Information Communication Technology ICT in Pomology

Abstract

ABSTRACT newline This research on Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Pomology is newline conducted at a time when information sector is witnessing a drastic transformation. Fruit newline crops (Pomology) in India have been characterized by low productivity growth despite newline periods of strong growth in the past. Comprehensively, the challenges in pomology newline incorporate infrastructure and input constraints, supply chain inefficiencies, information newline asymmetry, and problems in extension, information dissemination and technology newline transfer and its adoption. There is a huge information gap in farming and rural newline communities. Farmers were facing losses in income due to non-availability of timely, newline accurate, actionable and decision critical information. newline Very limited work has been done on this topic ICT and Farming. We also did not come newline across any in-depth study on the ICT and other stakeholders. Traditional media/extension newline machinery has some limitations to address the problem of information gap in farming newline communities. No doubt that the traditional media played important role in Agriculture newline Extension. Still there is a huge gap in technology adoption by farmers. There is also a newline limitation of Government (Agriculture Department and Agriculture Universities) for newline doing Agriculture Extension in an effective way and reaching to the grassroots level. In newline a study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in India, newline only six per cent of farmers reported having interacted with an extension officer. In this newline context,ICT is an important tool for the dissemination of agriculture information/technology to farmers. newline The objectives of the study are, 1) to study the Pomology growth (especially newline pomegranate, grape and banana) in India, Maharashtra and Solapur district, 2) to newline understand the features and the level of use of ICT tools in horticulture (fruit) sector in newline Solapur district of Western Maharashtra. Also to understand the role of infrastructure, newline different inputs, supply chain in higher quality fruit production, 3) to know demand, newline preferences and availability of the ICT tools with specific reference to fruit growers of newline Solapur district, 4) to evaluate the role of ICT in production, marketing, processing and in newline risk mitigation by fruit growers in Solapur district, 5) to analyze the coherence andeffectiveness of interactions of policy, service providing agents and utilizers (farmers) of newline ICT in Pomology and the market outcomes and 6) to find out the effect of major factors newline like education, land holding, caste, soil type and source of irrigation on the use of ICT newline and Type of Crop in Solapur district. newline Three hundred questionnaires based in-depth interviews of fruit growers (pomegranate, newline grape and banana) were conducted from the Solapur District. Quantitative data is newline analyzed using simple statistical measures and regression. Focused Group Discussions newline (FGDs) and own observations were used to relate with quantitative findings. Correlation newline and regression (logistic) analysis is conducted to determine the major factors (caste, newline education, land holding, soil type and source of irrigation) affecting the use of ICT in newline Solapur district. newline The study lays out a composite account of growth (area and production) patterns of fruit newline farming in India, Maharashtra and Solapur district (with emphasis on pomegranate, grape newline and banana crops). Better information through Information and Communication newline Technology (ICT) tools are enabling fruit growers to avoid or mitigate the risk newline (production and marketing), reduce transaction costs, reaping higher quality fruit newline production and ultimately gaining more income. Type of crop, caste, taluka and newline landholding are the major factors affecting the ICT features in Solapur district. Taluka, newline landholding and source of irrigation were statistically significant with Type of Service newline Providers (Private and Government). Caste, taluka, soil type and source of irrigation were newline significant with Type of Crops. This study is carried out in Solapur District of newline Maharashtra state which validates the importance of ICT in fruit farming. In order to newline bridge the information gap among farmers, there is a need of positive ICT policy newline intervention in fruit farming (pomology) at state and national level. newline Key words: Agriculture extension, fruit farming, growth, ICT, information, policy, newline pomology, technology transfer newline xx newline