Introduction

Since the majority of India's population relies on agriculture for their living, the sector dominates the country's economy.  Agriculture only makes up less than 20 per cent of the nation's GDP (Ministry of Finance, 2018), emphasizing the sector's low-income production.  It defies logic that farmers experience poverty in the face of growing food output and economic wealth.  The misery in the agriculture sector of India is reflected in the regular demonstrations by farmers, the suicides of farmers, and the poor levels of income generation.  For farmers, farming is no longer a viable job.  The Maharashtra area of Vidarbha has emerged as an epicentre for farmer suicide. Over 70 per cent of farmers who have committed suicide in Maharashtra over the past ten years are from the 11 districts that make up the Vidarbha area (Tangalwad, 2017). This is primarily due to the land's sterility, a lack of sufficient water supplies, innovative technologies, and the state government's disregard for farmers' demands.

Farmers experience hardship when cash crops such as cotton have Low Returns on Investment (ROI). According to Swaminathan (2004), Agrarian distress can be attributed to several factors, including inadequate land reform, water availability and quality, technological fatigue, timely access to institutional credit, and profitable marketing prospects. Similarly, the Narendra Jadhav Committee's investigation discovered that the primary causes of the rural distress in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region are insufficient irrigation infrastructure, a severe lack of electric pump set connections, and a dearth of institutional finance (Jadhav, 2008).  Today's significant issues facing India's agriculture include farmer suicides, debt, crop failures, non-remunerative crop prices, and low return on investment (Tomar & Rathi, 2015).  The current food production and supply chain were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which further exacerbated the situation in agriculture.  

Many farmers needed to be made aware of how to survive in the shifting economic landscape since they were not receiving responsible guidance and assistance from the government or society.  These difficulties forced many into a situation where they considered suicide as a solution.  Many of these issues can be resolved with the aid of services for agricultural extension. Agricultural Extension Services is the only ground-level agency to assist with program implementation and provide farmers and other intermediaries with knowledge support. Given the evolving nature of agriculture and the growing issues, farmers need a wider range of support, including organizational, marketing, technological, financial, and entrepreneurial help. To be successful, farmers require help integrating a wide range of knowledge from numerous sources into their production environment.  To increase their productivity, farmers must have access to reliable information (Sharma et al., 2012).  The use of current Digital Technologies (DTs) to enhance agriculture and farmers' livelihoods is a result of the digital revolution.  

Digital technologies used by farmers include cell phones, computer software, and communication tools like social media, online and offline digital knowledge repositories, digital photography, and digital video (Balaji et al., 2007). The two-way real-time information exchange for the farming community has created new options.  It made it easier for farmers, regardless of their gender, age, socioeconomic status, or place of residence, to access information and services.  The farming community is using DTs more frequently to access information and services due to COVID-19. To maintain agriculture, farmers now require a considerably greater amount of information. This covers information on preserving soil fertility, resisting illness, adjusting to shifting weather patterns, slowing down climate change, market price swings, price support schemes, and other relevant topics. This paper examines the usefulness of digital platforms in agriculture by analysing farmer interviews conducted in the Vidarbha region. The study looks at the digital channels farmers frequently utilise to get information and agri-advisory services on various facets of agriculture.

Materials and Methods

The study was carried out in selected 16 villages of Nagpur, Bhandara and Chandrapur districts of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. This study examines the effectiveness of different digital platforms farmers use to access information and agri-advisory services. The research applies an exploratory research design to identify and explore various digital platforms used in agriculture to understand the current practices involving DTs. It includes investigating how DTs improve monitoring and data collection, reduce the use of chemicals and labour requirements, optimise resource utilization, and improve decision-making for sustainable agricultural practices. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. However, data from the respondent farmers has limitations, such as potential inaccuracy in reporting answers; hence, key informant in-depth interviews were used to improve the authenticity of the data. The two categories of respondents, Farmers and Key Informants (KI), were involved in the present study. For the category of Farmers, the sample size is 160, and for the category of KI, the sample size is 43.  

Digital Approaches in Agriculture 

Data-driven agriculture, precision agriculture, ICT-enabled extension, and digital financial services are the four main categories of digital technology-driven approaches utilised in agriculture (USAID, 2018, p. 10).

a. Data-Driven Agriculture

Data collection from agricultural inputs and environmental elements is the first step in digitalizing agriculture (Foster, 2017). Accurate data must be readily available for the nation to implement a robust digital infrastructure.  

Satellite photos, data on soil health, land records, cropping patterns by season, market-related information, and farmer data are all included in the data.  For data-driven policy interventions in agriculture, the central and state governments gather this information from various sources. Crop characterisation, land use, and land cover classification all employ satellite data.

Similarly, high-resolution satellite images can be more affordably obtained using data collected from devices mounted on drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). It is employed in dedicated surveying, topographic mapping, GIS, and terrain modelling (Confederation of Indian Industry, 2021, p. 9). Satellites gather meteorological data, which is then analyzed and shared on digital platforms and smartphones. Farmers frequently use smartphones to get real-time meteorological data, which helps them organize their agricultural activities (Government of Maharashtra, 2021). Farmers who followed Sowing App advisories saw an average 30 per cent increase in yield as compared to those who postponed planting because of insufficient knowledge, according to ICRISAT (Manfre & Laytham, 2018).

b. Precision Agriculture (PA) 

Precision Agriculture (PA) aims to maximize agricultural yield by optimizing input resources to achieve economic and environmental sustainability (Government of Maharashtra, 2021).  By using more precise farm-level decision-making techniques and utilizing a data platform connected to drones, satellites, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors positioned on the ground, small farmers can increase crop yield and optimize the use of water and other input resources, thereby increasing their income (Government of Maharashtra, 2021). The agriculture industry can benefit from the Internet of Things (IoT) in a number of ways since it converts processes or activities into data through a network of sensors and other devices (Government of Maharashtra, 2021). Water flow and stock can be monitored by IoT-enabled devices, which can also measure water flow for irrigation (Yadav et al., 2020, p. 11). Research indicates that the implementation of IoT in the United States boosted crop productivity per hectare by 2 per cent and decreased irrigation water requirements by 8 per cent, all while resulting in energy conservation (Government of Maharashtra, 2021; Sarni et al., 2016; Gralla, 2018). 

c. Digital Agriculture Extension

Digital Agriculture Extension (DAE) is the efficient use of digital tools and services for information delivery. Extension agents typically use interactive radio, short message service (SMS), interactive voice response (IVR), low-cost video, etc., to quickly reach a large number of farmers in order to provide extension services like weather forecasting best practices and timely reminders and alerts to help farmers increase productivity.  

However, many farmers need access to reliable sources of knowledge about extreme climate occurrences, such as storms, floods, droughts, and other natural uncertainties, in addition to soil conditions (Rajkhowa, 2021). The conventional approach of extension, which involves exchanging information directly amongst farmers, is expensive and time-consuming and could not benefit the farming community.  However, the extension can accomplish the goals more quickly using DTs (USAID, 2018).

d. Digital Financial Services (DFS)

After the JAM trinity mobile phone access in urban and rural regions, Aadhar cards, and Jan Dhan bank accounts—was successfully implemented, Digital Financial Services (DFS) became a reality in India (Economic Survey, 2016).  In order to give smallholder farmers direct access to input credit, programs like Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) use digital technologies to connect Aadhaar, a 12-digit unique identity number based on biometrics, with their bank account and land record. Another illustration is using digital technology for livestock headcounts, health monitoring and analysis, and data collecting via mobile phones, digital platforms, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), microchip-based ear tags, and digital platforms.  Similarly, digital barcodes can track fruits and vegetables back to their original source.  Farmers can now easily connect to a national market through digital technologies, including digital platforms in the electronic National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, 2018).  Pradhan Mantri Kisan Saman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), a government of India scheme, has improved the impact of service delivery by directly granting farmers input credit in their bank accounts linked to their Aadhar, free from bureaucratic red tape and documentation requirements (Varshney et al., 2020).  Similarly, other state governments have adopted the DFS method to lower fraud and corruption by offering farmers loan waivers, post-disaster assistance, and input subsidies.  

The Indian government has been implementing the DFS to maximize the impact of insurance services in the agriculture sector through the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Drones have become more often used in agri-insurance claims.  Drones are used to analyze crop damage, resulting in faster and more accurate settlement of insurance claims (Government of Maharashtra, 2021, p.6). According to PMFB, the government verifies crop damage assessment using satellite imaging or drones over a specific agricultural field (Yadav et al., 2020, p. 11). 98 per cent of the goat raising in Bihar is done by women, the poorest of the poor, who cannot afford to own half an acre of land.  Instead, they let their goats graze.  To expand their market reach, they are utilizing their cellphones to post pictures of their goats on websites akin to eBay, allowing potential customers to be as far away as 700 or 800 kilometres.  Their goats received 20–47 per cent more money per head (Boettiger & Sanghvi, 2019).

Results and discussion

Framework for digital platforms in agriculture

In order to provide farmers with timely and pertinent information in their local languages, a variety of public and private organisations, including Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), research groups under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State agriculture departments, and Agri-tech startups, developed digital platforms in the agriculture sector. Text, audio, video, and photos are all part of the digital information distribution channel. Farmers use these platforms because they allow two-way communication during the cultivation season. In order to deliver reliable information on a given topic, the digital platforms also link other ecosystem members, including academics, research facilities, and subject matter experts. The digital platform framework utilized in agriculture is depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Framework for digital platforms used in agriculture.

Digital platforms used by farmers

The digital platforms farmers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region use are listed below. These platforms are utilised for information access, government scheme registration, agricultural equipment subsidies, crop disease control, and crop updates on land records.

Kisan Suvidha Application

Farmers in the Vidarbha region have used the "Kisan Suvidha app" to access information about various agricultural activities. For farmers, it is a multifunctional smartphone app created by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The statement reads, "Empower farmers with the right information." 

This platform was developed to make it easier for farmers to receive information on important factors like weather, market prices, plant protection, agro-advisory, alerts for extreme weather, input dealers (of seed, fertilizer, pesticide, and farm machinery), soil health cards, cold storage & godowns, veterinary clinics, and diagnostic labs. It was also created to make crop insurance premium computation easier. It will encompass various services and programs that the federal and state governments offer farmers. This app is more farmer-friendly because it is available in the local language. The Kisan Suvidha app's screenshot is displayed in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Screenshot of Kisan Suvidha app

MahaDBT portal

To implement several schemes, including agriculture, the Maharashtra government has created a web portal called "MahaDBT" (Figure 3). For farmers, it offers a single location to apply for benefits from Central and state schemes about agriculture.

Figure 3: MahaDBT portal for public service delivery to farmers

Farmers can apply for benefits from State and Central agricultural schemes using this DBT service.  The qualifying farmers receive this benefit immediately into their bank account connected to their Aadhaar. The four steps are involved in giving DBT (see Figure 4). The farmer applies for a benefit through the DBT Portal online mode, followed by a lottery process and scrutiny of the application. The final stage is disbursement. At this stage, the benefit is disbursed in the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the respective farmer.

Figure 4: Steps for providing DBT to farmers.  

e-Peek Pahani app 

The Maharashtra government released the 'e-Peek Pahani' smartphone app to digitize crop record surveys throughout the state.  Every harvest season, the farmers in the study area have been using the smartphone app to update the crop record. This smartphone software aims to alleviate the problems of accuracy, human error, and latency in crop record updates while also offering farmers convenience. With the use of this software, farmers were able to self-report crop stages and data.  In the talathi office, farmers record the status of their crops and the crops they have sowed. Using the GPS system, images of the grown crops were uploaded to the mobile app.  Every agricultural land's crop data was documented together with its corresponding geographic coordinates. This app may be downloaded by farmers, who could then register their crops.  The digital record gave farmers access to public services and accelerated and improved the accuracy of crop damage assessments (see Figure 5).

Figure 5: e-Peek Pahani app for updating crop record.

Plantix app

Farmers in the Maharashtra region of Vidarbha frequently use the Plantix crop advice app to identify crop diseases. This software detects crop-damaging infestations, plant diseases, and nutritional deficits. For any sickness or nutrient shortage that has been identified, it provides both chemical and organic therapeutic options. Farmers could consult scientists, other farmers, and plant professionals immediately for any issue about crop health. The fact that farmers can get all the necessary information in their local language is the most significant feature of this software. Farmers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region choose the Plantix app because of its extensive crop disease library for various crops and its continuous real-time advice and alerts regarding location-based weather and crop illnesses. Figure 6 illustrates how the Plantix app functions.

Figure 6: Working of Plantix app.

Information access by farmers

It was discovered that farmers in the Vidarbha region were looking for information about the five main crops that are grown: rice, wheat, cotton, soy, and chickpea. For this, they were utilising several internet platforms. The most widely used digital device is the smartphone, and the most popular digital platforms for getting information and agri-advisories about crop management and other agricultural activities are smartphone apps like WhatsApp and YouTube. With the aid of these digital platforms, farmers may access the majority of information in real-time since it is updated daily. Creating digital platforms aims to distribute agricultural information to as many farmers as possible in the most expedient, cost-effective, and timely way while maintaining the integrity of the original data. Table 1 shows the information accessed by farmers through digital platforms.

Table 1: Information accessed by farmers through digital platforms in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra

According to the research findings, the majority of farmers used these digital platforms to obtain information about current market prices (97.56%), government schemes and subsidies (95.12%), crop combinations for higher yields (87.80%), weather updates (97.56%), and pertinent agricultural implements (82.93%).  Patel et al. (2015) have documented a similar observation.

Utilization of DTs for agriculture purposes

From the field, it was found that the off-farm applications of DTs, such as access to public service, market information, expert advisories and weather updates, are common among farmers and frequently used by them. Whereas on-farm applications such as agri-chemical spraying and automatic irrigation are not harnessed on a large scale due to the high initial cost, lack of awareness and demonstration of best practices.  Figure 7 highlights the extent of utilisation of DTs for different agricultural purposes in the study area.

Figure 7: Utilisation of DTs for agriculture purposes in the study area.

Digital literacy among farmers is low, access to technology is restricted in rural regions, and farmers are not aware of the advantages of digital tools—just a few of the challenges facing the digitalisation of agriculture. Erratic internet connectivity and high adoption costs for digital technology further hamper widespread deployment. In order to overcome these obstacles, concentrated efforts are required to develop digital literacy programs, upgrade rural infrastructure, lower the cost and increase accessibility to technology.

One way to improve the effectiveness and inclusivity of digital projects for farmers through policy recommendations is to design focused efforts catering to particular agricultural sector requirements. This entails creating customized training programs, providing financial assistance for digital tools, and offering incentives for implementing automation and on-farm applications.  Governments should also prioritise developing public-private partnerships and enhancing internet infrastructure in rural areas to ensure long-term implementation. The agricultural landscape of Digital India can undergo a rapid transformation with the implementation of laws that facilitate it. This will increase farmers' overall prosperity, efficiency, and inclusivity.

Conclusion

The study clarifies the diverse impacts of DTs on the agricultural sector. The study focuses on farmers' access to information and expertise, offering digital tools and services, creating digital infrastructure for rural areas, and increasing farmers' ability to accept and use DTs. The study highlighted the importance of focusing on off-farm applications, especially web portals and smartphone apps. However, the digital agricultural landscape needed to include on-farm applications and the automation of important agricultural tasks, including irrigation, weeding, spraying, crop monitoring, and cultivating. Promising results were displayed using smartphone apps and digital portals, such as reduced environmental impact, enhanced crop yields, eliminated professional risks, and maximised resource use. In addition to improving market connections and giving farmers access to fair prices for their goods, the incorporation of real-time data allowed them to make well-informed decisions and improved their overall financial well-being.  Finally, the empowerment of farmers through the digitalization of the agriculture sector will ensure food security and achieve SDG goal 2, "Zero Hunger." Even with these beneficial effects on agriculture's social, economic, and environmental facets, the study found flaws in the way e-Governance programs were carried out. It was observed that the Vidarbha region needed to be addressed politically and that administrative procedures needed to be shorter, which prevented the full potential benefits of digital interventions in agriculture from being realized. While there has been progress in the digital transformation of agriculture, there is still much work to be done to ensure that on-farm applications receive fair attention and maximize advantages for farmers in India's rapidly changing digital ecosystem.

Acknowledgement

Authors are grateful to Department of Public policy, Law and Governance, Central University of Rajasthan.

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