IMPACT OF ICT AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

Many initiatives in the recent past portrayed the significant role that the Information Communication Technology (ICT) plays in the realm of rural development. Several projects have reduced the costs, and it also has increased transparency. It is noted many scientists are using these ICT for information retrieval or data updating, data analysis, for finding references, for searching details related to their research for farming communities.. In developing countries ICT has played very important role in the development of education, health, rural development as well as in agriculture development. This technology has brought a significant change in agriculture development in Maharashtra and India in particular where farmers directly connected with research centres, universities, government, market, buyers, customers and meteorological department to get information regarding inputs, practices, weather forecast and prices. ICT has also increased the income of farmers in Maharashtra. Now, there is need to provide facilities to farmers and introduce technology in rural areas where farmers are unaware and they do not have knowledge and skills regarding this technology. It was also indicated by different research that this technology has increased the product of agriculture by adopting ICT tools in agriculture and farming. However, farmers are facing major problems and challenges including poor agricultural practices, inadequacies in information delivery, reconciliation of records among farmers, government and traders. Similarly, lack of information on best practices to farmers.