Farmers' Payment Methods
Over 70% of Indian farmers still use cash to sell their produce.
This reliance on cash has decreased slightly since pre-COVID, from 88% in 2019 to 72% in 2024.
Electronic payments among farmers have increased, from 8% in 2019 to 18% in 2024.
Traders and retailers have seen a more significant shift towards electronic payments, with traders moving from 8% in 2019 to 31% in 2024.
Market Price Information
A significant number of farmers still rely on word-of-mouth from traders (55%) and fellow farmers (47%) to get market price information.
The use of digital platforms (apps and websites) for market price information has only marginally increased from 9% in 2019 to 10% in 2024.
Impact of Climate Change
64% of farmers reported crop damage during the 2023-24 rabi season, mainly due to unseasonal rainfall (37%) and heatwaves (30%).
Weather forecasts play a crucial role in farmers' crop-sowing decisions, with nearly 90% citing it as the major factor.
Farmer’s Share in Retail Prices
Farmers receive the largest share of retail prices for wheat (67%), lentils, and gram (over 60%).
For perishable goods like potatoes, mangoes, and cauliflower, farmers only receive about 40% of the retail price.
COMMENTS