Who pays for Agricultural Information on Mobile Phones? Evidence from Three Countries in South Asia

We use data from 8,896 rice farmers based on three surveys in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, conducted in 2015 and 2016. In the surveys, we asked sample farmers about their use mobile phones to obtain information about weather, agricultural prices, rice seeds, and production practices. We find that more than 13% of all sample farmers received some information about agriculture through operators and SMS messages on their mobile phones from private and extension agencies. The percentage ranges widely across regions and countries. Farmers paid for about half of the calls, often registered to receive them. In India, farmers who live away from the nearest market are more likely to receive paid calls about agricultural information. Better-off farmers in Pakistan are more likely to receive calls on their mobile phones agricultural information. In Bangladesh, only 2% of the sample farmers received agricultural information on their mobile phones