Personalized digital extension services and agricultural performance: Evidence from smallholder farmers in India

Productivity growth in smallholder agriculture is an important driver of rural economic development and poverty reduction. However, smallholder farmers often have limited access to information, which can be a serious constraint for increasing productivity. One potential mechanism to reduce informati...

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Published in:PloS one Vol. 16; no. 10; p. e0259319
Main Authors: Rajkhowa, Pallavi, Qaim, Matin
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Public Library of Science 28.10.2021
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subjects:
Access to information
Agricultural economics
Agricultural industry
Agricultural production
Agriculture
Biology and Life Sciences
Cellular telephones
Communication
Crop production
Crop Production - economics
Crop Production - statistics & numerical data
Crops
Customization
Developing countries
Economic development
Efficiency
Engineering and Technology
Evaluation
Farmers
Financial services
Humans
India
Information dissemination
Innovations
Internet
Internet Use - economics
Internet Use - statistics & numerical data
LDCs
Management
Market prices
Open source software
People and Places
Poverty
Productivity
Rural areas
Small farms
Smartphones
Work Performance - economics
Work Performance - statistics & numerical data
India
Germany
ISSN:1932-6203, 1932-6203
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Productivity growth in smallholder agriculture is an important driver of rural economic development and poverty reduction. However, smallholder farmers often have limited access to information, which can be a serious constraint for increasing productivity. One potential mechanism to reduce information constraints is the public agricultural extension service, but its effectiveness has often been low in the past. Digital technologies could enhance the effectiveness of extension by reducing outreach costs and helping to better tailor the information to farmers’ individual needs and conditions. Using primary data from India, this study analyses the association between digital extension services and smallholder agricultural performance. The digital extension services that some of the farmers use provide personalized information on the types of crops to grow, the types and quantities of inputs to use, and other methods of cultivation. Problems of selection bias in the impact evaluation are reduced through propensity score matching (PSM) combined with estimates of farmers’ willingness to pay for digital extension. Results show that use of personalized digital extension services is positively and significantly associated with input intensity, production diversity, crop productivity, and crop income.
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Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0259319