Assessing the effect of Participatory Approach for Delivering Agricultural Information Service (AIS) to Smallholder Farmers

Abstract

Information has been described as the fifth most important need of mankind ranking after air, water, food and shelter.” - Kemp (1976) and we believe smallholder farmers are no different. In fact, in addition to other key inputs (such as improved seed variety, micro and macronutrients etc.) access to correct, timely and actionable information (in this case scientifically supported farming practices that include but are not limited to date of sowing, irrigation, harvesting, better price, market etc.) can be considered as a critical factor in achieving better yield and thereby higher profits. Source of this information is also a critical factor in acceptance and adoption of these information. For instance, a report published in 2005 by National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO, 2005), a government of India entity, highlights that most preferred source for agricultural information services for smallholder farmers are their fellow farmers. Reports suggest that participatory approach in video based agriculture extension has proved to be more effective as compared to traditional extension method but there is not much or limited evidence of same for audio based dissemination of agricultural information services (AIS). In the above backdrop and taking this fact into consideration a team of researchers at ICRISAT along with its partners conducted a research to study the effect participatory approach for delivering agricultural information services to smallholder farmers. Where in, improved and scientifically supported farming practices were recorded as small audio capsule in participating farmer’s voice and were periodically delivered to other farmers who were part of this research study. During the study, it was found that agricultural information services, to be delivered, when recorded in farmers own voice from the same farming community creates excitement for the fellow farmers and positively affects the listening pattern of those messages. This in turn translates into increased adoption, better yield and higher profit.