Download or read book Getting Ready for the Twenty-first Century written by Charles H. Antholt and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1994 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The productivity growth of farming in Asian countries over the past few decades highlights the high returns on investments in agricultural research and extension made in the region. This publication examines the performance of agricultural research and extension programmes in Asia, including the World Bank's training and visit (TandV) system, the challenges they face, and ways of improving their relevance, responsiveness, and cost- effectiveness. Conclusions reached include the importance of raising agricultural productivity through new technology in order to promote long- term growth and poverty reduction, and the need for less intensive and more environmentally sound agricultural practices.