Government agencies in Taiwan have carried out agricultural extension programs since 1910, with the assistance of Farmers' Associations. Programs have been expanded since 1953, and now include both general extension (subsidy programs) and educational extension. Comparison of personal characteristics of hsien (county) Farmers' Association supervisors and government supervisors revealed differences in length of job tenure, emphasis on general or educational extension, involvement in program planning, and perception of extension objectives and the means to be used in achieving them. There was a marked tendency for hsien Farmers' Association supervisors to perform their supervisory extension by developing and helping township extension workers to carry on better educational extension programs, while hsien government supervisors emphasized interpretation of government policies and passing on government instructions to township extension workers for execution. The government supervisors' objective is to implement government production policies rather than to help township extension workers perform educational roles or develop farm people and life situations. Restructuring of agency functions could improve extension services. (MF)