A recent article in the monthly journal of the 

 Council of State Governments strongly recommends that 

 states should direct educational outreach and research 

 toward marketing and other means of improving 

 opportunities for profitability in agriculture. The 

 article indicates that, for too long, state land grant 

 colleges and extension services have emphasized 

 production at the expense of financial management. •'■ 



The mission of cooperative extension is being 

 questioned on a national level. Congress recently held 

 a series of hearings to review the overall mission and 

 goals of cooperative extension in the United States. At 

 these hearings, a number of issues were raised, the most 

 controversial involving program priorities, program 

 effectiveness, clientele, and duplication of other 

 governmental services. °^ 



The federal Office of Management and Budget has 

 taken its criticism to the point of recommending that 

 federal funding for cooperative extension services be 

 eliminated. °^ 



The issue was recently the focus of discussion at 

 the annual meeting of the American Agricultural 

 Economics Association, where members debated the topic 

 of restructuring cooperative extension to meet changing 

 needs in agriculture. Participants in the debate 

 generally agreed that cooperative extension lacks 

 program direction and needs to establish priorities 

 regarding its mission and clientele. °^ 



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