Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity?

Pearl millet is one of the most important food staples of poorer populations in the drylands of India. India’s first pearl millet hybrids were released during the Green Revolution. Low seed costs and the privatization of the national seed industry spurred diffusion of pearl millet hybrids once resis...

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Autores principales: Smale, Melinda, Diressie, Michael Tedla, Birol, Ekin
Formato: Informe técnico
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148563
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author Smale, Melinda
Diressie, Michael Tedla
Birol, Ekin
author_browse Birol, Ekin
Diressie, Michael Tedla
Smale, Melinda
author_facet Smale, Melinda
Diressie, Michael Tedla
Birol, Ekin
author_sort Smale, Melinda
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Pearl millet is one of the most important food staples of poorer populations in the drylands of India. India’s first pearl millet hybrids were released during the Green Revolution. Low seed costs and the privatization of the national seed industry spurred diffusion of pearl millet hybrids once resistance to downy mildew had been achieved. Across Indian states, adoption rates for pearl millet hybrids are among the highest in the State of Maharasthra, where the government has encouraged a dynamic, competitive seed industry. To our knowledge, no recent large-scale adoption studies have been conducted in Maharashtra. With the aim of better understanding the potential market for high-iron, pearl millet hybrids, we explore factors associated with growing pearl millet, and those that influence whether farmers grow major (popular) hybrids, as compared with minor cultivars. We test the relationships among cultivar choice, seed, and information sources. The data confirm that pearl millet is more likely to be grown by poorer households in drier, drought-prone areas. Scheduled castes are more likely to grow popular hybrids, and less likely to grow minor cultivars, but are no less likely to acquire seed from commercial vendors (including agro-dealers and agri-service centers) than less privileged people. Farmers who grow major (minor) hybrids also ascribe less (more) importance to marketing traits then either consumption or production traits. Iron content is not an observable trait. Thus, de facto, popular pearl millet varieties are likely to reach less privileged farmers. To attach adoption potential, popular hybrids could be targeted for iron enrichment, and commercial marketing strategies should be pursued.
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spelling CGSpace1485632025-11-06T06:27:08Z Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity? Smale, Melinda Diressie, Michael Tedla Birol, Ekin hybrids millets nutrition trace elements diet Pearl millet is one of the most important food staples of poorer populations in the drylands of India. India’s first pearl millet hybrids were released during the Green Revolution. Low seed costs and the privatization of the national seed industry spurred diffusion of pearl millet hybrids once resistance to downy mildew had been achieved. Across Indian states, adoption rates for pearl millet hybrids are among the highest in the State of Maharasthra, where the government has encouraged a dynamic, competitive seed industry. To our knowledge, no recent large-scale adoption studies have been conducted in Maharashtra. With the aim of better understanding the potential market for high-iron, pearl millet hybrids, we explore factors associated with growing pearl millet, and those that influence whether farmers grow major (popular) hybrids, as compared with minor cultivars. We test the relationships among cultivar choice, seed, and information sources. The data confirm that pearl millet is more likely to be grown by poorer households in drier, drought-prone areas. Scheduled castes are more likely to grow popular hybrids, and less likely to grow minor cultivars, but are no less likely to acquire seed from commercial vendors (including agro-dealers and agri-service centers) than less privileged people. Farmers who grow major (minor) hybrids also ascribe less (more) importance to marketing traits then either consumption or production traits. Iron content is not an observable trait. Thus, de facto, popular pearl millet varieties are likely to reach less privileged farmers. To attach adoption potential, popular hybrids could be targeted for iron enrichment, and commercial marketing strategies should be pursued. 2016-09-30 2024-06-21T09:25:03Z 2024-06-21T09:25:03Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148563 en https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-016-0559-9 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Smale, Melinda; Diressie, Michael Tedla; and Birol, Ekin. 2016. Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity? HarvestPlus Working Paper 24. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148563
spellingShingle hybrids
millets
nutrition
trace elements
diet
Smale, Melinda
Diressie, Michael Tedla
Birol, Ekin
Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity?
title Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity?
title_full Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity?
title_fullStr Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity?
title_full_unstemmed Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity?
title_short Understanding the adoption of high-iron varieties in Maharashtra, India: What explains popularity?
title_sort understanding the adoption of high iron varieties in maharashtra india what explains popularity
topic hybrids
millets
nutrition
trace elements
diet
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/148563
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