Ex-ante attribute based technology development in agriculture: A case of finger millet in India

Knowing farmers preference is critical in developing a technology by researchers, which will increase the acceptance and adoption among farmers. With this backdrop, the article aims at identifying the attributes/traits preferred by farmers in finger millet crop, using conjoint analysis and Garrett ranking techniques. The results of conjoint analysis indicated that in rainfed situation, farmers prefer drought tolerant followed by tall plant height, long crop duration, high fodder yield, average grain yield and red colour grain. Similarly, in irrigated situation, farmers preferred average grain and fodder yield and tall plant height. Conjoint results indicated that farmers preferred average grain yield in both rainfed and irrigated situations. Further it was hypothesized that any rational farmer prefer high grain yield. This was empirically tested using Garrett ranking technique. In Garrett ranking technique, the ex-ante farmer preference showed that, majority of farmers prefer high grain and fodder yield followed by red colour grain in both rainfed and irrigated situation. However, the difference in the identification of attributes between two approaches is narrow. Hence, it is vital that scientists will have to work on these attributes, while developing improved finger millet varieties, to make the technology viable and sustainable in the long run. Acknowledgement : The Authors wish to thank, farmers for sparing their valuable time in providing precious information and Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India (Grant No. BT/IC-2/ISCB/Phase-IV/03/RAGI/2014 dated: 23-01-2015) for the financial support for the duration of three years (2015-16 to 2017-18) under Indo-Swiss collaboration in Biotechnology.