Covid-19 ensued lockdowns, unseasonal rains, and rising cultivation costs have crippled Maharashtra farmers hope for a good kharif season. Paddy farmers are banking on Bahubali, Kattapa and Shivgami for a bumper crop, while onion growers hope that Bhima and Durga will save them from losses and bring prosperity. Seed companies branding their products with names of deities and popular film characters play a role in decision making by farmers, especially in the time of crisis, says S B Wankhede, Executive Director of Seed Industries Association of Maharashtra. As kharif sowing gains momentum in the State, seed brands in mythological and fictional film characters have flooded the market.
“Seed companies bring their product in the market only after trials and required permissions. The brand name of filmy character, deities and fictional characters attract the attention of farmers. Names play a vital role in decision making,” said Wankhede. Industry players say that popular names needless publicity as already the perception about these names is built into the psyche of the masses.
Not surprisingly, paddy seed brands like Bahubali, Kattappa, Shivgami, Arjun, Karan, Bhisham communicate the person’s character on screen or in epics, and farmers associate these names with the quality of seeds. There is also Sona and Nawab in paddy and Kohinoor in onion.
Though cotton has not brought magic in the lives of farmers, especially those in the Vidarbha and Marathwada region of the State, cotton seeds with names such as Magic, Money Maker, Force are competing in the market to attract farmers.
Names matter the most
Communication expert Professor R L Pandit says that names matter most in marketing, and the names of many seed brands are decided by keeping the target audience in mind. “People connect names with their experience, background and knowledge they have about that particular name. The names of popular characters ring the bells in the minds of the audience and make purchasing decision easy” he added.
Small farmers like Vidya More and Manisha Jadhav say that small and marginal farmers must go by the quality of seeds and not by the name. Last season, farmers faced early germination problem in soybean, and many complained of substandard onion and cotton seeds.
Meanwhile, State Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse has said that against the requirement of about 16 lakh quintal seeds for the kharif cultivation Maharashtra has 17 lakh quintal available.