E-commerce has seen growth in leaps and bounds over the last decade or so. The whole industry is valued at over 3 trillion dollars. With the advent of e-commerce in the agricultural sector, small-scale buyers and sellers are gaining more and more visibility. A lot of agricultural products are perishable and are rife with corrupt middlemen who make the most profit while leaving the actual farmers barren. Before the advent of e-commerce in agriculture, farmers would be forced to sell their produce at low prices, this wouldn’t even cover the cost of production.
E-commerce empowers small producers to directly contact wholesale buyers and sell their products there. E-commerce also helps ease logistical issues. This also eliminates the need for middlemen and their corrupt practices. E-commerce has come as a boon for many farmers who can now sell their produce at rates that are more acceptable. Let us now take at how e-commerce has helped the agricultural sector globally and in India.
How is e-commerce helping the agriculture sector in the world?
More and more Agri e-commerce websites are entering the market nowadays. This is especially helpful for developing countries where more than 90 percent of the world’s agricultural population is employed. These websites help farmers and other stakeholders in multiple ways.
- In Nigeria for example, an Agri e-commerce website was launched with an aim to connect investors to farmers through sponsorship packages. Farmers provide better yield and the investors get better returns. This website has helped more than 10,000 farmers in Nigeria since its launch in 2019.
- An app was launched in Thailand and Pakistan to help farmers track their cash flow better. The app also provides satellite imaging for crop spreads and gives weather forecasts. It uses AI and machine learning to predict better farming cycles and improves a farmer’s financial risk management.
- In China, an Agri e-commerce website provides services for people who want to buy agri products from Australia. Since its conception in 2015, the website has made more than 140,000 orders.
As we move towards a more and more digitized future, it is fair to assume that agri e-commerce will become more mainstream.
Also Read:- How Does The Dry Fruit Import-Export Industry Look Like In India?
How is e-commerce assisting the agricultural industry in India?
The e-commerce industry is growing at a rapid pace. With the advent of technology, the world has changed completely and now people are able to do shopping or any other business on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops. There are many different ways that e-commerce is changing the face of India’s agricultural industry.
- By reducing the cost of production:The cost of production in India has always been high because it is a developing country and lacks infrastructure, proper education etc. With the help of e-commerce platforms, farmers can sell their products online at right prices which will help them get better profits than selling their products through long chain of middlemen.
- By reducing wastage due to transportation costs: In case you want to sell something online from your farmhouse but there are no roads leading up to your farmhouse then how will you transport your products? This problem can be easily solved if you use an e-commerce platform where you can just upload pictures of your products along with a description and customers will be able to buy them without any hassle.
O’AgriFarm is considered India’s largest B2B Agri fulfillment and financing Platform. We use the power of technology to help businesses get the best rates for their products. O’AgriFarm also has an app that shows wholesale and mandi rates for agricultural products. These rates are updated dynamically to help ensure that you get the best rates at all times.
