Evaluating Farmers’ Access to Agricultural Information: Evidence from Semi-Arid Region of Rajasthan State, India

Ishwar Parmar,Peeyush Soni,John Kuwornu,Krishna Salin

doi:10.3390/agriculture9030060

Abstract

The rural farmers in western Rajasthan State are uneducated and most of the applications of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are demonstrated and run in the English Language. The majority of these rural farmers who are illiterates with a very low level of understanding of the English Language find it difficult to take advantage of the availability of ICT to facilitate their access to information for their farm businesses. This study examined the role of ICT in enhancing the farmers’ access to production and marketing information in western Rajasthan State in India. Primary data was collected from 133 farmers consisting of 71 ICT users and 62 Non-ICT users through questionnaire administration. The results of the Analysis of Variance test regarding the farmers’ access to different types of production and marketing information revealed that the user type (i.e., ICT versus Non-ICT user) significantly explains the differences in farmers’ access to the different types of marketing and production information. These results are consistent with the empirical results of the student’s t-test that farmers’ access to different types of production and marketing information from ICT sources is significantly higher than from Non-ICT sources. Consistently, the empirical results of the multiple regressions revealed that the percentage of production and marketing information obtained from ICT sources had positive significant influence on the farmers’ access to marketing and production information; and that the percentage of marketing and production information obtained from Non-ICT sources had negative significant influence on the farmers’ access to marketing and production information. These results suggest that ICT sources of marketing and production information play a crucial role in the farmers’ access to this information for their business operations. The implication is that proper education and training of farmers (especially the female farmers) about the utilization of ICT sources to accelerate access to information is crucial.

Highlights

Agriculture is the crucial sector of the Indian economy, predominantly because the majority (64.2%)of the rural population of India is dependent on it [1]
This study examined famers’ access to production and marketing information in the Semi-Arid
The study examined the differences in access to each type production and marketing information between two categories of farmers

Summary

Introduction

Agriculture is the crucial sector of the Indian economy, predominantly because the majority (64.2%)of the rural population of India is dependent on it [1]. Farming in the western parched region of the Rajasthan State is principally rain fed Farmers in this region of the country are poor and have limited access to market information, innovation, and strategies, leading to low farm productivity [3]. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is critical to the dissemination of market. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is critical to the dissemination of market information to farmers. ICT facilitates the dissemination of information on business skills and information to farmers. ICT facilitates the dissemination of information on business skills and production practices to the farmers [4]. In India, the provision of agricultural knowledge to farmers is production practices to the farmers [4]. In India, the provision of agricultural knowledge to farmers administered by thebygovernment agencies

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