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Type : Other Article

Effectiveness of Mobile Agro-Advisory Services in Extension Delivery System in Meghalaya- A Multinomial Logistic Regression Model

Alethea Dympep, R.J. Singh, Jitendra Chauhan and Ram Singh

Abstract

Information and knowledge through the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can boost<br />agricultural production. Among the ICTs, mobile telephony has emerged as the ICT of choice of the majority of the<br />rural masses. The study was, hence developed with the aim of evaluating the gratification of the farmers on the<br />services provided by the mobile based agro-advisory system in Northeast India (m4agriNEI) and analysing the<br />effect of the recommended practices disseminated. A sample of ninety registered farmers was selected from Ribhoi<br />district of Meghalaya. More than eighty per cent of the farmers were satisfied with the results of the recommended<br />practices and about 87.78 per cent of the farmers implied that the immediacy of feedback was within the same day,<br />which was timely and one of its best features. The multinomial logistic regression model was used and the factors<br />viz., ‘ education level ’, ‘ social participation ’ , ‘ awareness of m4agriNEI services ’ and ‘number of crops grown’ were<br />found to be statistically significant in influencing the gratification level of the farmers in the services provided by<br />m4agriNEi. Moreover, the model revealed that between 63.2 per cent and 77.2 per cent of the variability in the<br />dependent variable ‘gratification level’ was explained by these factors. More than fifty per cent of the farmers<br />indicated that there was change in their yield and quality of produce upto some extent while 48.3 per cent of the<br />farmers stated that their income level change upto some extent. The study concludes that information received from<br />m4agriNEI proved to be effective and the change in the farmer’s yield and income indicates the important role<br />m4agriNEI in the farming community.

Keyword: Mobile agro-advisory services; Gratification level; Multinomial logistic regression model

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