Coulibaly, A B and Badolo, F and Yila, J O and Koné, B and Jumbo, M B and Ogunbayo, A and Savadogo, K (2026) A quantitative modelling of farm households’ choices for improved sorghum variety profiles in sustainability and economic affordability-based attributes in Mali. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 26. pp. 1-11. ISSN 2666-1543
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Abstract
The adoption rate of improved sorghum varieties remains low in sub-Saharan Africa, including Mali. This raises concerns about whether these varieties adequately address farmers' needs. To better understand farmer preferences and align breeding programmes with participatory breeding objectives, this study employed a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) to investigate farmer preferences for improved sorghum varietal attributes in Mali. The study objectives were to identify preferred attributes and estimate farmers’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) for these attributes. The analysis was based on a final sample of 5,616 observations. A Dz-efficient experimental design was used, and choice data were analysed using two models: the Conditional Logit (CL) and the Random Parameter Logit (RPL). Key findings indicated that sorghum farmers preferred varieties offering a grain yield of 3,500 kg/ha, drought tolerance extending 20 days into the maturity stage, grain storage capacity of 10 months, and benefits linked to membership in Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs). Conversely, farmers showed a negative preference for higher seed cost of 750 FCFA/kg (1.18 USD/kg). Farmers also revealed a higher WTP for higher yield, extended drought tolerance, longer storage capacity, and FBOs membership. The study recommends that sorghum breeding programmes in Mali should exercise caution in seed pricing, as farmers are sensitive to higher costs. To promote sustainable adoption and intensification, future varietal development should prioritize higher grain yield, improved drought tolerance, longer grain storage capacity, and social networking benefits. The integration of these attributes would be essential for scaling improved and climate-resilient sorghum varieties in Mali.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Research Program : West & Central Africa |
| CRP: | UNSPECIFIED |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Discrete choice experiment, Conditional logit, Random parameter logit, Improved and climate-resilient sorghums, Mali |
| Subjects: | Others > Climate Resilient Technologies Mandate crops > Sorghum Others > Mali |
| Depositing User: | Mr Nagaraju T |
| Date Deposited: | 07 May 2026 05:07 |
| Last Modified: | 07 May 2026 06:06 |
| URI: | http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/13619 |
| Official URL: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/... |
| Projects: | Enhancing Crops Productivity and Climate Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security in Mali (“UE-APSAN Mali”). |
| Funders: | European Union (EU) under the Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) programme |
| Acknowledgement: | The authors are grateful to all participating farmers and farmer leaders for their valuable contributions during the field survey and data collection. We extend our sincere thanks to Daniel Pérez Troncoso of the University of Granada, Spain, for his assistance in implementing the “DCEtool” for the choice experiment data collection. We also thank the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their insightful comments, which have greatly enhanced the quality of this paper. |
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