Farm Operator Satisfaction with Retail Pesticide Suppliers in the Arkansas Delta

Two hundred ninety farm operators in the three easternmost crop reporting districts in Arkansas responded to a mail survey in November 1996 about their preferences and satisfaction with retail pesticide suppliers.Results show most farmers are quite satisfied with their main retail pesticide supplier, although 55.5% of the farm operators used more than one retail pesticide supplier in 1996. Users of multiple suppliers were less satisfied with their suppliers than those using only one supplier. Availability of certain pesticides was the most frequently mentioned reason for using multiple suppliers. Several attributes were important in selecting the main supplier with reputation being the most important, followed by delivery services, long-term relationship with salesperson, and price. Although not rated highly by the farm operators, location was also an important consideration in choosing a main supplier.