Access to Information and Agricultural Mechanization– A Spatial Analysis

In this study, I investigate the determinants of agricultural technology adoption among Indian farmers, emphasizing the critical role of information access and its sources. I use nationally representative data on rural households of India, collected by the National Sample Survey Office, Government of India for 2019, to estimate the effect of access to information on technology adoption. Using logistic regression, I estimate the likelihood of whether a farmer will adopt new farming techniques if it receives information from different sources. I also conduct spatial Durbin linear regression analysis to compute spatial spillovers of access to information on farmers’ decision to adopt new farming practices across districts. Findings highlight that the source of information matters in adopting new farming practices. Progressive farmers and input dealers emerge as influential sources. Spatial analysis reveals compelling spatial spillovers, indicating that access to information and the dominant source of information provider in neighboring districts can strongly influence a district's adoption patterns. The findings of this study can help in framing targeted policies to influence the decision-making process of farmers to adopt new farming practices.