This study uses the theory of reasoned action framework to explore smallholder farmers’ decisions surrounding grain storage and marketing in seven states of India. The study was conducted during one cropping season. It involved two interactions with the selected farmers: one household visit after sowing the crop and a telephone interview was held after harvesting the crop. The study seeks to understand the influence of different psycho-social factors on the decision of smallholder farmers to adopt storage as a strategic tool to increase their agricultural income from the same yield by leveraging price rises in markets during nonharvest months. Data were collected from 448 smallholder farmers from seven states in India to measure the constructs of attitudes, subjective norms, intention and action in the context of grain storage. Additionally, data on farmers’ progressiveness and innovativeness were collected in the study. The decision-model was calibrated using the structural equation modelling procedure. The multi-group analysis was carried out to estimate the moderation effect of farmers’ progressiveness and innovativeness in explaining their decision. The study establishes that attitudes and social norms around the deferment of postharvest sales are significant determinants of farmers’ intention to engage in grain storage. The progressiveness of a smallholder farmer accentuates the relationship between attitude and intention. There is evidence that the plan to store and market the produce at a later stage does not always convert into actual action. Farmers perceive storage as a risky business due to unpredictability around future prices. It is evident from the study that among positively predisposed smallholder farmers, innovative farmers with high risk-taking proclivities adopt storage as a strategic tool to increase their incomes more than their less innovative peers. The article discusses the policy implications of this study and suggests interventions that could facilitate the farmers to adopt storage as a measure to increase their agricultural income by taking advantage of price rises in markets during nonharvest months.

中文翻译：

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农业生产后决策：了解小农的收获后储存和营销决策

本研究使用理性行动框架理论来探讨印度七个邦小农围绕粮食储存和营销的决策。该研究是在一个作物季节进行的。它涉及与选定农民的两次互动：一次是播种后的家访，一次是收获作物后的电话采访。该研究旨在了解不同的心理社会因素对小农决定采用储存作为战略工具的影响，通过利用非收获月份市场价格上涨，以相同产量增加农业收入。数据来自印度七个邦的 448 名小农，以衡量粮食储存背景下的态度、主观规范、意图和行动。此外，该研究收集了有关农民进步性和创新性的数据。使用结构方程建模程序校准决策模型。进行多组分析以估计农民的进步性和创新性在解释他们的决定时的调节作用。该研究表明，围绕推迟收获后销售的态度和社会规范是农民从事粮食储存意愿的重要决定因素。小农的进步强调了态度和意图之间的关系。有证据表明，后期储存和销售产品的计划并不总能转化为实际行动。由于未来价格的不可预测性，农民认为储存是一项有风险的业务。从研究中可以明显看出，在积极倾向的小农中，具有高风险倾向的创新农民采用储存作为战略工具，以增加收入，而不是创新程度较低的同龄人。本文讨论了这项研究的政策含义，并提出了一些干预措施，这些干预措施可以帮助农民利用非收获月份市场价格上涨的机会，将储存作为增加农业收入的措施。