Gender, rainfall endowment, and farmers’ heterogeneity in trait preferences: Insights from wheat-based cropping systems in Ethiopia

Wheat is an important cereal crop for smallholders in Ethiopia. Although research on wheat varietal development is taking place for more than half a century, there is limited evidence in the literature on the extent that the wheat varieties developed consider gendered trait preferences. Taking data from a sex-disaggregated survey and historic rainfall trend from major wheat-growing regions in Ethiopia, the study assesses farmers’ traits preferences for wheat, using a multivariate probit model (MVP). The results revealed that trait preferences are heterogeneous by gender and rainfall endowment. Wheat traits such as high straw yield and disease resistance are preferred more by male than by female respondents. Contrarily, good taste and cooking quality are appreciated more by females than by their male counterparts. Likewise, farmers in high rainfall areas look for traits like high straw yield and disease resistance more than farmers in rainfall-shortage areas. Most of the correlation coefficients of the preferences among the traits turned out to be positive, suggesting that farmers are looking for seed with traits serving multiple purposes. Our findings have important implications for research-and-development (R&D) programs in wheat trait research seen through the perspectives of gender and rainfall endowment.