Despite being a developing country inching towards modernisation with each passing day, India is an agriculture-based economy. The reason we say this is because even now farming is the main source of livelihood for more than 58% of the country’s population.
The number is high due to the fact that even today close to 65% of the total population lives in the rural areas. We are all aware of the state of farmers in the country and one of the main reasons apart from illiteracy is the presence of middle-men in the chain of production.
Even though India has the largest irrigated land in terms of arable land, the crop yield is just 20%-40% and this number is resultant due to the fact that our farmers are unware of the latest technologies and techniques which can be used to increase production such as HIY seeds. Marketing is no doubt another sector which needs to be looked at if we plan to improve the current state of agriculture and boost productivity.
The government has been taking steps to promote digital in the world of farming. Let us read on to find out what are the basic challenges for digital marketing in agriculture, its’ scope in the future, the advantages it can offer and why digitization is necessary for the betterment of agriculture.
Basic Challenges for Digital Marketing in Agriculture:
When it comes to the infrastructure for the agri business we can safely say that it is below par when compared to other economies. Connectivity is the biggest issue and one of the many hindrances which crop up when trying to establish digital modes in farming. Illiteracy and unwillingness of the farmers to opt for new methods is another challenge which needs to be
cleared. Nearly 72% of farmers do not have any source of information which can help them adopt the latest technology for better production. It is imperative that farmers cannot market themselves and hence have to reach out to agencies. However, more than 40% farmers are unable to access the credit, insurance and marketing services set up by government institutions.
Scope of Digital Marketing in the future:
The Digital India movement launched on the 1st of July, 2015 had its goals cleared of transforming rural India into a digitally empowered economy. Digital literacy and electronic delivery of services were some of the highlights of the program which has resulted in the following benefit-
The tele density of the rural areas increased to nearly 60% by 2017 and of the total households using the services of the internet and mobile phones, 65% of the data being generated was for e-commerce which tells us that people are learning to grow their business with the proper resources.
Digitization and digital marketing have the following advantages to offer to farmers and the agricultural business on a whole
1) Direct Communication: Farmers will be able to contact the dealers or whole sellers on their own thus eliminating the need of middlemen which will result in benefits such as standard commodity prices and profits for the farmers, timely availability of crops and reduction in scarcity.
2) Knowledge Growth: Farmers can learn about the latest technologies and techniques which can be implemented to increase the productivity. With the right amount of training they can also set up their own websites which will help them market themselves thus eliminating the need of marketing agencies.
3) Wider Reach: It is needless to say that digitization and digital marketing will help famers widen their reach and thus cater to a larger audience. This will help boost their sales and facilitate increase in revenue. Moreover, the government has plans for subsidised rates for marketing services it provides to farmers through the established agencies ensuring no extra cost is incurred.
Why Digitization and Digital Marketing is Important for Agriculture
There are new trends in the agribusiness like every other industry and in order to keep up with them it is important for us to adapt to these challenges which will help generate better results in the future. Some of the latest trends which can be accessed with the help of digitization and digital marketing are as follows-
1) By reading the weather forecasts measures can be taken to minimise the impact of drought and climate changes.
2) Famers can avail post-harvest management technologies such as transport, storage, packing, etc.
3) Detailed procedures for availing bank credits, insurance covers are also available online. Moreover, by recording and analysing the sales pattern of various crops governments can come up with better policies to ensure maximum benefits for the farmers.
4) With the help of recorded and analysed data as submitted by and collected from farmers and marketing agencies, latest trends such cultured farming, 3D food printing, supply chain innovation and urban vertical farms can be tapped into which will not only increase the productivity of crops but also ensure the efficient utilisation of resources.