Herbicide Sales in Groundnut Farming: an Analysis of Farmer and Dealer Buying Behavior in Rajkot District, India

The world population is increasing and to meet the demands of population, a major increase in food production, trade, and agricultural activities will be required. Weeds cause more crop losses than pests and diseases together. It is responsible for more than 45% of all agricultural output losses. To tackle this problem herbicides are substances used to eradicate undesirable plants that could hinder crop growth and productivity. Weed competition reduced groundnut pod yield. So, for this reason, it is required to study buying pattern of farmers for herbicides used, factors affecting farmers during purchase of herbicides and factors affecting dealers with respect to herbicides.

The research design was a descriptive type. Non-probability sampling method and purposive sampling technique were used. To accomplish the objectives of the study primary data were collected from 120 farmers and 80 dealers from Rajkot, Gondal, Jetpur and Jasdan talukas of the Rajkot district. Study reveal that the majority of farmers belong to the thirty-five to fifty years age group, having below SSC level education and one to five lakh annual income. Most of the farmers live in a joint family having three to five members in their family. The majority of farmers belong to the semi-medium size of land holding and four to eight acres of land under groundnut cultivation with more than fifteen years of farming experience used herbicides ten to twenty years and used only post-emergence herbicides. Most farmers used Targa super, Shaked and Patela herbicides. Based on dealer recommendations majorly farmers purchase herbicides and applied two sprays with less than ₹1000 cost per acre. Major factors affecting to the farmers during the purchase of herbicides were a performance of product, brand name and dealer suggestions while major factors affecting to the dealers with respect to herbicides are past experience, brand image and margin.