The Digital India Corporation’s Interactive Information Dissemination System (DIC IIDS) helps farmers access agricultural information using mobile phones. This push-and-pull approach includes interactive web pages, smartphone apps, and toll-free IVRS. In DIC IIDS, Farmers can retrieve information from the system or receive information about services to which they have subscribed. Various users can access the IIDS platform on desktop and laptop computers. To integrate the IIDS with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) KisanSarathi program, the DIC and the ICAR have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The intention is to give farmers access to the most recent agricultural technologies, a knowledge base, and subject matter experts through a smooth, multimedia, two-way connection. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, two states in the Northeast, are home to the IIDS.
Over the last six years, there has been a significant and consistent increase across all the recorded metrics associated with DIC IIDS, reflecting the growing reach and impact of the DIC IIDS in disseminating information to farmers. The number of farmers registered in the system surged exponentially from 77,150 in 2018-19 to a staggering 18,132,389 in 2023-24. This increase indicates a growing adoption of the digital platform among farmers, possibly due to the system’s effectiveness in delivering relevant and timely agricultural information. The total number of SMS texts sent to Indian farmers by DIC IIDS has also seen a sharp rise. In 2018-19, the total number of SMS texts sent to Indian farmers was only 14,507,440. However, within six years, this number reached to an astounding 494,420,691 by 2023-24. During this period, a 34-fold increase highlights the extensive use of text messaging as a primary channel for disseminating agricultural advice and updates, which remains a vital tool given the widespread accessibility of mobile phones.
Similarly, Voice SMS—a crucial medium, especially for farmers with lower literacy levels increased from 3,137,506 in 2018-19 to 9,793,429 in 2023-24. Although the growth rate of Voice SMS is slower than that of Text SMS, the steady increase emphasizes the system’s focus on inclusivity, ensuring that critical information is accessible to all segments of the farming community. In addition to the growth in outreach, the number of advisory queries has also steadily increased, starting from 43,600 in 2018-19 and more than tripling to 144,083 by 2023-24. This suggests not only an increase in the complexity and volume of queries but also an improvement in the system’s capacity to address farmers’ concerns, likely contributing to the overall trust in and reliance on the DIC IIDS.
Overall, these insights reflect a robust and expanding digital agricultural advisory system in India, indicating its vital role in empowering farmers with knowledge and support, which is crucial for improving agricultural productivity and resilience. The continuous upward trend in all metrics underscores the importance of sustaining and further enhancing this digital infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of the agricultural sector.
References
- DIC | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. (n.d.). https://www.meity.gov.in/dic
- Digital Agriculture Mission: Tech for Transforming Farmers’ lives. (n.d.). https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2051719
- Digital India Corporation& Indian Council of Agricultural Research signs MoU to provide ‘Demand Based Tele Agriculture Advisories’ to farmers. (n.d.). https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1725699
About Author
Pankaj Chowdhury is a former Research Assistant at the International Economic Association. He holds a Master’s degree in Demography & Biostatistics from the International Institute for Population Sciences and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Visva-Bharati University. His primary research interests focus on exploring new dimensions of in computational social science and digital demography.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of 360 Analytika.
Acknowledgement: The author extends his gratitude to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for providing data support.
This article is posted by Sahil Shekh, Editor-in-Chief at 360 Analytika.