Innovations in Information Dissemination in Indian Agriculture: Prospects, Challenges, and Way Ahead
摘要
India is self-sufficient in food production; however, agricultural experts and the farming community still face a significant challenge in raising productivity and production to feed the country’s growing population. For agricultural productivity to rise, particularly in emerging nations, timely, affordable, and effective agricultural information is essential. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been a major innovation in Indian agriculture in recent years. These technologies have made it easier for farmers to obtain tailored digital information about high-yielding seed varieties, cropping patterns, fertilizer application, pest control, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Most agricultural tasks now involve the use of digital tools to get information, from the days when the Internet was only used in the agricultural sector to the present-day use of smartphones and mobile apps. The chapter presents an overview of the innovations in information dissemination in Indian agriculture and elaborates ICT-based information dissemination initiatives in Indian context. Also, this chapter captures new initiatives of the Indian government with respect to information dissemination along with ICT-based smart agriculture and G20 Policy decisions.