A study by an IMMANA fellow on wheat seed delivery in eastern India reveals why farmers prefer older wheat varieties despite the availability of improved ones. The study titled "Wheat seed delivery pathways and varietal turnover in eastern India" by Vijayalaxmi D. Khed, Moti Jaleta, and Vijesh V. Krishna explored why many new wheat varieties fail to gain popularity among farmers, despite their proven benefits in trials and demonstrations. The study focuses on the relationship between wheat seed delivery networks and varietal turnover in eastern India, based on data from +7,000 wheat farmers across 31 districts of Bihar and 9 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
One key finding challenges the assumption that seed source drives varietal choice. Instead, many farmers choose the variety first, then the seed source. Using an instrumental variable regression framework, the study reveals that while new wheat varieties are available, most farmers continue to rely on older ones. This suggests a bidirectional relationship between varietal selection and seed source preference, offering new insights for improving seed delivery systems.
