Participatory approaches
National and provincial agricultural policies are formulated
to address issues of food insecurity and rural poverty.
These policies have direct effect on the agricultural
extension approach in South Africa. Duvel (2001)
observed that the model for extension in South Africa is a
technology-centred one. He, however, noted that
occasionally technology is transferred in a people-centred
way, using people centred participatory (Participatory
Rural Appraisal – PRA) methodologies, aimed at
reducing barriers to technology adoption and also to
adapt technologies and practices to local conditions. It is
a popular opinion that PRA being used in South Africa
has helped to address the needs of the farmers.
In essence a participatory diagnosis is the farm
participatory technique of involving farmers in South
Africa. It is therefore, a proclaimed priority of South Africa
that development be people-centered (Crase et al., in
Worth, 2002). In this wise, extensions activities are
carried out by service provides (Government and Private)
and farmers through joint planning and programme
implementation. The people-centred policy is enshrined
in the ethos of the South African constitution.