The direct marketing of crop inputs by manufacturers is a topical issue in agriculture across the world. Increasingly, sophisticated farmers, distribution networks, and online purchasing platforms are creating opportunities for large companies to move down the supply chain and remove some of the brick-and-mortar businesses they historically relied on for moving their products. While instances of direct marketing remain rare, the business environment in farming is certainly becoming more conducive to this business model.

This report evaluates the potential for this business model in different farming regions across the world. This potential was based on the manufacturer’s perceived opportunity for direct marketing and the level of competition they would face through direct marketing. Partners of the agri benchmark network from the UK, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Sweden, Japan, USA, Ukraine, Russia, Australia, and Poland shared and discussed their perspective on this topic relative to their region of expertise. This report is the joint outcome from this discussion process.

Press release 1/21 (February 10th, 2021):
Challenges and Perspectives in the Direct Marketing of Crop Inputs