Farmers' Preferences for Different Brands and the Challenges they have in Finding High-quality Tomato Seeds: A Review

Abstract

Factors such as farmers' brand preferences for different tomato seeds, their purchasing habits, the shifting practices of name farmers, and the difficulties they face in growing and marketing hybrid tomatoes in the Coimbatore district are all important to understand given the dominance of tomato farming. The primary data required for the study were obtained through in-person interviews using a pre-tested interview method. Secondary data on agriculture and other information related to the research topic were provided by the Tamil Nadu government. After gathering and processing the primary and secondary data, statistical analysis was carried out. The multi-dimensional scaling method was used to gauge the farmers' level of preference. The top four attributes selected by farmers were yield, stress tolerance, ease of availability, and brands from American seed firms such as Syngenta, Rasi, Mahyco, Namdhari, and Indo. The stress endurance of Indo American and Namdhari makes them appealing. In addition to the weak performance of farmers' desired attributes, the irregular execution of promotional campaigns is the cause of the significant fluctuations in the purchase of farmers' unstable brands. Every brand also has a particular USP for things like yield and cob filling (Syngenta), stress resistance (Rasi), quicker germination and early emergence (Mahyco), etc., and how dealers respond to various marketing campaigns seed companies run. Furthermore, there aren't many productivity differences in hybrid seeds, so farmers can choose to utilize several brands.