Assessing farmers’ preferences for e-NWR benefits in Andhra Pradesh: A conjoint analysis approach

Abstract

This study employed conjoint analysis to evaluate farmers' preferences for e-NWR services in Andhra Pradesh, focusing on Guntur and Krishna districts. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 80 farmers who obtained bank loans using e-NWRs as collateral. Data for the agricultural year 2022-23 was gathered through structured surveys and institutional reports and conjoint analysis used to assess farmer preferences. The conjoint analysis revealed that the positive price movements (>20%) were the most influential factor (49.03%) in decision-making, followed by access to credit (>70% value of produce, 18.86%), the ability to issue >30 e-NWRs per farmer (16.42%), low storage costs (<?50 per bag, 9.32%), and direct sales (6.37%). The findings emphasized that e-NWRs' has impact on financial access, improved market opportunities there by increased farm income.