GROWERS Has the Tools to Help Ag Retailers Navigate a Changing Marketplace 

A recent survey sent to more than 30,000 U.S. row crop farmers with more than 1,000 acres by North Carolina-based agriculture technology company GROWERS revealed that 43% of the farmers believe that submitting a bid to ag retailers would help them get the best price on inputs.

In a recent webinar, “Unpacking 2022 Survey Results: Changes in the Farmer & Ag Retailer Relationship,” GROWERS CEO Steven Valencsin expanded on the survey results and said farmers are increasingly aware of the lack of transparency procuring inputs. “This is not an unknown thing to anybody in retail and it’s not unknown to anybody as a farmer,” he added, noting that “while technology has changed buying behavior in a number of industries, ag retail has remained relatively unchanged.”

The second major finding from the survey was that most farmers are more willing than ever to use technology to procure inputs. The survey found that 64% of farmers are interested in using an online platform or an app to submit a request. GROWERS learned that many farmers said they don’t have enough time to reach a significant number of retailers to gather and organize and want to use technology to do so.

Most farmers work with three or more ag retailers, and many are frustrated with the overall process of communicating with them, Valencsin said. “What farmers indicated to us is they want an easier way to manage the process and leverage technology to do that more efficiently,” he added.

Another finding garnered from the survey is that a farmer’s appetite to work with retailers outside of their local geography might be growing. According to the survey, 72% of farmers said they would consider buying products from someone outside of their area. “What this means is that as farms grow, and technology enables input buying, farmers are considering doing more shopping around when it comes to input purchases,” Valencsin stated. “This is indicative of the world we live in today,” he said. “The ability to procure products from across the world is certainly easier today than it was 10 years ago, even easier than two years ago.”

Valencsin said the younger generation is more inclined to use technology in business, but he noted that older farmers, including those 60 and above, are also using technology to access ag retailers across the country. Farmers of all ages are used to using technology to simplify their daily lives, and that has extended into their jobs.

Considering the overall findings, which Valencsin called “enlightening” and even “a bit concerning,” it’s clear the ag retail landscape is changing. But the bottom line is “ag retailers need to service both relational and transactional customers, and they shouldn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach when doing so,” Valencsin stressed.

That’s why GROWERS exists – to help ag retailers and farmers use technology to create strong relationships and build sustainable businesses. To do this, GROWERS has two solutions.

The GROWERS App allows farmers to create and send a quote to their favorite retailers, as well as retailers in The GROWERS Retail Network. The network is comprised of retailers and cooperatives that meet a high standard of service, reputation, and commitment to serving farmers. Retailers in The GROWERS Retail Network benefit from having visibility into 100% of requests within The GROWERS App platform within their specified coverage area, access to new markets and new customers for substantially lower COGS,  marketing assistance from GROWERS for greater outreach to increase the number of farmers in the platform and an efficient way to educate farmers about their products.

Our second solution, GROWERS Rally™, enables ag retailers to provide a more customized touchpoint to their customers. Ag retailers can provide comprehensive farm plans for their customers using programs and corresponding pricing/promotions so their customers can make informed purchasing decisions. With GROWERS Rally, ag retailers can also share quotes, plans, and purchase records via text messages or email. “The platform is perfectly tailored to better organize the sales process and create a more efficient sales team,” Valencsin said of GROWERS Rally.

Visit our solutions for ag retailers to learn more.