Do nutri-cereal growers in Uttarakhand fit the same adopter profile - A cluster analysis of smallholder farmers

The diffusion of agricultural innovations often falters when dissemination strategies fail to account for the heterogeneity in adopter characteristics. A prevalent, yet flawed, assumption of farmer homogeneity frequently leads to the misattribution of adoption failures to the technology recipients rather than to the design of the diffusion process itself. This study challenges this assumption by segmenting smallholder nutri-cereal growers in Uttarakhand, India, into distinct adopter categories to inform more effective, targeted policy and extension strategies. Utilising the Hurt Innovativeness Scale, data from 247 farmers were subjected to latent class cluster analysis. The analysis delineated five distinct adopter categories: Innovators (7 %), Early Adopters (13.5 %), Early Majority (30.7 %), Late Majority (30.7 %) and Laggards (18 %). A notable finding is that the proportion of Innovators (7 %) substantially exceeds the 2.5 % benchmark established in Rogers' classical diffusion theory. This deviation suggests a nascent but significant shift towards a more innovation-receptive agricultural landscape in the region, likely propelled by the ongoing commercialisation of nutri-cereals. The study concludes that recognising and leveraging this heterogeneity is crucial for accelerating the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. The identified clusters provide a robust framework for tailoring communication and intervention strategies, thereby enhancing the efficacy of innovation diffusion within smallholder farming communities.