Marketing Strategies of Pesticide Manufacturers and Their Impact on Agricultural Productivity: A Study of Vidarbha Region

Abstract

The agricultural activity within the Vidarbha region is also highly correlated to the availability and utilization of modern agricultural inputs among the farmers particularly those that are in form of the pesticides. The pesticide manufacturing companies have also intensified their marketing efforts in recent few years through product presentations, dealer platforms, promotion schemes, online marketing and consultancy. The paper will be examining how these variable marketing methods will affect the purchasing behaviour of the farmers, their behaviour with regards to pesticide application and the resultant production. The primary data were collected through a mixed method approach, whereby data were obtained through taking of interview on a sample of farmers, dealers and field representatives in the leading districts of the Vidarbha region and the data was supplemented with secondary data collected in the form of government and industry reports. What it shows is that agro-inducing marketing especially field demonstration, credit based sale and incentive of dealers are significant in the brand choice, and its acceptance among farmers. There are, on the one hand, strategies that can be used to raise awareness and good usage whereas on the other hand the 9 out of ten strategies increase the over-use, economic strain, and environmental problems. As has been mentioned in the paper, there is an established positive and complex relationship between marketing activities and crop productivity moderated by agricultural education of the farmers, extension services and product efficiency. The policy implications related to the paper are in form of policy recommendation that shall regulate marketing conducts of pesticides, strengthen agricultural extension devices as well as to encourage production of agricultural products in a sustainable productive methodology in order to enhance agricultural production in the Vidarbha region.