Agricultural extension has long been a major concern of agricultural policies in India. In keeping with the same, numerous agricultural extension programmes have been implemented by the government. These efforts have been supported by many NGOs working in different parts of the country. However, most of the agricultural problems suffer from largely similar problems. Huge number of staff is required to support them and extension officers usually restrict their interactions to the richer, more enterprising farmers within a village. The smaller and marginalised farmers move further to the periphery of agricultural progress.
In this context, started in 2009, Digital Green seeks to build on existing agricultural extension programmes by combining social organization and technology. The Digital Green approach involves the use of videos for disseminating information about agricultural techniques that farmers can easily adopt in order to increase their productivity.
The use of video for information dissemination is not new but Digital Green’s approach is set apart by its unique strengths. The main components of this approach are (a) a participatory process for local video production, (b) a human-mediated instruction model for dissemination and training, (c) a hardware and software technology platform for exchanging data in areas with limited Internet and electrical grid connectivity, and (d) an iterative model to progressively better address the needs and interests of the community with analytical tools and interactive phone-based feedback channels.
Digital Green partners with local organizations that have been working in related fields and already have substantial rapport with the farmer community. Digital Green currently operates in 5 states in India- Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa. Till date, 1624 videos have been produced, 33193 screenings conducted and 56135 farmers have been reached. The overall agricultural practice adoption rate is 31.43%.
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