Farmers’ Perception of the Factors Affecting Paddy Price Stability in the Coochbehar District of West Bengal

India is an agrarian state where a large number of people depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The majority of Indian farmers cultivate paddy and suffer from a significant amount of loss every year due to the volatility in the prices of paddy. This study has attempted to analyse the perception of the farmers regarding the factors affecting the stability of paddy prices in West Bengal. For this analysis, primary data were collected from 827 farmers of Coochbehar district using a simple random sampling method. Furthermore, secondary data were gathered from relevant government reports and research papers. Collected data were analysed using various statistical tools such as the Cuddy–Della Valle Index and structural equation model. The findings indicate that production practices and costs have a positive impact on stabilising the paddy price. However, marketing channels and government policies have a negative effect on the same. Based on the findings, this study recommends crop diversification, technology adoption and enhancement of government procurement, which can play a major role in the stabilisation of paddy price.