Sunil Saroj

Impact of India’s Farm Science Centers (Krishi Vigyan Kendras) on farm households’ economic welfare: An evidence from a national farmer survey

This study examines the impact of access to India’s farm science centers (Krishi Vigyan Kendras, or KVKs) on agricultural households’ welfare using household data from the nationally representative Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households conducted by India’s National Sample Survey Office in 2013. Employing different matching techniques and endogenous switching regression models, it was observed that the KVKs have a positive and statistically significant impact on agricultural households’ economic welfare, although, that impact is heterogeneous. Further, the investments made in expansion of India’s network of KVKs have been quite remunerative, as the benefit- to-cost ratio of expenditure on KVKs ranges from 8–12. Moreover, present findings suggest that expanding rural formal credit markets and promoting literacy can maximize the potential impact of KVKs on agricultural households’ economic welfare.

Impact of dairy cooperatives on milk productivity: Evidence from rural Bihar

The Million Farmers School: Evaluating its impact on farmers’ agricultural knowledge in Uttar Pradesh, India

The Million Farmers School (MFS) program—also known as Kisan Pathshala was launched to impart training to the farmers by the government of the state of Uttar Pradesh (India) in December 2017. This study estimates the impact of training on agricultural knowledge of the farmers.The study is based on household survey conducted in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, during March–May 2019. The authors employed matching methods, the two-stage least square (2SLS)-residual and endogenous switching regression approaches to control for selection bias and endogeneity.The results suggest that knowledge outcomes are significantly better among participants vis-à-vis non-participants. The results are robust to different model specifications. Further, the benefits are observed across different regions and social groups.The MFS program can go a long way in enhancing agricultural know-how and the farmers’ economic well-being, bringing a transformative change in the agricultural landscape of UP.This study is based on a field survey data and analyzes various aspects of the program’s impact, design and implementation, and offers implementation advice for greater efficacy in future.