Unraveling Farmers' Buying Process for Agricultural Inputs in Himachal Pradesh: Implication for Agricultural Marketing
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Author: Ankit Pathania, Rashmi Chaudhary, and Samriti
Author Address: Department of Management, Eternal University, Baru Sahib-173101 (H.P.), Department of Agribusiness Management and Department of Social Sciences, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173230 (H.P.)
Keywords: Agribusiness, agri-inputs, agri-marketing, buying behaviour, buying process.
JEL Codes: C83, D19, Q12, Q13.
Abstract
The present study was carried out on farmers' buying process towards agricultural inputs in the high hill temperate wet zone of Himachal Pradesh. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used for the selection of sampled households in the study area. The primary data were collected from a sample of 448 farmers who were the significant decision-makers in their households. It was examined that quality consciousness was high, especially for seeds (52.45 per cent), power sprayers (50.18 per cent) and agrochemicals (47.23 per cent). The buying decision times varied by input, averaging 3.06 and 60.58 days for seed and power tillers, which required more deliberation due to cost and complexity. Farmers used an average of 2-3 information sources for frequently purchased inputs, increasing to over 4 for infrequently purchased inputs. Statistical analysis showed that education, farming experience, and quality consciousness significantly influenced buying behaviour across various decision stages, including decision time and number of suppliers evaluated and critically shaped the buying process, particularly for high-investment inputs. The results of the study are helpful to policy formulators in the agriculture input sector, agribusiness firms, and researchers in consumer behaviour in designing marketing strategies based on changing market dynamics.
Description
Indian J Econ Dev, 2024, 20(4), 665-673
https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED-23278