Role of self-help groups in agricultural technology dissemination among tribal farming communities

Abstract:

Something curious happens when you place a group of tribal farmers around a table and ask them to decide together which seed variety to try next season: they try it. And more importantly, they tell their neighbours to try it too. This research examined how self-help groups (SHGs) function as channels for agricultural technology dissemination among tribal farming communities in three provinces of central Anatolia, Turkey. A comparative survey of 120 SHG-member households and 120 non-member households was conducted during 2023. Technology adoption was measured across seven domains: improved varieties, soil testing, integrated pest management, drip irrigation, post-harvest handling, organic certification, and digital market access. SHG members showed significantly higher adoption scores in six of seven domains (p<0.01), with the largest gap in organic certification (adoption rate 38.3% vs 11.7%). A technology adoption index constructed from all seven domains averaged 64.2% for SHG members against 32.1% for non-members. Multiple regression identified group cohesion, frequency of extension contact, and access to credit as the strongest predictors of adoption among SHG members. These results confirm that SHGs serve as effective social-learning platforms that accelerate technology uptake in communities where conventional extension services have limited reach.