Farmer-perceived constraints in hybrid paddy procurement: A rural field investigation

Introduction

The superior performance of agriculture in India has progressively depended on hybrid technology to improve production, especially in grains such as wheat and paddy. Notwithstanding technological developments and the increasing presence of public and private sector seed corporations, obstacles remain at the grassroots level concerning the acceptance and acquisition of hybrid seeds. As India advances towards becoming a global hub for seed production and innovation, hybrid paddy has emerged as a point of attraction due to its potential to offer higher yields, uniform quality, and resilience under varying climatic conditions (Federation of Seed Industry of India [FSII], 2024; Singh et al., 2019) [1,2] . However, the successful diffusion of hybrid seed technologies depends not only on supply-side advancements but also on understanding demand-side realities, particularly the constraints perceived by end-users, i.e., farmers. In rural agrarian systems, the gap between hybrid seed development and its effective adoption is often shaped by a variety of field-level barriers. These include financial limitations, market irregularities, knowledge deficits, accessibility concerns, and climatic challenges (Sushil et al., 2023; Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare [MoA&FW], 2023) [3,4] . In addition, the Indian seed sector continues to face persistent issues such as low seed replacement rates, the dominance of self-pollinated varieties, and region-specific agro-economic vulnerabilities (Srivastava, 2018; Habib-ur-Rahman et al., 2022) [5,6] . For hybrid paddy, in particular, procurement becomes a function of not just availability but affordability, timely access, and farmer confidence in the quality and performance of the seeds-factors often undermined by systemic gaps in extension, credit flow, and infrastructure (Chand, 2019; Kumaria, 2024) [7,8] . This study emphasises the examination of the constraints as perceived by farmers in buying or using hybrid paddy seeds within a rural agricultural context. The analysis puts forwards that understanding these constraints from the farmers' end view is crucial for executing effective policy interventions, supply chain changes, and technological adaptations handcrafted to local conditions.

Review of Literature

A thorough review of the literature reveals that multiple studies have been conducted to explore farmers' behaviour, seed procurement practices, and constraints in paddy cultivation. Maheriya et al. (2014) [9] identified knowledge gaps, high input costs, and labour shortages as primary barriers to the adoption of recommended paddy technologies. Similarly, Salunkhe et al. (2014) [10] and Singh et al. (2022) [11] emphasised the role of demographic and socio-economic factors such as age, education, landholding, and income in shaping adoption behaviour. In the context of hybrid paddy, Hadimartono et al. (2017) [12] and Pandey et al. (2020) [13] underscored the influence of input quality, expected yield, availability, and credit facilities on seed purchasing decisions. Studies by Tengil and Sharma (2017) [14] and Salunkhe et al. (2019) [15] highlighted systemic constraints like poor input supply, market volatility, and lack of timely extension services. Nagesia and Thakkar (2024) [16] advocated addressing the constraints related to market access and infrastructure to enhance the adoption levels of farmers for hybrid tomato seeds. By implementing targeted marketing campaigns, conducting field demonstrations, forming collaborations, emphasizing high yield and quality, and providing robust customer support and loyalty programs, seed companies can significantly improve their market presence and farmer satisfaction. While various methodologies, including Garrett ranking and factor analysis, have been employed, most research remains regionally dispersed and lacks a consolidated approach integrating socio-economic profiling, buying behaviour, and adoption constraints specific to hybrid paddy seeds in tribal regions like Vyara taluka.

Materials and Methods

Study Region

The study was confined to the tribal belt of Vyara taluka in Tapi district in the state of Gujarat. The region was purposively selected due to the presence of favourable abiotic factors such as land, climate, and geographical conditions, along with an ever-standing and extensive history of paddy cultivation. These factors collectively served as the primary rationale for the selection of the study area.

Research Design

A descriptive cross-sectional research design was deemed appropriate for the present study. This design was adopted as the researcher exercised no control over the variables under investigation. Emphasis was placed on the exploration of facts and ground realities that had already occurred. The investigation of constraints was considered central to descriptive research, as the difficulties encountered by farmers had already been experienced prior to the study. A cross-sectional approach was employed to capture data at a specific point in time, distinguishing it from longitudinal designs that examine respondents across multiple time frames to establish long-term causal relationships. The present study aimed to explain the constraints perceived by farmers between June and July 2024. Accordingly, the research was accurately characterised as a descriptive crosssectional study.

Data Collection

Both primary and secondary data were utilised to conduct the study scientifically and systematically. Primary data were collected employing a structured interview schedule. The instrument for primary data collection was developed based on a long-listed review of literature, with a specific focus on studies related to similar agro-climatic regions and the paddy crop. Personal interviews were conducted by directly approaching and building friendly rapport with each respondent to ensure clarity and obtain responses that accurately reflected ground realities and personal experiences. Such time-consuming, pocket-unfriendly efforts were essential for establishing reliable research benchmarks. Secondary data had been sourced from both written and oral references, such as peer-reviewed research publications, including research and review articles, unpublished master-level theses, and critical insights shared by field-level experts of the farming fraternity. This blended approach supported the derivation of insights that were both grounded in evidence and hand-crafted to the specific conditions of the study area.

Sampling Design

Multistage sampling technique was employed to construct a sample size of 100 hybrid paddy farmers. In the first stage, the Vyara taluka was purposively selected from among the seven talukas of the Tapi district, owing to its prominence in paddy cultivation. In the second stage, ten villages were selected through a simple random sampling method. The sampling frame was prepared using data retrieved from the district administration website, and the lottery method was utilised to ensure randomisation. During the final stage, ten hybrid paddy farmers were randomly selected from each village to achieve the targeted sample size. The sampling frame for each village was obtained from the respective village panchayat offices. The selection of respondents was carried out entirely through the lottery method, thereby minimising potential researcher bias and enhancing the objectivity of the sampling process. A detailed sampling plan is provided in Table 1.

Data Analysis

The Garrett ranking method was employed to analyse the responses collected during the data collection phase. This method, developed by Henry Garrett, has been widely applied for the analysis of constraints in agricultural and social research. It was utilised in the present study to examine the pre-identified constraints prevailing in the study region and to ascertain their current relevance. Based on credible and robust secondary data, eight major constraints were identified for inclusion in the study, namely: high price, poor crop performance, timely availability, lack of technical knowledge, market fluctuations, non-availability of credit in time, poor seed quality, and lack of awareness.

During the data collection process, respondents were asked to rank these eight constraints from one to eight, without any repetition -rank one indicating the most severe constraint and rank eight the least. For each rank assigned by the respondents, a percent position value was computed using the following formula:

Where, R ij = Rank, i th item, j th individual; N j = number of items ranked by the j th individual Based on the percent position values, Garrett's scores corresponding to each rank position were determined. Subsequently, a frequency-rank matrix was constructed with the identified constraints as column entries and the assigned ranks as row entries. The total Garrett value for each constraint was calculated by summing the scores obtained across all respondents. The mean for each constraint was then computed by dividing the total Garrett value by the number of respondents. On the basis of these means, final ranks were assigned to each constraint in descending order of severity or importance, thereby identifying the most critical constraint faced by the respondents.

Results and Discussion

The data collected was analysed with the Garrett ranking method. For each rank (I to VIII), percent position value was calculated, and the corresponding Garrett score was determined (Table 2). Table 2 displays the Garrett scores associated with different ranks' percent position values. Rank I, denoting the most significant constraint as seen by respondents, had a percentage value of 6.25 and was associated with the highest Garrett score of 80. As the rank progressed from I to VIII, signifying a reduction in perceived severity, the percentage position value rose progressively by 12.5 units every rank, culminating at 93.75 at Rank VIII. This scoring approach was essential in quantifying qualitative rankings and facilitating the ultimate prioritisation of constraints based on their means due to their inverse relationship between the percent position value and the Garrett score. Table 3 indicates that "high price" was perceived as the most critical constraint, receiving the highest frequency of 78 respondents at the first rank, with a Garrett score of 6240. It was also ranked second by 17 respondents, producing a Garrett score of 1139, while no respondents placed it in ranks fourth to eighth, highlighting its strong severity. In contrast, constraints such as "timely availability," "market fluctuations," "non-availability of credit in time," and "lack of technical knowledge" were more evenly spread across the middle ranks. "timely availability" received its peak at the second rank with 51 respondents, yielding a Garrett score of 3417, followed by 21 respondents at the third rank, giving a Garrett score of 1260. "Market fluctuations" had 40 respondents at the fourth rank, resulting in a Garrett score of 2120, and "nonavailability of credit in time" had 36 respondents at the third rank, resulting in a Garrett score of 2160. "Lack of technical knowledge" was most frequently ranked sixth by 26 respondents, with a Garrett score of 1040. At the lower end, "poor seed quality" and "lack of awareness" were primarily ranked in the bottom positions. "poor seed quality" was ranked fifth by 29 respondents, resulting in a Garrett score of 1363, while "lack of awareness" had 39 respondents at the eighth rank, giving the lowest Garrett score of 780, indicating that these constraints were perceived as relatively less severe by the majority of respondents. www.extensionjournal.com

Conclusion

The investigation conducted in the region elucidates the constraints as perceived by the hybrid paddy farmers. Eight pre-identified constraints were tested, among which high price was perceived as the most critical constraint. This displays a strong sense of economic consciousness among the respondents. Another such critical constraint was the timely availability, i.e., seeds were not timely available when required. In a strong connection, the non-availability of credit at the time of purchase, associated with seed price market fluctuations, tends to put farmers into a whirlpool of disturbances. However, seed producers and marketers, government institutions, and other stakeholders should focus on eliminating such constraints to uplift the farming community. This will significantly channelize efforts to promote the adoption and acceptance of hybrid seeds in the Indian agricultural ecosystem, showcasing a small but crucial step towards prosperous farmers, a prosperous India, particularly in rural India.

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