Economic Empowerment through Information Access: A Study of Farmers in the Kumaun Division of Uttarakhand

This research investigates the role of agricultural information access in enhancing the economic empowerment of farmers in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, a geographically challenging area where farming is the main livelihood. The study is based on primary data collected from 300 farmers across three districts are Nainital (low hill), Almora (mid-hill), and Bageshwar (high hill), using structured surveys, focus group discussions, and interviews. It evaluates how factors like digital literacy, gender, and geography influence farmers’ access to agricultural knowledge and how this access affects outcomes such as income, crop diversification, and the use of modern practices.