Socio-Economic Impact of Mobile Phones on Indian Agriculture

Deficits in physical infrastructure, problems with availability of agricultural inputsand poor access to agriculture-related information are the major constraints on thegrowth of agricultural productivity in India. The more rapid growth of mobiletelephony as compared to fixed line telephony and the recent introduction of mobileenabledinformation services provide a means to overcome existing informationasymmetry. It also helps, at least partially, to bridge the gap between the availabilityand delivery of agricultural inputs and agriculture infrastructure.This paper investigates a series of questions that explore this topic: What kind ofinformation do farmers value the most to improve agricultural productivity? Domobile phones and mobile-enabled agricultural services have an impact onagriculture? What are the factors that impede the realisation of the full productivityenhancing potential of mobile phones? The answers to these questions have importantimplications for mobile operators, for information service providers, and for policymakers.The quality of information, its timeliness and trustworthiness are the threeimportant features that have to be ensured to enable farmers to use it effectively toimprove productivity.The study found evidence that mobiles are being used in ways which contribute toproductivity enhancement. However, to leverage the full potential of informationdissemination enabled by mobile telephony will require significant improvements insupporting infrastructure and capacity building amongst farmers to enable them to usethe information they access effectively.As mobile penetration continues to increase among farming communities andinformation services continue to adapt and proliferate, the scope exists for a muchgreater rural productivity impact in the future.