Mobile apps in extension services delivery: Constraints and suggestions of livestock based WSHG members

Abstract

The advancement in mobile technology brought a global explosion in the use of smart phones and mobile apps. This made mobile apps become one of significant tool for extension services delivery. The present research was formulated to study the constraints faced by the WSHG members in accepting mobile apps in extension services delivery and to elicit the suggestions to overcome them. The study was conducted in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh with a sample of 100 WSHG members who were involved in livestock farming as income generating activity. The data was collected through pre tested interview schedule and analysed using suitable statistical tools. The study revealed that constraints faced by respondents in accepting mobile apps for delivering extension services were that there were no immediate answers for their questions, cost of internet packages were high, difficulty in accessing the web page to download the mobile app. The mobile app should be in local language, interactive in nature, contain need based and latest information and of offline mode were the suggestions given by the livestock farmers to accept the mobile apps in delivering extension services. Thus, extension personnel should develop mobile apps which integrate with different the extension services delivery models considering constraints and suggestions given by the farmers who are the ultimate users.