Do the information networks of farmers differ across gender? Evidence from the hills of Uttarakhand, India using social network analysis

Vegetable growers need information on improved cultivars and production practices, and usually tend to receive this information from informal sources due to certain constraints. This study describes the information networks of hill farmers across genders for accessing data about vegetable cultivation. Through simple random sampling, two hill districts in Uttarakhand, India, were chosen and 320 vegetable growers were selected. The results showed that in comparison to female farmers, the social networks of male farmers frequently included formal information sources. The main factors determining the pattern of information network usage among women farmers were education, farming experience, hours dedicated to farming, group membership and contact with extension agencies, whereas income, landholding, access to mobile phones, contact with extension agencies and frequency of contact affected the information network usage among male farmers. The study gives suggestions for policymakers and programme planners to bridge the gender divide by devising effective information dissemination in the hill regions.