Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(8): 2923-2930 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 08 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.807.362 A Study on Assessing the Potential and Use of Mobile Phones by Farmers in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh D. Vinod Naik1*, M. Kavitha2 and R.V.S.K. Reddy3 1Agril. Extension, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Periyavaram, Venkatagiri, SPSR Nellore Dist, A.P, India 2Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Periyavaram, Venkatagiri, SPSR Nellore Dist, A.P., India 3Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University, V.R. Gudem, A.P., India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT The agriculture sector benefits more from mobile phones in the developing countries as it saves money, time and offers accurate advantage for farmers. The mobile phone system can be used to alert villagers about disease outbreaks and other important agricultural information. Many of the K e yw or ds farmers suffer from lack of up to date, accurate market price information because of their remote location, or simply because they don‘t know how and where to get trustworthy information. A study Advisory services, was undertaken to assess the potential and use of mobile phones by farmers. The study sample Mobile telephony, comprised of 120 farmers, selected randomly from the farmers visiting Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Respondents Periyavaram, SPSR Nellore District, A.P. The study indicates that 24.16 % farmers owned a mobile Farming for more than 3 years and 85.84 percent received information related to agriculture from farmers. All the respondents interviewed said that they would like to subscribe if KVK Periyavaram starts mobile Article Info based advisory service, although only 68.34 % said that they would be willing to pay a nominal fee Accepted: of Rs.100 per month. As regards the type of services expected through such a mobile service, 26 July 2019 farmers identified the areas - disease identification and control measures (72.50 %), Crop Variety Available Online: recommended/appropriate (53.33 %) and about Agronomic Practices (40.80 %). Further, about 32.50 10 August 2019 per cent of the respondents reported to be ready to receive the information regarding Sowing Time followed by Post-Harvest Operations (18.33 %) and Seed Treatment (17.50 %), Fertilizer Applications (15.83 %) and Marketing (11.66 %). The study illustrates the need for a mobile based agri advisory services and possible policy implications for different stakeholders. Introduction appropriate prices for the produce. For this, extension has to play an expanded role Agriculture in India comprising of crops, including improved access to markets, dairy, fishery, horticulture, agro-forestry along research, advice, credit, infrastructure, with small enterprises like beekeeping, development of farmer organizations and mushroom cultivation etc., needs the use of business development services (Sulaiman, modern technologies to achieve the target 2003). The information and communication growth. Need of the hour is to harness technologies like radio, TV, newspaper, productivity along with sustainability, telephones and magazines are playing a major minimize post-harvest losses and getting role in sustainable agricultural development 2923 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(8): 2923-2930 since early decades and now the modern disease outbreaks and other important information communication technologies agricultural information. Many of the farmers (ICTs) as mobiles and computers have created suffer from a lack of up to date, accurate a revolution. In the 21st century, cost effective market price information because of their and efficient communication technologies are remote location, or simply because they don‘t required to take lead in changing the know how and where to get trustworthy agricultural scenario. information. SMS is used to send out the data to groups of producers, government officials In recent years, there has been a rapid growth and others working in the agricultural sector, of mobile phone networks in developing according to the type of information they countries. Most of the countries in the require, which could be produced, prices of developing world have skipped fixed-line fertilizer and pesticides, or even weather infrastructure and leapfrogged directly into forecasts. India is stimulating the potentials of mobile technology. Mobile phone is becoming ICTs in all spheres of development. To one of the basic necessities now a day for all achieve the concept of education from all the types of users irrespective of the age group. A cheapest media and modes of communication. mobile phone is an Information The Mobile becomes the best, due to its easy Communication Technology (ICT) tool used accessibility and convenient handling, of for two-way communication. Further, it helps course, the tool is highly reliable and enhances to disseminate information, improve farmers’ the scope of its utility, even among the petty knowledge, increase their participation and business to elite groups use. share knowledge with others. Mobile phone has become more relevant in the modern days Mobile phones are tools that can help farmers and agriculture is also one of the sectors to climb out of poverty. The mobile phone benefited from it. In India mobile technology technology is being used creatively in poor has unleashed a paradigm shift in the countries to help spur development and reduce communication medium to reach out to the poverty, particularly in remote rural areas. masses. Mobile phones are already being used in rural areas as a tool for financial transactions by Information asymmetry acts as one of the swapping airtime for goods and services. major constraints on the growth of agricultural Mobile networks and financial services productivity in India. The rapid growth of institutions to work together to test and mobile telephony as compared to fixed line develop new financial services in this area and telephony and the recent introduction of to address how people can transfer these mobile-enabled information services provide a credits into cash. Accessing information about means to overcome existing information public services remains a major challenge for asymmetry. It also helps, at least partially, to many rural communities. Mobile phones bridge the gap between the availability and provide a new platform through which rural delivery of agricultural inputs and communities will be able to access infrastructure. government information and services, using text, data, and audio browsing techniques. The agriculture sector benefits more from mobile phones in the developing countries as There are many researchable questions that it saves money, time and offers accurate need to be answered such as: Are mobile advantage for farmers. The mobile phone phones in practice being used for agricultural system can be used to alert villagers about purposes, and if so, how? Have mobile phones 2924 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(8): 2923-2930 helped in driving Improvement in agricultural message, trust in the information etc. were productivity of farmers and if so, how? Which included to assess the utility and potential of types of agricultural information are of high mobile in farming. The data was collected value for farmers? What are the constraints to through personal interview using a structured the potential use of mobile phones in interview schedule. The data, collected was improving agricultural productivity? What analysed using appropriate statistical tools. type of problems do you encounter in the use The scales used in socio economic of mobile phone? Whom do farmers contact characteristics were taken from different and how frequently for agricultural sources information? Results and Discussion The answers to these questions have important implications for mobile phone operators, The study was conducted to find out the socio- information service providers, and economic profile of the users of the mobile policymakers. phones for obtaining agricultural information. It is clear from table 1 that more than half of The present study entitled A Study on the respondents (61.66%) belonged to middle Assessing the Potential and use of Mobile age category and 15.84 per cent were from old phones by farmers in Nellore District of age category. Rest of the respondents were in Andhra Pradesh was undertaken with the young age category. Gender-wise breakup of specific objectives: (a) to find the socio- the respondents reveals that a large majority of personal characteristics of the mobile user them were male (97.50 %) and rest of the farmers, (b) to determine the utilization respondents were female (02.50%). It appears pattern of use of mobile phone among the that the society here follows patriarchal farmers, and (c) to find out the extent of use of system i.e. males earn for the family and mobile for seeking agricultural information by females take care of the household farmers responsibilities. Besides, most of farmers who visited farmers fair were males, while a very Materials and Methods small number of females visits the farmers fair. We need to find out as to why less The study was conducted at Krishi Vigyan number of females visits the farmers fair. Kendra, Periyavaram, Venkatagiri, SPSR Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh. The study Further, the results regarding the educational sample comprised of 120 farmers, selected level of the respondent shows that 34.17 per randomly from the daily