2 ABSTRACT The earliest reports of

2
ABSTRACT
The earliest reports of agricultural extension in Italy dated back to 1548, which probablymake the extension systems in Italy one of the oldest systems in the world, if not the oldest.History shaped the Italian socio-economic environment and Italians over the pastmillenniums had to adapt to changing circumstances for survival. South Africa can learn from experiences in Italy. The challenge is to identify normative frameworks and guidelines for efficient extension systems and methodologies according to the socio-economic needs of South Africa without compromising the present competitiveness of the South Africanagricultural sector in an African context

The classic economy approach supplies some insight on the delivery of extension services in a free market system. Supply and demand determines the price farmers are willing to pay for extension or new technology. The public extension services tend to focus on “governmentdriven” programs such as land reform and therefore reduce its ability to supply proper services to the “private driven” sector (commercial farming). Commercial farmers then look for alternative extension services, which are normally available at a cost. If the alternativeservice (supply) is of better quality, the farmers (demand) are willing to pay a certain price for it.

Most Italian farmers are small and could not afford expensive extension services, yetthey were dissatisfied by the services offered by the government. They did what their ancestors did more than 400 years ago. They take extension into their own hands.The lessons learned for South African circumstances are that the changes that took place inextension services are not unique if compared to the Italian experience. New governmentsimplement new policies and extension services must address these needs. The supply anddemand of an extension service or system determines the clientele of the extension service.Commercial farmers in South Africa need more sophisticated technology and informationthat is currently supplied by the public services and they will therefore seek their informationelsewhere, even if they have to pay for it. This article suggests that South African commercial farmers also take extension into their own hands