‘Mobile’izing Agricultural Advice: Technology Adoption, Diffusion, and Sustainability
67 Pages Posted: 23 Nov 2012 Last revised: 8 Jun 2020
Date Written: June 3, 2020
Abstract
Mobile phones promise to bring the ICT revolution to previously unconnected populations. A two- year study evaluates an innovative voice-based ICT advisory service for smallholder cotton farmers in India, demonstrating significant demand for, and trust in, new information. Farmers substantially alter their sources of information and consistently adopt inputs for cotton farming recommended by the service. Willingness to pay is, on average, less than the per-farmer cost of operating the service for our study, but likely exceeds the cost at scale. We do not find systematic evidence of gains in yields or profitability, suggesting the need for further research.
Keywords: Technology Adoption, Agricultural Extension, Informational Inefficiencies
JEL Classification: O12, O13, Q16
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation