ICAR & MANAGE Launches Agri Research Studies Mentioned on 'Mann Ki Baat'

The aim of highlighting current agricultural concerns is to inspire farmers & other stakeholders. In order to analyze the impact of a project on farming communities, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi and the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) in Hyderabad conducted a joint research to examine reflections on inspiration & motivation.

The findings of the research were published in several journals. The launch of these publications was held on April 25, 2023 in New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, in the presence of prominent executives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, including ICAR.

According to the findings of these research, smallholder farmers favoured issues covered in Mann Ki Baat episodes to be natural farming, conservation of natural resources, and willingness to adopt Integrated Farming Systems (diversification). Another survey of millet farmers revealed that the message conveyed through Mann Ki Baat interactions and follow-up actions by Krishi Vigyan Kendra professionals strengthened farmers' perceptions of the process of adopting improved millets and production systems and created a conducive environment for agri-entrepreneurship.

The use of digital technology, such as drones and mobile phones, as featured in Mann Ki Baat episodes, was found to have a substantial impact on farmers' awareness and knowledge of agricultural technology adoption.

Mann Ki Baat could help foster a favourable atmosphere for Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs), easing agri-business and lowering farmers' cultivation costs (20-25%). A study on beekeeping demonstrated that after the Mann Ki Baat project, beekeepers who had more exposure to institutional knowledge and resources earned more profit in groups than in individuals, even when technical challenges arose.

A message about Kisan Rail could help educate and mobilise farmers to use its services. The Kisan Rail could help farmers move perishable agricultural produce in less time and with higher net earnings due to the elimination of middlemen. As a result, we discovered that the Mann Ki Baat campaign was critical in generating a suitable atmosphere among farmers for increasing awareness and mobilization.