Document Type

Article

Publication Version

Version of Record

Publication Date

2006

Keywords

bivariate probit model, Bt eggplant, eggplant shoot and fruit borer, GM crops, India, technology adoption.

Abstract

The public-private partnership involved in the development of Bt eggplant in India is unique in the context of developing countries, where poor farmers’ access to technology is limited. The key questions arising in this context are: Who adopts what kind of technology? What are the factors influencing their decisions? We answer these questions using data from a farm-level survey conducted in Maharashtra, India. Our results indicate that factors influencing hybrid adoption exert similar effects on the expected adoption of Bt hybrid eggplant and opposite effects on the decision to adopt Bt open-pollinated varieties (OPV). Even though some farmers who decided to grow Bt hybrid eggplant might switch to Bt OPVs when available, most of the early adopters of Bt hybrid would continue to grow Bt hybrid eggplant. Thus, our study gives initial empirical evidence on the economic feasibility of the public-private partnership in the research and development of Bt eggplant in India.

Publication Title

AgBioForum

Volume

9

Issue

2

First Page

94

Last Page

103

Pages

10

Type

text

Format

application/PDF

Language

en

Rights

©2006 AgBioForum

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