Buying into new seed – A mock shop helps researchers understand how Kenyan farmers choose maize seed when their preferred varieties are out of stock (SeedQuest)

SeedQuest (US) published an article on an experiment performed by researchers with consumers. If the usual seed packet purchased by consumers isn’t available (the researchers did not put the preferred brand on display in a mock seed shop) The team’s goal was to observe what factors influence her seed purchase decision in the absence of the variety she was expecting to purchase. “Although I did not find the variety I was looking for, I picked an alternative as I have seen it perform well on a neighboring farm,” the smallholder farmer said. Another farmer chooses a product he has heard advertised on the radio. Senior research fellow and collaborator on this CIMMYT study, Vivian Hoffmann said price can be key for convincing consumers to try a new product. “Our previous research on maize flour choice found that a provisional 10 percent discount boosted sales tremendously,” Hoffmann says. “Of course, that only gets your foot in the door; after that, a new variety will need to win farmers over based on its merits.”