A Strategy to Address Adoption and Buying Behaviour of Farmers

Agri-retail has been one of the booming areas which has witnessed popularity in the recent past on an account of the technology infiltering every sector. Market competitiveness has not left agriculture especially with the advent of market penetration of various brands and a new variety of seeds and materials which has increased the produce many folds.

The engagement was based on the need to identify the challenges across the entire cultivation cycle; adoption and buying behaviour for a client based on the inputs of farmers and agri-retailers. We also tried to understand the broad issues and challenges across the entire cultivation cycle and assessed the adoption and buying behaviour for farmers around Speciality CPP and Hybrid seeds. The value proposition of the client was identified and compared with competitors.

During the study, we collated inputs from farmers and agri-retailers on CPP and Hybrid business. We conducted 100+ in-depth interviews across India based on key state-crop combinations. And collected qualitative data based on 20 focus group discussions (FGDs) with farmers using CPP and Hybrid Seeds. Deep care was taken while conducting the interviews in terms of the authenticity of the information collected. There was also categorisation done for the brand loyalty of different brands which was based on detaining parameters like quality, credit, price availability, convenience etc, and how farmers perceive different brands was figured out.

A comparative analysis of the client with the competition helped us bring out the market presence of the client which was helpful in strategy building and creating a better network of retailers. Also, the purpose of the study was to create an awareness among the farmers to use better quality seeds and promote the use of hybrid seeds which increase the production.

Along with meeting the commercial need of the client, an attempt was made to bring out in public scenarios some facts and figures related to cultivation and the challenges faced by the farmers in the day to day life. The government authorities need to make some initiatives along with policy creation so that the actual use of the policy can be harnessed by the farmers. The agri-retail chain will help the farmers in the better procurement of farm materials and equipment of daily need. This will not only eliminate the cumbersome practices adopted by the farmers earlier to gather material but also encourage them to bring their produce to the market and get a better price for their produce which earlier was taken by the middlemen and intermediaries and the profit received by the farmers was one-third of what farmers receive globally.

The insights and recommendations from focus group discussions and quantitative insights from surveys helped the client understand the challenges faced by the farmers. And, get a better idea regarding the preferences towards the brand and their loyalty, which could be an important differentiator among the competitors. The client was thus able to prepare a strategy to engage the farmers in a better way based on these results.

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