Farmers are increasingly losing money due to their failure to effectively manage agricultural inputs use in their crops. Farmers' lack of information about the best procedures and techniques, or, even worse, farmers' proclivity to overuse these items in the face of uncertainty brought on by inadequate management approaches, might be blamed for this. Information, Education and Communication(IEC) has devised a set of remedies to assist farmers in becoming better and more efficient stewards of their lands in an attempt to help solve this problem. Agricultural extension is one of these approaches. What precisely is agricultural extension?

Agricultural extension refers to an institution, agencies, organization, or system's ability to employ a non-governmental organization (NGO) to provide, coordinate, and disseminate agricultural knowledge to farmers all over the world etc.

Agricultural extension refers to the process of transferring technology, science, and knowledge to farmers in order to supply them with useful information. It is used to promote the growth of agricultural and rural communities by sharing technological advances, experiences, and current trends that aid in increasing farm productivity and profitability.

Extension was defined by the late Nobel laureate Sir Norman Borlaug as ―an educational and advisory service provided by a government department, an institution or an independent agency to agricultural producers, rural and non-farm communities, farmers, fishermen and other consumers of food grains. In many countries and organizations, extension is also known as agri-extension.

Why is Agricultural Extension Important?

Agricultural extension is a crucial instrument for raising agricultural productivity and food security. Agricultural extension services are crucial because they assist farmers in better understanding of the many agricultural technologies available. Agricultural extension officers not only provide information to farmers, but also aid them in implementing new technologies.

Improving agricultural production and productivity requires access to information. Farmers (or producer associations) can share information through farmer-to-farmer networks. However, in many cases, such networks are difficult to develop and have a limited reach. Agricultural extension can help check the authenticity of farmer-to-farmer information sharing and expand it to a broader number of farms. Disseminating agricultural knowledge to a vast network of farmers is usually inexpensive.

Agricultural extension also aids in poverty reduction by increasing the earnings of farmers who embrace new technologies or business methods recommended by extension agents.

Agriculture creates jobs in rural regions, which helps to prevent migration to towns and cities. Agricultural development, on the other hand, necessitates enough inputs such as land, water, and financing.

Extension workers can assist in the formation of links between rural households and other value chain actors such as input suppliers, agroprocessors, wholesalers, and retailers.

Agriculture also fosters economic diversity and contributes significantly to economic growth by offering up prospects for trade and foreign exchange gains.

Extension assists farmers in increasing farm productivity through the use of improved seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, and other inputs. It also assists farmers in implementing integrated pest management (IPM), integrated nutrient management (INM), conservation tillage, and crop rotation strategies. Tillage that conserves soil moisture and reduces soil erosion is known as conservation tillage. Farmers can use IPM strategies to control pests by using environmentally friendly approaches like biological and cultural control. Organic manures, as well as chemical fertilizers, are used in INM.

Extension strives to improve agricultural product productivity (yield), quality, and commercialization. It also encourages animal husbandry practices that result in higher milk yields and milk offtake by rural farmers. Extension also aims to encourage farmers to adopt improved technologies and farming practices, as well as to assist them IN adopting scientific methods for growing crops/raising livestock, to educate farmers about improved seed varieties, to inform them about various government policy measures, to raise awareness about animal diseases, their symptoms, and preventive measures, to promote balanced fertilizer use, and to popularize the use of integrated pest management techniques.

One of the leading private Agricultural extension service firm is FutuXAgri-consult Limited. FutuX Agri-consult Limited is a private agricultural extension service provider and farm certification support firm incorporated in 2017 (RC 1451541), aimed at providing cutting edge agricultural solutions to clients with a bias for food safety and consumer protection as well as verifying third party agribusinesses investment companies. FutuX has been opportune to provide advisory services to numerous agribusinesses in Nigeria as well as conduct agricultural certification procedures for several farms in order to foster their entry into a wider market. Several agribusinesses have been  beneficiaries of these services which has led into rewarding stories for them.