The internal management of an extension system can be manipulated

for both growth and equity purposes. There are inevitably different

types of inequities at both central and local levels; someone concerned

with equitable development will try to design an interaction of central

and local forces which maximizes tendencies towards equity. But ultimately

a difficult choice will have to be made as to which level is least

inequitable, and the preponderance of control must be vested at that level.

Hence careful institutional analysis of the local and national polities is

essential in designing or modifying extension systems.

 Another set of issues in improving extension systems is the

utilization of groupings of farmers. It is increasingly clear that

extension programs that reach individual, progressive farmers will have

high costs per farmer reached, and may aggravate problems of equity. If

extension systems organize the work with groups, the cost of information

dissemination can be much reduced; in addition, certain technical problems,

such as irrigation, can be handled more efficiently. There is a chance

that a larger portion of the rural population can benefit by getting

more equitable access to information, credit, markets, and machinery.

Most important, groups improve the potential for farmer control over the

extension system.

 It is not, however, easy to set up groups. Sometimes they can

draw strength from existing voluntary organization; but if local culture

is static and highly inegalitarian, it is most difficult for local groups

to escape these tendencies. It is important that there are individual