Vol. 13, Issue 1 (2024)

This research is an attempt to uncover the behavioural aspects of the business intermediaries in Khordha district of Odisha. This research may be highly beneficial to all the stakeholders involved in the supply-chain. Snowball sampling method was followed during the research. The primary data were collected from the 27 sample intermediaries including wholesalers-cum-dealers and retailers with the help of structured schedules consisting open-ended as well as close-ended questions and were presented in tabular and graphical form to facilitate easy compilations. 56 percent of the respondents was found to be doing wholesaling business followed by retailing business. Majority of the respondents involved in pesticide business, i.e., 41 percent were in the age group of ‘36–49’ years. About 74.07 percent of the respondents belonged to general caste. Most of the business intermediaries (63 percent) were found to be graduates. Majority of the business intermediaries (about 44 percent) had annual turnover of less than INR 25 lakhs. While considering the motivational initiatives for business, 59 percent of the respondents had preference for national level tours and only 7 percent of the respondents showed their interest for international tours. While looking into preferences for business with national and multinational companies, 52 percent of the respondents preferred to do business with local level companies followed by 26 per with all types of companies, 18 percent with national level and only 4 percent with multinational companies. For the smooth running of business, 63 percent of sample dealers and retailers preferred company representatives with business-oriented attributes, followed by helpfulness with 19 percent and friendliness with 18 percent. Cash transaction was preferred by 56 percent of the sample dealers and retailers prefer to do pesticide business in cash and 22% each for credit and both credit as well as cash transaction. Taking business expansion, 81 percent of sample had business enhancement plan and rest had no plan. The major promotional tool preferred by the dealers and retailers were ‘outside posters/ banners (96.30 percent)’, ‘followed by farmers meeting (92.59 percent)’, ‘field visits (88.89 percent)’, ‘point of purchase materials (85.19 percent)’, ‘promotional schemes or packages (77.78 percent)’, ‘jeep campaigning (66.67 percent)’, ‘personal accessories for dealers (59.26 percent)’, ‘channel partners meeting (55.56)’, ‘mega farmers meetings (48.15 percent)’, ‘crop seminars (37.04 percent)’, ‘need company staff at store (29.63 percent)’.