Abstract
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), with the objective of disseminating knowledge to the rural masses, envisaged the Village Resource Centre (VRC) concept in 2004. VRCs conduct interactive programs on a regular basis and are connected to knowledge producing institutions. This study empirically analyzes the impact of VRCs in agriculture by capturing productivity levels and innovation performances. Results show that the impact of new developmental interventions through VRCs is significant in knowledge diffusion, innovativeness, and productivity of farming communities and, it can be quantitatively measured. VRCs help improve the quality of life in villages by providing new knowledge at the doorstep of the common man, in vernacular language, thereby reducing information inequality and the emergence of a new socio-economic relationship.
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Notes
- 1.
The Vulnerability Context refers to the seasonality, trends, and shocks that affect people’s livelihoods. The key attribute of these factors is that they are not susceptible to control by local people themselves, at least in the short and medium term.
- 2.
Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. Panchayati Raj Institutions, the grass root units of local self-government have been considered as instruments of socio-economic transformation in rural India. As of 2002, there were about 252,000 gram panchayats in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System (PIB, Government of India 2009).
- 3.
Figure 24.1 demonstrates that the VRC non-attendees (VRC NA) had experienced decline in productivity during last five years. During last five years VRC attendees (VRC A) marked no declining trends in productivity, however during 2001-2002 to 2010-2011 VRC attendees (VRC A) also experienced decline in productivity. It is noticeable that VRC was not functioning during this period of declining productivity.
- 4.
Innovative farming techniques adopted during the period are discussed in Sect. 24.5.2.1.
- 5.
Mainly in coffee, pepper, cardamom, rubber, banana, nutmeg, arecanut, cocoa, suppota and anthurium.
- 6.
Mainly towards rubber, as the relative market price of rubber had tremendously increased with respect to coffee, tea, arecanut and coconut.
- 7.
One example of changes in existing farming processes is in pruning. Previously coffee growers grafted coffee plants excessively, but now there has been a change in grafting practices. There has been a structural change on the extent and time of pruning. The change has increased productivity.
- 8.
Krishi bhavan is the government agricultural office at Gram Panchayath level.
- 9.
The phenomenon was not only in coffee but also in other crops such as rubber, arecanut, pepper, cardamom, etc. Previously the cultivation of rubber was not at all possible in Meppadi, owing to climate conditions, but today some farmers have started to plant rubber. Many farmers have also started adoption of new plants and varieties such as coffee, pepper, cardamom, rubber, paddy, banana, nutmeg, arecanut, cocoa, suppota, anthurium, mangosteen, and rambutan.
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Shaijumon, C.S., Menon, S. (2014). Role of Village Resource Centers in Technology Diffusion and Development. In: Bolay, JC., Hostettler, S., Hazboun, E. (eds) Technologies for Sustainable Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00639-0_24
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