Abstract
Smart agriculture adoption has emerged as an important pathway for enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting efficient resource utilization, and improving the socio-economic conditions of smallholder farmers. This study examines the role of smart agriculture technologies in improving crop productivity, farm income, resource-use efficiency, and farmer empowerment in Una District of Himachal Pradesh, India. The study is based on primary data collected from 230 small and marginal farmers through a structured survey questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistical techniques to assess the relationship between smart agriculture adoption and key agricultural outcomes. The findings reveal that farmers adopting smart agriculture practices, including Internet of Things (IoT)-based applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI), precision farming techniques, and mobile-based agricultural advisory services, experience improvements in farm productivity, income generation, input-use efficiency, and access to agricultural information. Adoption of these technologies has also strengthened farmers’ decision-making capacity by improving access to weather forecasts, market information, and scientific farm management practices. However, the diffusion of smart agriculture remains constrained by several factors, including limited digital literacy, inadequate internet connectivity, high initial investment costs, fragmented landholdings, and insufficient technical support. The study highlights that strengthening digital infrastructure, enhancing farmers’ technological awareness, providing affordable access to smart farming solutions, and developing effective extension mechanisms are essential for promoting inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation. The findings provide useful policy insights for encouraging technology-driven agricultural development and improving the livelihood security of smallholder farmers in hill regions.
Keywords: Smart Agriculture, Digital Agriculture, Precision Farming, Smallholder Farmers, Farmer Empowerment, Rural Development
