MSc

Knowledge management can play a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural productivity and addressing the problem of food insecurity. If properly managed, it enables appropriate knowledge and information to reach the knowledge intermediaries and farmers in a timely manner. ICT can play a crucial role in benefiting the resource - strapped farmers with upto date knowledge and information on agricultural technologies, best practices, markets, price trends, and weather conditions.
The study on 'Marketing and credit information to farmers: Role of Information and communication Technology' has been undertaken with the objectives of identifying the information needs of farmers in Thrissur district with respect to marketing and credit; studying the extent of use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by the farmers for getting these information and analysing the constraints in the use of ICT by the farmers.
Ninety respondent farmers from three panchayaths of Thrissur district viz., Pananchery, Mattathur, and Varantharapilly were selected as sample size through stratified purposive sampling method. Data were collected through pre-tested structured interview schedule. The major statistical tools used for the study were Chi- Square test, ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient and indices such as information index, usage index, overall usage index and credibility index. The location of the selected respondents in the sample panchayats were plotted using Geographic Information System (GIS).
Forty two per cent of the farmers have not taken any agricultural loans, neither from institutional or non-institutional sources and rest 58 percent of farmers have access to only institutional sources of credit. Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) are the major institutional agency which provide finance support to the farmers from which more than 48 per cent of the farmers have availed loans. For input market, respondents depended on Krishi Bhavan (78%) and for selling the product major intermediary was private traders (51%), followed by SUPPLYCO (49%).
The overall agriculture information needs of the farmers are identified and classified into information regarding production, post-harvest techniques, market, credit, agricultural insurance, government schemes and labour. The most needed agricultural information by the respondent farmers is about government schemes followed by market information. In agricultural operations, the information gap is zero in production and market information which indicate that these are the two important agriculture information, farmers accessing regularly.
Marketing information needs of the farmers were identified and classified into nine categories, viz, information needs on input supply, market profile, grades and standards, market research studies, market trend, export market, improved marketing practices, warehouse facilities and futures trading. The most needed marketing information is about market trend and the least needed are on export markets, futures trading and market research. The market information gap is zero for input supply and market trend implying that farmers have more access to these marketing information. Access gap is high for information on improved marketing practices, futures trading and export markets since farmers rely on traditional method of marketing.
Farmers have better accessibility to marketing information through newspaper, telephone and television whereas computer, radio and farm magazines have less accessibility. Poor access to farm magazines is the major cause for access gap with respect to farm magazines. Usage gap as the difference between access and actual use is zero for newspaper in the case of marketing information. But the usage gap is the highest in the case of computer and internet. Newspaper is still the main source of marketing information to the farmers.
Information on current market price is the most important information for farmers since it has direct relation with profitability of farmers. Most credible source of marketing information among the ICT tools used by the farmer respondent is newspaper and the least credible ICT tool is computer and internet followed by radio.
Similar to marketing information, the most popular and credible source of credit information to the farmers are newspaper whereas computer and internet are least accessed by the farmers for credit information. With regard to the usage gap, credit information through all the ICT tools are not commonly used by the farmers. For the respondent farmers, personal source of credit information is more trustworthy and reliable than credit information from ICT tools.
The third and last objective of the study is to analyse the constraints in using ICT tools by the farmers so as to enable policymakers to design strategies for effective use of these tools for agricultural information dissemination. Constraints vary with media used for information and communication. Lack of time to read and comprehend is the major constraint pointed out by the farmers with respect to newspapers whereas the major constraint in the use is the availability of alternative sources like television. According to the farmers, farm magazines do not contain the information required by them and cannot improve their farming operations. Major constraint reported is the unsuitable time of telecast of television while lack of awareness is the major constraint identified by the farmers in the case of telephone. It is reported that 64 percent of the farmers are facing the constraint of lack of technical skill in the use of computer and internet.
As part of the study, ICT enabled Market Information System of Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) is examined. Market Information Centre (MIC) is envisaged for creating an information system that will provide vital market information to the fruit and vegetable farmers and to the horticulture sector as a whole. From farmers' point of view, farmers' market including VFPCK is actually a traders' market and it is another platform for exploitation of the farmers by the middlemen.
Information and Communication Technology tools are an effective way to disseminate agricultural information particularly marketing and credit related information. Among the ICT tools, print media especially newspaper is popular among farmers whereas modern lCT tools like mobile phone, computer and internet are not trendy among farmers.
Among the ICT tools, print media especially newspaper is popular among farmers whereas modern ICT tools like mobile phone, computer and internet are not trendy among farmers. A small portion of farmer community is actually using agricultural information especially about current market price and agricultural loan from ICT tools mainly newspaper. All the lCT tools are actively disseminating agricultural information. The problem is with regard to the end users. Farmers are reducing concentration on farming and move on to other occupation because of non profitability ofn this context, farmers are not requiring information disseminated through ICT tools for small scale cultivation. Also new generation who has the skill to operate modern ICT tools are keeping away from farming operations. Hence, concerned authorities should take necessary steps to make the farmers, withstand in agricultural operations and attract youth to the profession.