater and more efficient output from agriculture, a sound agricultural policy should be able to reconcile three basic needs: The production of food and agricultural products, the protection of the environment and the maintenance of the socio-economic structure of rural areas.

It is equally important to address the problems facing agricultural planning in developing countries. 

This article is set to address this very crucial aspect of agricultural policy planning and development.

  

Read: 11 Major Importance of Agricultural Development

 

10 Major Problems of Agricultural Planning in Developing

There are many problems facing agricultural planning in developing countries.

The following are some of them:

1. Lack of well-defined goals and policies: Inadequate definition of and/or well-defined goals makes a policy to lack clarity, internal consistency and compatibility with other policy goals with the result that the successful implementation of such a policy becomes problematic.

This is a problem of communication. Goal definition varies in developing countries because people disagree about the objectives of a given programme or because people do not care to define such objectives because the objectives are not to their advantage.

 In some other instances, the policy makers assume that they know the needs of the target groups and therefore see no reason for clarity of goals.

2. Inadequate or incompetent planners for evaluation and monitoring projects.

3. Lack of accurate data for planning.

4. Existence of land tenure and other institutional problems.

5. Inadequacy of infrastructural facilities.

6. Absence of a new cadre of farmers that can easily be bent to achieve effective agricultural planning.

7. Lack of effective administrative managerial machinery for effectuating agricultural sector plan.

8. Fragmentation of holdings and the impossibility of reaching all the farmers that are scattered over large areas.

9. Inadequacy of relevant researches to the problems of local farmers.

10. Inadequate extension services to carry the research findings to the farmers.

Agriculture must of course be planned in relation to the whole economy and unless this is done, there are bound to be problems, to the extent that wrong emphasis may be laid on which aspects of agriculture to be developed.

For instance, if a country is setting up agro allied industries, agriculture must be geared towards feeding these industries with raw materials. If food is the nation‘s problems, then agriculture must be geared towards this objective. It is certain, therefore, that difference is only in the extent and degree of planning or involvement of government in the planning effort.

 

Read: Agricultural Development: Definition, Theories and Models

 

Conclusion on 10 Major Problems of Agricultural Planning in Developing

 In this lesson you have learnt about the problems of agricultural planning in developing countries which are numerous as earlier discussed.

We have explained 10 problems facing agricultural planning in developing countries, among them are:

1.  Inadequate or incompetent planners for evaluation and monitoring projects.

2. Lack of accurate data for planning.

3. Existence of land tenure and other institutional problems.

4.  Inadequacy of infrastructural facilities.

5. Absence of a new cadre of farmers that can easily be bent to achieve effective agricultural planning.

6.  Lack of effective administrative managerial machinery for effectuating agricultural sector plan.

7. Fragmentation of holdings and the impossibility of reaching all the farmers that are scattered over large areas.

8. Inadequacy of relevant researches to the problems of local farmers.

9. Inadequate extension services to carry the research findings to the farmers

 

Read: The Concept of Planning and Agricultural Development Planning