Institutional Agro-Advisory Systems and Delivery Modalities: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Bihar, India

Patil, Vikram, Prakashan Chellattan Veettil, Amit Srivastava, Sugandha Munshi, Virender Kumar, R. K. Malik, Muzna Alvi (2025). Institutional Agro-Advisory Systems and Delivery Modalities: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Bihar, India. International Rice Research Institute. 5 p.

Low awareness of agricultural technologies remains a significant challenge in many low-income countries, particularly among smallholder farmers who constitute nearly 70% of the farming population. Advances in information and communication technologies and the rapid expansion of digital farmer services offer new avenues to reach millions of smallholders at low cost. In parallel, male outmigration has increased the role and responsibilities of women in farming across India, making it essential to identify effective methods for improving women farmers’ awareness, knowledge, and capacity to adopt new technologies. However, it remains unclear whether the digital transformation of Indian agriculture will further widen existing technology gaps or create new opportunities to access timely and actionable information. Using a field experiment conducted with smallholder farmers in Bihar, India, this study evaluates the effectiveness of institutionalized agro-advisory services on technology awareness and adoption. The experiment tests (i) landscape-specific advisories and generic, state-level recommendations, and (ii) two delivery modalities: agro-advisory messages through IVR calls and information campaigns delivered through field demonstrations.