From Farm to Feed: How Ramnad Farmers Use Social Media to Engage Consumers

Abstract

The rise of social media has transformed our day-to-day lives. From the emergence of Facebook posts to today’s Instagram reels, social media has changed the way we interact with others, especially in the field of agricultural marketing. However, small farmers still face challenges related to agriculture, including inadequate rainfall, the presence of mesquite trees that consume groundwater, middlemen charging commission and brokerage fees, and the delayed distribution of farm loans. These challenges prevent small farmers from reaching out to potential customers to purchase their crops. To address this issue, social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp were utilised by farmers as low-cost marketing tools to promote their crops, build relationships with consumers and enhance farmers’ well-being. The primary objective of this paper was to investigate how the type of social media content used by farmers affects consumer engagement.