Effectiveness of DAMU Agro-advisory Services in Enhancing Crop Planning and Management: A Comparative Study of Beneficiary and Non-beneficiary Farmers

Abstract

Agriculture is highly vulnerable to weather variability, making timely weather-based agro-advisories essential for effective crop planning, resource management and climate-resilient farming. District Agro-Meteorological Units (DAMUs) play a crucial role in disseminating localised weather forecasts and crop-specific recommendations to farmers. The present study assessed the role of DAMUs in farm planning and management through an opinion-based evaluation of agro-advisory services in Jalore district, Rajasthan. A purposive and random sampling approach was used to select 120 respondents, comprising 60 beneficiaries and 60 non-beneficiaries. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested interview schedule and analysed with appropriate statistical tools. The findings revealed that beneficiary farmers expressed significantly favourable opinions towards DAMU advisories, acknowledging their effectiveness in minimising harvesting losses due to abnormal weather, optimising irrigation scheduling, improving pest and disease management and enhancing crop productivity. In contrast, non-beneficiaries reported limited awareness and less favourable perceptions, citing a lack of knowledge about the DAMU scheme, inadequate technical support and dependence on external agencies for crop planning. The study concludes that DAMU agro-advisories play a significant role in improving crop planning and management by providing timely weather-based recommendations to farmers. Beneficiary farmers reported higher levels of awareness, acceptance and utilisation of advisory services than non-beneficiaries. The study highlights the need for enhanced extension efforts, ICT-enabled dissemination and capacity-building programmes to expand the reach of DAMU advisories and strengthen climate-resilient agricultural decision-making.