Marketing Strategies and Issues in Agri Output and Agritech Mobile Apps: An Exploratory Analysis

Background: Agriculture apps or Agri apps, are mobile platforms designed to assist farmers and agricultural stakeholders in managing various aspects of farming by providing essential tools, information, and services. These apps harness digital technologies to enhance productivity, efficiency, and sustainability in agriculture. Agri output apps primarily focus on market linkages and logistics, directly connecting farmers with buyers, while Agri tech apps offer advisory services, input procurement, and data-driven solutions to optimize farming practices. Methods: The present study employs an exploratory design, relying on secondary data sources such as app descriptions, user reviews, industry reports, and academic papers. Qualitative analysis is used to evaluate the selected apps based on their relevance, innovation, and user impact. The paper identifies key features, unique selling propositions (USPs), and challenges in adoption. Result: It was found that Marketing strategies for these apps encompass grassroots outreach, social media engagement, and referral programs to address diverse user needs. While rural farmers are engaged through direct communication, tech-savvy users are targeted through online marketing. However, it was found that challenges such as technical issues, limited language support, order tracking difficulties, and security concerns affect user engagement and trust. By enhancing app functionality, offering multilingual support, optimizing logistics, and strengthening security measures, these challenges can be mitigated, enabling agri apps to better empower farmers with real-time updates, expert advisory services, and access to quality agricultural inputs, thereby reducing reliance on costly intermediaries and improving overall farm productivity.