Preferences for Technological Attributes of Pigeonpea Farmers in Saurashtra Region (Gujarat): A Conjoint Analysis

Agricultural sector has been actively responding to consumer demand in terms of taste, colour, size, shape, content, nutrition value and overall food quality and safety. The present study was conducted to examine farmers ’preferences associated with the technological attributes of pigeonpea in Rajkot and Junagadh districts of Saurashtra region (Gujarat). The primary data were collected using snow-ball sampling technique and conjoint analysis was conducted to assess the stakeholders ’preferences. The findings revealed that the farmers preferred crop duration as the most important attribute followed by plant height, viral disease and wilt resistance, output price, yield for cultivation of pigeonpea. The study suggests that production related information should be packaged to include consumer preferred varieties and made available to progressive farmers and seed companies who may have a greater outreach to farmer.