Direct Farmer to Consumer Marketing Opportunities and Barriers

Key findings

• ▸All 40 farmers surveyed (100%) rely exclusively on informal roadside sales as their direct-to-consumer channel — none use cooperative marketing, digital platforms, or any organized short supply chain.
• ▸Poor transport and logistics is the dominant barrier, cited by 62.5% of farmers, ahead of limited consumer awareness (25%) and produce perishability (12.5%) — all traced to the district's hilly, rain-fed terrain and rough roads.
• ▸Every single farmer surveyed (100%) reported receiving no government or institutional support of any kind for marketing or production, despite India's national push on e-NAM, FPOs, and market reform.
• ▸Despite the structural barriers, 70% of farmers believe consumers trust their produce as fresh and chemical-free, and a chi-square test found no significant link between a farmer's age and their income bracket (χ²=1.79, df=9, p=0.994) — the barriers cut across age groups rather than concentrating among older or younger farmers.

Abstract

The research is on the farmers of the villages of Paralakhemundi, Uppalada, Kasinagar, Nuagada, R. Udayagiri, Gosani, Jeerango, Chandragiri, Tangudi, and Changudi Agraharam that are located in the Gajapati district of Odisha. The majority of these farmers sell their vegetables, fruits, and other crops directly to consumers through roadside selling. They are mostly middle-aged individuals who completely depend on farming for their income. As a result, many have only a primary education and earn less than ₹15,000 a month, which hampers their access to modern or digital marketing. The farmers encounter some major issues, such as poor transport, insufficient storage, and a lack of consumer awareness. All the more, vegetables and fruits spoil relatively quickly due to the absence of cold storage facilities, thus farmers are compelled to lower their prices for selling the produce. Moreover, it was indicated through the study that no support was provided by any government or institutional sources to the farmers adding to their hardships. Nevertheless, consumers have faith in the farmers' products due to their being fresh and locally grown. This confidence leads to a great chance of promoting direct farmer-consumer (DFC) marketing. Upgrading roads, constructing cold storage facilities, training, cooperative marketing, and introducing digital selling platforms will not only help these farmers to increase their income but also lead to a sustainable and profitable farming future in the Gajapati district.

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