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Seeking the treated: The impact of mobile extension on farmer information exchange in India

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  • Fernando, A. Nilesh

Abstract

Do digital agricultural services ‘disrupt’ in-person peer interactions that generate and spread local knowledge? To investigate, I randomize access to a mobile phone-based agricultural extension service and find that while it reduces reliance on peer agricultural advice, it does not crowd-out peer interactions. Instead, treated farmers are more likely to recommend inputs to their peers, who, in turn, prioritize interacting with them. Consequently, exposure to the treatment, directly or via peers, increases willingness-to-pay for the service. Overall, evidence on complementarities between treated respondents suggest ICT-based services may encourage peer interactions and information exchange at scale.

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  • Fernando, A. Nilesh, 2021. "Seeking the treated: The impact of mobile extension on farmer information exchange in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:153:y:2021:i:c:s0304387821000870
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2021.102713
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    Cited by:

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    2. Abate, Gashaw T. & Abay, Kibrom A. & Chamberlin, Jordan & Kassim, Yumna & Spielman, David J. & Paul Jr Tabe-Ojong, Martin, 2023. "Digital tools and agricultural market transformation in Africa: Why are they not at scale yet, and what will it take to get there?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. Fang, Lan & Quan, Yurong & Mao, Hui & Chen, Shaojian, 2022. "The Information Communication Technology and Off-farm Employment of Rural Laborers: An Analysis Based on the Micro Data of China Family Panel Studies," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322088, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Xiang Deng & Jie Peng & Chunlin Wan, 2024. "The Impact of Internet Use on Land Productivity: Evidence from China Land Economy Survey," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, February.
    5. Mensah,Justice Tei & Hirfrfot,Kibrom Tafere & Abay,Kibrom A., 2022. "Saving Lives through Technology : Mobile Phones and Infant Mortality," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9978, The World Bank.
    6. Runqi Lun & Wei Liu & Guojing Li & Qiyou Luo, 2024. "Does Digital Agricultural Technology Extension Service Enhance Sustainable Food Production? Evidence from Maize Farmers in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-23, February.
    7. Xiaofeng Fan & Zhaojun Wang & Yumeng Wang, 2024. "Rural Business Environments, Information Channels, and Farmers’ Pesticide Utilization Behavior: A Grounded Theory Analysis in Hainan Province, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-27, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social interactions; Peer effects; Information exchange; Agriculture;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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