Post-COVID Evaluation of YouTube (‘Agropradhan’) as a Digital Extension Medium for Agricultural Information Dissemination: Insights from a Multi-Regional Farmer Audience

Abstract

The present study, “Post-COVID Evaluation of YouTube (‘Agropradhan’) as a Digital Extension Medium for Agricultural Information Dissemination: Insights from a Multi-Regional Farmer Audience”, conducted from 2021 to 2024, assessed the effectiveness of YouTube-based extension in delivering pest and disease management practices. A total of 112 problem base agriculture extension videos average (2–7 min duration) were uploaded, primarily from Oney village of Nashik district, Maharashtra, yet viewership extended across multiple Districts of Maharashtra. YouTube Analytics revealed a cumulative 347,464 views, 21,724 watch hours, and significant subscriber growth. High-impact topics such as Geranium cultivation (46,381 views, CTR 8.94%) and Mealy bug control (CTR 10.70%) demonstrated that problem-specific, visually demonstrated content achieved superior engagement and adoption. Pest and disease management videos consistently outperformed general agronomy topics in both CTR and audience retention. Post-distribution farmer surveys indicated notable adoption of recommended pest control measures, with respondents citing improved awareness, timely interventions, and reduced crop losses. The study highlights YouTube’s capability to bridge advisory gaps in the post-COVID period, demonstrating that concise, locally relevant, and visually rich content can significantly enhance digital agricultural extension reach and impact.