In the light of ongoing debates about the suitability of hybrid seeds for smallholder farmers, this paper analyzes the adoption and impact of hybrid wheat in India. Based on survey data we show that farmers can benefit significantly from the proprietary technology. Neither farm size nor the...

Increase in agricultural productivity is induced by public investment in research. Several studies have analyzed the impact of research investment at the national level but such analyses at the state or regional level are a few. The present study is an attempt to analyze the pattern and quantify...

The study examines the least-cost option of conserving landraces in-situ by the development of market friction instruments. The empirical examination is comprised of two closely-related studies on eggplant production and consumption sectors of India. An examination of the cost and return...

Transgenic pest-resistant varieties are hypothesized to reduce farmers’ demand for on-farm diversity through an act of substitution, as both serve as production risk reducing instruments. This adverse agro-biodiversity impact of technology adoption might be partially counteracted by an...

In the hard rock areas of India, overdraft of groundwater has led to negative externalities, increases costs of groundwater irrigation and causes welfare losses. Groundwater markets are slowly emerging as niche markets to improve water distribution and to mitigate water scarcity by stimulating...

In many countries growing water scarcity puts pressure on the irrigation sector, as main consumptive user, to improve performance. In this context, the need for research on institutional policy options for improved water allocation and governance is more and more recognized. Exante evaluation of...

Public agricultural extension systems often fail due to inadequate consultation of farmers about their information needs and poor understanding of their information search strategies. In discussing and implementing extension programs and advisory services, the following questions need to be...

The impact of multinational firms on the domestic agricultural sector in developing countries is controversial, in particular in India. Relying on a unique set of household-level data from the state of Punjab, we study the biggest dairy company in the world (Nestlé) in India and compare its...

Relying on data from a unique survey, we study the wholesale market activities of agricultural brokers in India. Three main findings emerge. First, most transactions on these wholesale markets are small cash-and-carry transactions with physical handling, quality and quantity assessment, and...