Inclusiveness of Information Access in Agriculture: Evidence from India

Information plays a crucial role in important and effective decision-making in any economic activity. This becomes especially relevant for agriculture, where the vagaries of climate change and price fluctuations can make information necessary for the marginal and vulnerable farmers. Using representative data in 2012–2013 this chapter examines the inclusiveness of access to information by the marginal farmers. It also studies if poor and deprived farmers in terms of social group, household headship and consumption expenditure are likely to get the agricultural information. Further, the chapter explores if government information agencies are more inclusive than the private agencies, both when compared to the external agencies passed on by television/media/internet/newspaper and progressive farmers. Our findings show access to agricultural information is less likely to reach the marginal, poor and deprived farmers. We also find government agencies are more inclusive to the marginal farmers than the private ones.