Utilization of ICT in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) system for agricultural development

Introduction

Agriculture is Rising global temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events-such as droughts, floods, and hurricanes-pose significant risks to agricultural output. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), by 2050, global food production will need to increase by 60% to meet the growing population's demands, yet climate change is expected to significantly reduce crop yields and disrupt global food systems (FAO, 2016). ICT or Information and Communication Technology is the gathering, processing, storage of information and retrieval and dissemination done through the combination of telecommunication, computing, and broadcasting technologies to meet the information gathering, processing and dissemination needs in order to find effective and efficient methods of achieving these goals. ICT in agriculture/rural development includes, among others, computers, mobile phones, the internet, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and multimedia platforms whose applications enable the sharing of knowledge and decision-making processes in the agricultural value chain (FAO, 2017). ICTs are also instrumental to the increased access to time-sensitive information on pest control, weather, market prices, and innovative practices thus, increasing productivity, sustainability and resilience of farming communities.

ICT Utilization in Agriculture: A Global Perspective

ICTs have entered contemporary agriculture and people use these to boost productivity, access markets, build resilience and make informed decisions. In the world, farming systems are being revolutionized with the utilization of mobile phones and the internet-based platforms, GIS, remote sensing, drones, and AI. The World bank (2021) estimates that more than 70 percent of smallholders across the world own mobile phones, and nearly 45 percent have access to mobile-based products, such as advisories on agriculturerelated matters. In Sub-Saharan Africa, platforms like mFarms (Ghana) and iCow (Kenya) have improved yields and input efficiency. In Latin America, tools such as Agrosmart and Digital Green support precision agriculture and extension services. Asia has also advanced significantly-China's Digital Agriculture and Rural Development Plan (2019-2025) promotes big data and IoT integration, while India's e-NAM has connected 1,000+ mandis for online trading, and 160 million soil health cards have been distributed using ICT (Government of India, 2022).

Integration of ICT in Extension

In India ICT has significantly transformed agricultural extension by enabling faster, more targeted, and costeffective dissemination of knowledge. Traditional methods www.extensionjournal.com often faced limitations in scalability, timeliness, and outreach, whereas ICT tools have facilitated real-time, localized, and personalized advisory services. Key government initiatives include the mKisan Portal, which delivers SMS-based advisories in regional languages to over 100 million farmers, and Kisan Call Centers (KCCs), offering expert guidance via a toll-free helpline through a three-tier system (GOI, 2020). Mobile applications such as Kisan Suvidha, Pusa Krishi, and AgriMarket provide crucial updates on weather, pest control, and market prices. Private agritech startups like DeHaat, AgroStar, and CropIn leverage AI, ML, and satellite imagery to offer precision farming solutions, including soil health analysis and market linkages (Ghosh, 2020) [2] . Common Service Centers (CSCs) and digital kiosks further improve rural access to digital services. ICT tools like community radio, video-based platforms (e.g., Digital Green), and IVRS enhance outreach in lowliteracy areas. However, challenges such as digital illiteracy, poor connectivity, and gender disparities remain. Addressing these through inclusive strategies and publicprivate partnerships is essential for sustainable, farmercentric extension. The utilization of ICT would be fruitful by increased digital literacy of farmers.

Integration of ICTs in KVK

The introduction of ICT in India in agricultural extension has enhanced greatly the level of efficiency, reach and responsiveness of knowledge dissemination systems. Although the conventional extension approaches are still valid, they tend to exhibit low capacity to scale, become very expensive to operate and there is time lag. Mobile applications, SMS advisories, video conferencing, and social media tools in ICT have facilitated the real time, location based and interaction specific communication making farmers make regulated decisions. Government services like the mKisan Portal, Kisan Call centers and applications like Kisan Suvidha and Pusa Krishi are two examples of services that provide tailor-made crop advisories in their preferred local languages to all the farming community. At the same time, commercial agriculture companies are integrating modern technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), geographic information systems (GIS), and satellite photos, to facilitate precision agriculture (Ghosh, 2020) [2] . Extending their services Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) which fall under ICAR have been turning to ICTs by use of digital kiosks, Common Service centres (CSCs), and e-learning as well. Furthermore, the ICT has enhanced the research-extensionfarmer connection, impact tracking, and inclusive knowledge sharing especially among smallholders, women farmers, and tribal people. Despite persistent digital divides, ICT adoption is transforming India's agricultural extension landscape into a more dynamic, data-driven, and sustainable model aligned with national development priorities.

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