1. Investigating Farmers’ Choice of
Pearl Millet Varieties in India
Dorene Asare-Marfo, Ekin Birol and
Devesh Roy

2. STUDY AIM & DATA
To investigate:
1. Popular varieties of pearl millet currently cultivated,
2. Farmers’ demand for various production, consumption
and marketing traits,
3. Farmers’ sources of pearl millet seeds and
4. Farmers’ sources of information about new varieties.
… to inform the design of targeted interventions that ensure
maximum adoption of biofortified varieties.
 Detailed farm household level data collected from
− 2069 farm households in Maharashtra, Oct – Dec 2009
− 2144 farm households in Rajasthan, Dec 2009 – March 2010

3. PEARL MILLET CULTIVATION
 In Maharashtra
− 66% of households cultivated pearl millet in last Kharif
− 13% of households cultivated pearl millet in last Rabi
− 5% of Kharif producers saw multiple varieties
− Pearl millet producers have lower incomes than nonproducers
 In Rajasthan
− 68% of households cultivated pearl millet in last Kharif
− 1% of households cultivated pearl millet in last Rabi
− 5% of Kharif producers saw multiple varieties
− Pearl millet producers have lower incomes than nonproducers

4. POPULAR VARIETIES
Rank MAHARASHTRA RAJASTHAN
1 Mahyco 204 Desi (local)
2 Pioneer 86M32 Pioneer 86M32
3 Mahyco 2210 Pioneer 86M52
4 Nirmal 9 Bayer Proagro 9444
5 Mahalaxmi 308 Eknath 301
6 Mahyco 167 Nandi 32
7 Dhanya 7870 HHB 67 Improved
8 ICTP 8203 HHB 67
9 Ganga Kaveri 1044 Guha MH 169
10 Nirmal 40 Nandi 52
Total area 82% 82%
Total % of farmers 81% 72%

5. VARIETY MAPS– Maharashtra

6. VARIETY MAPS– Rajasthan

7. MAIN USES OF PEARL MILLET
 In Maharashtra a significantly larger proportion
of output is sold compared to Rajasthan
 In both states 20-30% of output is used for
household consumption and similar proportion
is used as feed
 In general greater proportions of desi (local)
and OPVs are consumed as food compared to
hybrids
 Detailed consumption data to be analysed soon

8. PREFERRED TRAITS
 In both states yield and fodder yield are the most important
production traits
 In Maharashtra other important production traits are
− Resistance to smut and rust
 In Rajasthan other important production traits are
− Earliness in maturity
 In both states the most important consumption traits are
roti colour and taste
 In both states the most important processing and
marketing trait is reliability of buyers and demand

9. SEED SOURCES
 In Maharashtra
− farmers’ sources of seed are agri-input supplier (60%) agri-
service centres (23%) and other farmers (11%)
− farmers have been growing their varieties for an average of 2
years
 In Rajasthan
− farmers’ sources of seed are agri-input supplier (46%), own
seed (35%), other farmers (18%) and agri-service center
(2%)
− farmers have been growing their varieties for an average of
17 years for desi and 5 years for hybrid varieties
 Agri-input shops and other sources of new varieties
penetrated the seed market in Maharashtra more
significantly

10. INFORMATION SOURCES
 In Maharashtra farmers’ main sources of information are
− Other farmers – 71%
− Public extension – 20%
− Private extension – 7%
 In Rajasthan farmers’ main sources of information are
− Other farmers – 97%
− Public extension – 2%
 Social networks are important in both states
 In Rajasthan very few farmers get information from outside
the farmer “circle” and hence variety turnover is much less
dynamic

11. CONCLUSIONS
 Agro-ecological conditions and production traits
− Landraces suited to marginal environmental conditions in
west Rajasthan
− OPV suited to scarcity zone in Maharashtra
 Consumption and marketing traits
− Roti colour is very important consumption trait- benefits for
invisible traits – future study
− Reliability of demand is very important – need to “market”
high iron varieties well to ensure market demand
 Detailed consumption data not yet analysed – future study
 Since small proportion of pearl millet produce is consumed
at home and we may need to provide other high iron
staples to combat iron deficiency

12. CONCLUSIONS
 Seed delivery
− In Maharashtra
• Seed markets are more developed than in Rajasthan
• Hybrid farmers are located closer to the markets
− In Rajasthan
• Majority of seeds obtained from farmers
• Landrace farmers are located further away from markets
 Information about seed:
• In Maharashtra a third of farmers get information from
public and private extension but in Rajasthan only 2% of
farmers get information about seed from non-farmers
 Overall, more intensive efforts required in Rajasthan than in
Maharashtra for adoption of biofortified varieties

13.  EXTRA SLIDES

14. DATA
 Detailed farm household level data collected from
− 2069 farm households in Maharashtra, Oct – Dec 2009
− 2144 farm households in Rajasthan, Dec 2009 – March 2010
 Sampling design
− Sampling frame – all blocks in the agro-ecological zones
conducive to pearl millet production
− Used the most recent block level data on area under pearl
millet production in the chosen zones
− Oversampled from blocks with higher total areas under pearl
millet production
− Stratification of villages (4 – 6 villages)Random selection of
households in each village (10 – 20 households)

15. MAHARASHTRA:
Blocks sampled for farm household survey
Share of agricultural land area
dedicated to pearl millet production
Sampled Blocks

16. RAJASTHAN:
Blocks sampled for farm household survey
Share of agricultural land area
dedicated to pearl millet production
Sampled Blocks