EXTENSION SUPPORT SERVICES FOR FARMING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT (FSD) FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SARD): REGIONAL DIMENSIONS

摘要

The economies of most of the developing countries in the region continue to be dominantly agricultural with contribution to gross domestic product ranging from as high as 50 percent in the case of Mongolia to a low of 3 percent in the case of Brunei Darussalam. Farm producers make up the bulk of population of the developing nations. Besides providing food and fiber, farm products constitute the largest export share of these nations. The agricultural sector also provides employment to an average of more than 45 percent of the population in Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Western Samoa. Thus, the role of agriculture in the economy is remarkably influenced by the kind and quality of support provided by each country's agricultural extension system.