FARMERS’ BUYING BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS AGRICULTURAL INPUTS IN HIGH HILL TEMPERATE WET ZONE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2022-09
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study has been carried out on farmers’ buying behaviour 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. Primary data were collected from a sample of 448 farmers
who were the major decision-makers in their household through a well designed pre-tested schedule by survey
method. The required secondary data were collected from various publications and government departments. It
was observed that the farmers’ buying process was not uniform for all the agricultural inputs under study as it
varied from the least expensive to the most expensive agricultural inputs. However, within the same category of
the inputs, there were differences in the extent of the buying process and these differences were more prevalent
among the frequently purchased agricultural inputs. The findings of the study reported that the effect of farmers’
educational status, farming experience and quality consciousness had significant mean differences in their
buying process for both categories of inputs. The study also revealed that individual decision making occurs
most often for frequently purchased inputs except for the seed and farmers decided jointly on the purchase of
infrequently purchased inputs. Furthermore, it was found that fellow/progressive farmers were the main source
on which farmers relied for information related to the seeds and fertilizers in the study area, whereas, for
agrochemicals, they highly relied on private input dealers. However, private inputs dealers and state
agriculture/horticulture departments were the main source of information related to the purchase of power
sprayers and power tillers in the study area. It is also found that the majority of farmers in the study area had
paid in cash for the purchase of frequently purchased agricultural inputs. Whereas, in case of infrequently
purchased inputs, 41.82 per cent and 66.19 per cent of farmers had purchased power sprayers and power tillers
on credit/installments basis, respectively. Besides, the results of the principal components analysis revealed that
past experiences, price, brand image, preferred package, quality, government schemes and subsidies were the
most important factors influencing farmers’ buying behaviour for frequently purchased agricultural inputs.
However, in case of infrequently purchased inputs performance, credit facility, price, reputations of
dealers/suppliers, operational qualities, brand image and government schemes and subsidies were the important
factors influencing farmers buying behaviour. Timely non-availability & limited supply of inputs in government
stores, high prices, non-availability of the preferred package of inputs, fear of adulteration, lack of technical
knowledge, lack of financial assistance from the government and lack of market information on inputs were the
major constraints experienced by the farmers’ in buying agricultural inputs in the study area. Therefore, it is
suggested that a timely and adequate supply of agricultural inputs at fair prices and awareness campaigns on
improved agricultural input use can positively influence government investment in agricultural research,
extension and input delivery systems in the study area