Do Agro-inputs’ brands affect the buying decision process of farmers: A comprehensive study

Influencing buying behaviour of consumers has been a prime goal of companies and different brands for decades. However, creating a brand image of agro-inputs and stimulating buying decisions of farmers is a complex process. Presently, a lot of money is being spent on advertising to create a positive brand value of a product. But whether key players in agro-input market get an edge over the other brands or farmers are just price-conscious. This study was aimed to explore the role of a brand name in the buying decision process of farmers for the purchase of agro-inputs including pesticides, seeds and fertilizers.

A descriptive research design was used for the study. The basic research question was why farmers prefer one brand over the other while buying agro-inputs. This study was conducted with 80 farmers who were especially vegetable growers of Bhagalpur district of Bihar.

During the study, it was found that farmers consider product brands in the purchase of agro-inputs. Most of the farmers reported that the brand is extremely important in the purchase of seeds followed by fertilizers, whereas fewer farmers reported abut brand importance in the purchase of pesticides.