Use of Mobiles for Promoting Agriculture in Puducherry, India

Introduction

Agriculture comprises crops, dairy, fishery, horticulture, floriculture, animal husbandry and agro-forestry along with small enterprises such as beekeeping and mushroom growing which needs the use of modern communication technologies to achieve the target growth. Agriculture in India has come a long way from the start of green revolution in the 1960s. Green revolution has resulted in chemical agriculture, with the introduction of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. Although the production increased up to five-folds in the early stages of green revolution, later the production dipped. This has led to the revival of traditional practices in agriculture such as organic farming. Of late, agriculture production is very much vulnerable to losses caused by unfavourable weather events and climatic conditions (Parry, 2019; FAO, 2015; Rosenberg, 1992). Many researchers have reported the adverse climate change effects on crops, pests, soil and livestock (Aggarwal, 2008; Suryavanshi, 2012; Nelson et al., 2009; Khan et al., 2009; Rosegrant et al., 2008). These changes affect the livelihoods of a large number of the rural poor farmers in the developing countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil, South Africa and China. The rural sector has agriculture and animal husbandry as major livelihood options, and this paper concentrates on these with focus on mobile advisory services (MAS).

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in developing countries over the past decade offer a unique opportunity to transfer knowledge via private and public information systems (Baardewijk, 2017, Aker, 2010; Sulaiman et al., 2003; Richardson et al., 2006; Digital Review of Asia Pacific, 2008). ICTs directly support farmers’ access to timely and relevant information, as well as empower the creation and sharing of knowledge of the farming community (Aker, 2010).

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is universally acknowledged as an important catalyst for social transformation and national progress, especially in the field of agriculture where farmers’ training is of utmost importance. The dissemination of useful information and advice on sustainable agricultural practices can be improved, and can help achieve better organisation of farmers. Such an initiative to train them on the best practices will empower farmers with the ability to respond appropriately to environmental challenges and will increase their resilience to environmental shocks, which in turn will ultimately lead to enhanced production and minimisation of crop loss. A robust information dissemination system can help farmers in various ways such as making decisions about choice of crops and seed varieties, using efficient irrigation techniques, alternative pest management techniques, land management strategies, being aware of weather conditions and potential threats, identify viable transport and storage facilities, and being better informed about available technology and its utilisation.