NUMBER 108 * ED Precis = Operations Evaluation Department March 1996 Agricultural Research and Extension: Lessons from China Through a succession of three projects, work in about 400 research insti- Bank support of China's national the World Bank helped China to im- tutes and 70 agricultural universi- agricultural research and extension prove the capacity of its agricultural ties throughout China. Despite system followed a two-pronged ap- universities and key research institutes years of political upheaval the proach: strengthening research to and to develop ties with the global re- system contributed significantly expedite the output of technology, search community. As important, the to the country's agricultural pro- followed by activities to strengthen projects helped China establish work- ductivity. Technological improve- extension and the links among re- ing links, first between the university ments, particularly of high-yielding search, extension, and farmers. and research communities, and then rice and wheat varieties, accounted between research and extension ser- for an estimated 20 percent of Project goals and approach vices to bring useful technologies growth in production between to farmers. The key to the projects' 1965 and 1989. The first of the three projects success was their phased approach: supported by the Bank, the Agri- projects were sequenced to build and Nevertheless, isolation from cultural Education and Research expand on the achievements of earlier international research and the in- Project, focused on modernizing activities and relied on pilot efforts to stitutional disruptions brought on and strengthening the capacities of determine the best model for strength- by the Great Leap Forward and 11 universities and 7 key research ening extension work at counlty and the Cultural Revolution took an institutes. That project also initiated farm levels. enormous toll. When World Bank the first links to international re- support of China's agricultural sec- search and financed the agricultural China's project phasing demon- tor began in the early 1980s, the research study, which identified the strated the benefits of first focusing on country's agricultural research sys- principal areas needing further sup- technology generation before heavily tem was suffering from outdated port and formed the basis for the investing in extension services. As a technology and equipment, poorly design of the second project. vehicle for deliverinig information, trained researchers and teachers, extension services are unllikely to be and few if any connecting links The $59 million Second Agricul- cost-effective without a strong inflow between education, research, tural Research Project, approved in of technology useful to farmers. A and extension. recent OED audit* of the World Bank- supported Second Agricultural Re- But given China's shrinking ar- *Performance audit report, search Project highlights lessons for able land base and vast and still "China: Second Agricultural fiuture programming. growing population, the country Research Project," Report No. increasingly had to rely on raising 15220, December 1995. Perfor- Background agricultural intensity to increase mance audit reports are avail- production. And increased agricul- able to Bank executive directors China's national agricultural tural intensity meant greater reli- and staff. They can be ordered research system is the largest pub- ance on a modern research system from the Bank's Internal Docu- licly funded and administered re- and on agrotechnical extension ser- ments Unit and from Regional search system in the world. About vices capable of quickly communi- Information Service Centers. 60,000 researchers and technicians cating new technologies to farmers. or exceeded. The 15 institutes were Box 1: Research institutions and output of technology rehabilitated and equipped with modern scientific instruments, and Agricultural Crops Basic Research Arid and Semi-Arid Research Center- with extra funds accrued through Center-Wheat, rice, soybean, and Wheat varieties, goat production, soil the devaluation of the yuan, the corn varieties conservation project expanded its overseas and Aquatic Products Research Center- Forestry Resources Monitoring Center- local training programs, extending Assessment of fish populations of Remote sensing, development of guide- many of the scholarships for ad- northern seas and breeding technology lines for regeneration of natural forest vanced studies overseas. for carp Water Conservancy Infornation Center- In two areas, project design Grassland Research Center- Water conservancy database, weather and implementation proved weak: Monitoring and forecasting systems, forecasting system First, some of the equipment pur- grassland productivity Tropical Crops Library and Information chased under the project was Veterinary Research Center- Center-Chinese and foreign languages underutilized. It was either inap- Development and production of new collection, database propriate for the needs of the vaccines centers or was received before Meteorology Observation Center-UHF trainees had returned from abroad Xinjiang Special Products Research Doppler radar for wind measurement to operate it. Although the project Center-Post-harvest technology, fruit had a technical assistance compo- production technology Water Conservancy Research Center- nent, a provision to recruit tech- Cotton. Wheat and Corn Research mrregular wave generator nical advisers to oversee the Center-Cotton varieties (eight new Nanjing Hydraulic Research Center- selection, use, and maintenance varieties produced), wheat and cotton High-quality testing methodologies and of sophisticated scientific equip- farming systems testing equipment ment was not part of it. Second, government extension of training Potato Research Center-Post-harvest Northwest Hydrological Training scholarships delayed the return technology, potato varieties Center-Training of trainees needed to start new re- search programs (and operate the new equipment). But the trainees' 1984 and closed in 1992, focused model aimed at maximizing the low return rate did not have as on improving research and exten- efficient use of resources and great an adverse effect as might sion. It was designed to modernize improving technical advice and have been expected because junior physical facilities for research, de- training to farmers. If properly scientists sustained the output velop cadres of highly trained re- implemented, the new extension of technology. In this respect, the search scientists, strengthen centers, which were being estab- local training component provided research planning and program- lished in each of China's 2,300 greater immediate benefits, with ming, and improve communica- counties, promised to expedite most trainees returning to their tion of research results to farmers. the transfer of new technology to posts as scheduled. The project's goals were twofold: millions of farm households. And first, to expand and improve the they would ensure that information Despite these shortcomings, the capacities of 15 national research on technical problems confronting project contributed significantly centers in six different agroecolog- farmers would be relayed back to to modernizing China's national ical zones. The research centers the research institutes for solution. research and extension system. were chosen for their demon- strated potential for contributing The ongoing third project is con- Basic research to new technologies and for their centrating on further strengthening ability to become training centers extension services and the links be- With improved facilities and in major agricultural disciplines. tween research and extension. better trained staff, the number of research programs increased Second, the project was to Findings from the second project markedly in the research centers pilot a new model for extension assisted, from 334 in 1985 to 641 in through support of ten recently The project was largely imple- 1990. The programs produced im- formed county-level agrotech- mented as designed and at lower portant results. (See Box 1 for nical extension centers (ATECs). cost than expected, due in part types of technology produced.) The ATECs consolidated in one to savings on contingency allow- The Cotton, Wheat, and Corn Re- center previously separate agricul- ances and the devaluation of the search Center now houses some tural support services. Through yuan. Except for overseas technical of the most advanced instruments integration of services, the new assistance, all key targets were met of any cotton research laboratory March 1996 in the world. The center released extended 840 technologies to farm- search in demonstration villages, eight new cotton varieties, and re- ers cultivating almost 9 million and taking part in annual produc- search on new wheat and cotton hectares. In one center alone (The tion planning sessions. (See Box 2.) cultivation techniques enabled County Huaxian Agrotechnique Each ATEC had an extension com- farmers in the coastal plain to in- Popularizing Center) extension mittee comprising members from crease productivity through inter- staff successfully transferred 230 the local extension and research cropping. For livestock, researchers new agricultural technologies to communities and chaired by the introduced a new method for mass farmers, whose wide adoption of county political leader. The com- producing low-cost vaccine against the methods increased the county's position of the committees further equine infectious anemia, with po- agricultural output significantly. strengthened the evolving links, tential for exporting the vaccine Average yields of grain crops in- and the participation of the local to the United States and Latin creased from 3,683 kg/ha in 1983 leader strengthened county gov- America. to 4,884 kg/ha in 1994. ernment commitment to support- ing the centers. Improved library facilities and Academic staff from the uni- short overseas visits helped Chi- versities and scientists from the Linking research with extension nese scientists reestablish links to research centers actively partici- the global scientific community af- pated in many of the centers' Project phasing allowed invest- ter years of isolation. China now programs, such as training lead ments in the national extension has several international coopera- farmers, supervising adaptive re- network to be delayed until work- tive research programs, including programs with Japan, the United States, and the Consultative Group Box 2: Linking research with extension: some examples for International Agricultural Re- search. The research emanating The Cotton, Wheat and Corn Re- years networked its research re- from the agricultural institutes and search Center at Anyang in Henan sults to farmers, who have widely universities is also gaining interna- Province serves more than 100 adopted many of its technological tional recognition as evidenced by cotton-growing counties. Its tech- outputs, such as its recommenda- the greater number of articles ac- nicians train farmers in cotton tion for planting short-maturity cepted in international scientific cultivation, conduct short courses corn after wheat. Some of the re- journals, from 11 in 1985 to 34 at the institute for senior county search programs conducted by in 1990. officials, provide training films to affiliates of the Chinese Academy the ATECs, and supply sufficient of Agricultural Research are also breeders' seeds for 200,000 hectares being carried out under contract Extensionl and adaptive research: the of cotton in two provinces each to the ATECs. ATEC model year. Each research scientist is re- sponsible for providing technical The Weinan City Agricultural In the late 1970s, China shifted support to three counties and par- Technology Promotion Centre from the cooperative to the indi- ticipates in the meetings of the rel- (ATPC) in Shaanxi Province estab- vidual household as the key unit in evant extension committees. lished a special fund, with contri- economic decisionmaking. Farm- butions from farmers and govern- ers' plots were small, often no big- The center bred Zhong-Mian 12 ment, to support 33 agrotechnical ger than 0.1 hectare. To increase (ZM12), a disease-resistant, high- promotion organizations in rural yields, they needed access to more yielding and high-quality cotton towns. Fifteen of the organiza- sophisticated technology that was variety. By 1991 ZM12 was being tions have extension committees, suitable for their location and farm- planted on 1.25 million hectares, scientific equipment for adaptive ing circumstances. The ATECs pro- or 25 percent of the national cotton research, and demonstration sites. vided such a vehicle, and the ten area infected with Fusarium and The center supports 37 demon- pilot centers helped establish the Verticillium wilt. The new variety stration villages, which are run is popular in North China where by more than 7,000 farmer techni- model as an effective structure for cotton can be planted in the spring, cians. ATPC makes extensive use transferring technology in China's 4 to 6 weeks prior to the harvest of video technology to extend changed agricultural environment. of winter wheat, thus allowing the general scientific knowledge farmers to harvest two crops a and to promote advanced tech- With project support, the pilot year. The value of ZM12 cotton nology to large audiences. Since centers acquired the facilities and produced in 1991 was US$200 1986, it has extended 20 agricul- gained the knowledge base to be- million equivalent. tural technologies within an come actively involved in basic area of 247,000 hectares. Many field and adaptive research and The Institute of Crop Breeding and of these have been widely farmer training. Over the seven Cultivation in Beijing has for many adopted. years' life of the project, the centers OED Pr&cis ing links had been established the extension centers as it is for the nology, farmer training, analytical among universities, research, and national research centers. scientific support, and adaptive extension and the pace of technol- research to millions of farming ogy generation had accelerated. Lessons households throughout China. Although planning and direction Moreover, the ATEC system has of research in China is still very * Bank assistance over a series of effectively developed vertical links much top-down, the project made projects helps build agricultural re- between research, extension, and important progress in strengthen- search capabilities in a logical sequence farmers and is grounded in local ing links among research, exten- to maximize the efficiency of invest- ownership through its local gov- sion, and farmers. ments. The phased approach in ernment funding and management. China allowed sufficient time for Sustainability research and extension systems to * A sufficient, timely, and reliable develop and the links between them recurrent budget for agricultural re- Extending the capacity of a re- to evolve. Moreover, with a focus search is critical for developing new search system inevitably requires first on research to expedite techno- technlology. To defray some of the increased recurrent budgetary logical output, then on extension, cost, one alternative may be charg- support. Some research projects project activities ensured that exten- ing user fees through the establish- develop financing mechanisms sion centers would have a steady ment of a special cess for research such as contract research or special flow of technological output to to be collected at centralized pro- technology funds. But the Second transfer to farmers. cessing facilities, such as mills and Agricultural Research Project spinning plants. Such user pay- made no such provisions. And * A multipurpose extension services ments also help make the system with declining government bud- center can be a cost-effective and effi- more accountable for a research gets, the research centers face cient rmeans of delivering agricultural agenda geared to client needs. funding problems. But as agri- services to farmers. China's ATECs Also, as agricultural surpluses cultural surpluses continue to in- effectively incorporated several provide increased commercial crease, opportunities for commer- separate agricultural support ser- opportunities, possibilities for cial activity will also increase vices in a single center. With one privatizing parts of the public re- and with them possibilities for ATEC center in each of its 2,300 search systems will increase. In privatizing parts of agricultural counties, China's national extension the meantime, it is important for research. Because the county gov- system is evolving into a sophisti- policymakers and stakeholders to ernments fund the ATECs, fund- cated system capable of bringing ensure that China's research sys- ing is not as much of an issue for audiovisual communication tech- tem is appropriately financed. OED Precis is produced by the Operations Evaluation Department of the World Bank to help disseminate recent evaluation findings to development professionals within and outside the World Bank. The views here are those of the Operations Evaluation staff and should not be attributed to the World Bank or its affihated organizations. This and other OED publications can be found on the Internet, at http:// www.worldbank.org/html/oed. Please address comments and enquiries to the managing editor, Rachel Weaving, G-7137, World Bank, telephone 473-1719. Internet: rweaving@worldbank.org March 1996