Mobile Extension in Enhancing the Livelihood of Farmers in India

Thisresearcharticleisbasedonanempiricalinvestigationintomobileadvisoryservicesco-createdby theNationalBankforAgricultureandRuralDevelopment(NABARD),M.S.SwaminathanResearch Foundation(MSSRF)andtheagriculturefarmers’communityoftheUnionTerritoryofPuducherry, India.Itseekstomappatternofmobileadvisoryuseanditsimpactonagriculturallivelihoodvisà-visagricultureandanimalhusbandry.Thisresearcharticleinvestigatestheeffectivenessofthe agriculturalextensiontoolofmobilephoneamongfarmersinareasofruralinPuducherry,during theyears2010-2013.Investigationwiththefarmersrevealedthatinnovativedisseminationofmobile advisoryhasimprovedtheiragriculturalproductivity.Themobileaudioadvisoriesplayedavitalrole inbridgingtheknowledgegapandscientificsolutionsbetweenthescientificandfarmingcommunities. Thisresearchpaperanalysesfarmers’benefits,gapsinmobileadvisoryservices(MAS),perception ofmobilemessages,socio-demographic,andsocio-economicdata.Asaresult,farmerswereable toacquireknowledgeandskillsrelatingtotheirlivelihoodsandmaketimelydecisionstocopewith emergingissuesandtrendsinagriculturetoanextentofdiversifyingtheircroppingpattern.The audioadvisorieshelpedfarmerswithtimelyinformationonagriculture.Mobileadvisoryhasalso strengthenedthelocalagriculturalextensionsystemwherefarmershaveupdatedtheirknowledgeand skills.Thesemessagesenhancedtheirknowledgeincropmanagement,latestfarmingtechnologies, andagriculture-relatedgovernment schemesandentitlements, andpost-harvest techniquesalong withcareandmanagementoflivestock.Theseskillsareverymuchusefulforthemtogetadaptedto changingclimatescenariosandtohaveimprovedlivelihoodopportunities. KEywoRdS Agriculture Extension, Agriculture Productivity, Knowledge Gap, Mobile Advisory Extension, Mobile Advisory Services (MAS)