Impact assessment of technical knowledge gain among beneficiary farmers through Kisan Mobile Advisory Services

Abstract

Agriculture in India faces multiple challenges such as climate variability, pest and disease incidences, declining soil health, rising input costs, and market uncertainties, which necessitate timely, location-specific, and need-based technical information for sustainable farm management. In this context, ICT-based extension approaches, particularly mobile phone–enabled services, have emerged as effective complements to conventional extension systems. The present study assessed the impact of Kisan Mobile Advisory Services (KMAS) on the technical knowledge of 120 beneficiary farmers using a descriptive research design. Technical knowledge was measured before and after exposure to KMAS across fifteen areas of agricultural technology through a structured interview schedule. The impact was analyzed using mean score comparison, paired t-test, and percentage change. The findings revealed a significant improvement in farmers’ technical knowledge after KMAS intervention, with a noticeable shift from low to medium and high knowledge categories. The mean knowledge score increased from 25.90 to 28.80, and the calculated t-value (3.414) was significant at the 0.05 level. Overall, a higher proportion of farmers (40%) exhibited a medium level of impact, indicating that KMAS is an effective, scalable, and cost-efficient ICT-based extension tool for enhancing farmers’ technical knowledge and supporting informed decision-making.