Factors Influencing Farmers’ Buying Patterns of Hybrid Maize Seeds: The Case of Shan State, Myanmar

Today, maize is the largest global cereal crop in terms of production. Maize is also one of the most versatile food crops, produced for human consumption, animal feed, and industrial use such as the production of biofuel. This versatility and large production scale makes maize one of the world’s most important crops. Agriculture accounts for 20.3% of Myanmar’s gross domestic product, and is the main occupation of its rural population of 37 million people. Maize is the fifth largest crop in Myanmar, with 560,151 hectares planted and production of 2.1 million metric tons as of 2022. However, maize is low productivity, with yields of 3,577.2 kilograms/hectare making it the 12th most productive crop. Given that demand for Myanmar maize is growing in China, its main destination, this offers an opportunity for improvement of the agricultural sector. This study mainly focuses on Shan State, bordered internationally by China (north and east) and Thailand and Laos (south), is the largest of Myanmar’s 14 administrative divisions, covering an area of 155,458 square kilometres (about a quarter of Myanmar’s total area) and a population of about six million people (about 11% of Myanmar’s total population). Shan State produces more than half of Myanmar’s maize crop, but productivity is lower than other states. Thus, this research has provided valuable findings by investigating the choice of hybrid maize seeds by the farmers, which are varieties produced through crossbreeding to suit specific environmental conditions, increase yield, or provide the customer benefits. This research investigates the factors that influence the purchase decision for hybrid maize seeds among the farmers of Shan State, Myanmar between 2020-2023. The researcher was motivated by professional interest due to her role as a distributor of maize seeds within Shan State, as well as a practical motivation to identify how Shan State farmers make their buying decisions for hybrid maize seed aligned with critical realism research philosophy. The conceptual framework of this study is to investigate marketing mix, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, perceived subsidies, and buying intentions for hybrid maize seed; Planned behavioural theory is employed as background theory. The empirical research study was conducted by using a survey research strategy, convenience sampling method is employed to collect data from the sample size of 209 farmers who grew maize during the past growing season. Method of data collection using an in-person structured questionnaire; the data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Model (SEM). The findings contribute that the marketing mix influences on consumer attitudes and buying intention toward hybrid maize seed, although this effect was weaker than the effects on consumer attitudes. Moreover, the findings indicated that the role of attitudes in buying intention, which have the significant relationship in the model. Attitudes mediated the influence of the marketing mix on buying intention. Perceived subsidies have a significant and negative effect on buying intention. The research also found a relationship between perceived subsidies and attitudes, which have not been identify in the prior literature, it provides more insight into how Shan State farmers form attitudes about hybrid maize seeds. There were several contributions of the findings to academic research. The study expands on prior studies that have investigated the choice of hybrid maize seeds among farmers, highlighting the importance of ‘place’ elements of marketing in the purchase decision compared to the minimal and indirect role of subsidies. It strengthens prior evidence on the limited role of marketing in the purchase decision, as well as highlighting the importance of product knowledge. The research also supports the potential development of new theories of marketing related to consumer marketing perception.