Role of instore promotions in stimulating demand for newer maize varieties

Farmers were invited to participate in the study as they came to purchase seeds during the March 2023 season. A short survey was then administered to each consenting farmer. Each farmer was then asked to pick a raffle that placed them in a certain treatment. Each farmer had an equal chance (1/4) of being in any of the four main groups: control, information only, info plus 10% discount group, and info plus 25% discount group. To accommodate the two sub-groups in the 10 and 25% groups, the probability for these groups was set at 1/8 for each sub-group. Therefore, the probability of a farmer falling in each group was: ¼ for the control and information groups and 1/8 for all the four discount sub-groups. To implement this, each raffle basket had 32 pieces of paper: 8 for the control, 8 for the information treatment, 4 for the information plus 10% discount on new varieties treatment, 4 for the information plus 10% discount on bundles treatment, 4 for the information plus 25% discount on new varieties treatment, 4 for the information plus 25% discount on bundles treatment. There was only one raffle box at each agro-dealer shop. Picked raffles were immediately returned to the box (after noting the treatment) so as to retain the 32 raffle pieces all the time and give each farmer an equal chance of belonging to the different treatments. A farmer was then shown a video corresponding to the treatment they had picked and then given a voucher which she went with to the shop. After the intervention, the farmer proceeded to the shop to purchase seeds. A field assistant present in the shops guided the agro-dealer on the price to charge the farmer.

2023-03-15

2023-04-30

Farmer planted a variety under promotion
Amount of seed of the promoted variety planted
X

Proportion of the promoted varieties out of the total amount planted
Self-reported behavior at the shop during the farmer intercept survey: a dummy=1 if a farmer reported that they asked questions related to maize seed and the type of questions asked
Total number of varieties purchased/planted
Learning indicators during the 2024 follow-up season: Awareness, perceptions, and knowledge of the new varieties.
Indicators for information searching efforts by farmers during the 2024 season follow-up: did they discuss with neighbors, did they attend a demonstration, did they ask experts (agrodealers, extension, seed company representatives).
Use of other inputs: does the adoption of newer varieties crowd in other inputs? Fertilizer and manure, labor, storage technologies
Maize yields and profits in the subsequent seasons.

Farmers were intercepted as they purchased maize seeds during the March 2023 season. Each farmer was randomly assigned to one of the following experimental groups:
i) Control group: farmers assigned to this group did not receive any treatment related to maize varieties. However, they were shown a placebo video with fun facts about agriculture without mentioning maize seeds.
ii) Information-only group: farmers assigned to this group were shown a short video highlighting why there is a continuous effort to breed newer varieties (newer challenges resulting from climate change such as increased incidences of draught and biotic & abiotic stress, depleted soils, etc.). Farmers were also briefed on the process of releasing a new variety, starting from the breeder’s efforts, performance trials, and the regulatory hurdles that a new variety must meet before it is approved to be sold. Farmers were then encouraged to try newer varieties for these reasons. The names of four relatively new varieties that seemed promising in their area were mentioned, and their packaging was demonstrated in the video.
iii) Information plus approximately 10% discount: farmers assigned to this group received the information treatment identical to the one given to the information-only farmers. Additionally, they were offered a discount valued at 10% of the average retail price of the four varieties under promotion. To test the role of framing of the discount, farmers were further randomly assigned to two sub-groups: a) discount offer for new varieties only: farmers were offered a discount for every packet of seed of any of the new varieties purchased; b) discount offer for a new variety bundled with a variety of choice: farmers in this subgroup were offered the discount as long as they purchased at least a promoted variety for every 2 packets of seed they purchased. Therefore, the discounts applied only if they bought more than one packet of seed and if at least one in every two packets was of the promoted variety.
iv) Information plus approximately 25% discount: farmers assigned to this group received the information treatment identical to the one given to the information only farmers. Additionally, they were offered a discount valued at approximately 25% of the average retail price of the four varieties under promotion. To test the role of framing, farmers were further randomly assigned to two sub-groups: a) discount offer for new varieties only: farmers were offered a discount for every packet of the seed of any of the new varieties purchased; b) discount offer for a new variety bundled with a variety of choice: farmers in this subgroup were offered the discount as long as they purchased at least a promoted variety for every 2 packets of seed they purchased. Therefore, the discounts applied only if they bought more than one packet of seed and if at least one in every two packets was of the promoted variety.

Not available

Lottery in the field

farmer/individual

No

0

1800

450

Pre-Analysis plan_instore promotions.docx