Assessing Smallholder Households’ Perception towards Effectiveness of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services in Ensuring Food Security during COVID-19

The study aims to assess the farm households’ perception towards Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) during the pandemic and identify the socio-economic factors influencing the perception of smallholder households in selected rural areas of Tamil Nadu. For the purpose of the research, 270 rural households belonging to farm families were selected through a multistage stratified random sampling method. The perception towards EAS effectiveness was assessed based on parameters such as communication, technological interventions and mobilizing farmers. The results revealed that information about government schemes was perceived to be the more effective intervention of EAS with a mean rank of 2.29 followed by online training activities (Mean rank of 2.16). Socio-economic characteristics such as education, livestock holding, landholding and income of the households were the significant factors that influenced perception. The results also revealed that 64% of households perceived Extension and Agricultural Services as moderately effective during COVID-19. The results could be improved further by adopting specific interventions such as public-private partnerships, nutrition-oriented extension activities such as promoting nutritive gardens, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and promoting gender equality for improving food security of the farm households. Future studies can be done on the impact of the pandemic on pluralistic agricultural systems.