Agro a Bidding Marketplace for Farmers

A transparent auction system where farmers can list crops for competitive bidding for best-selling price.

User Research

UI Design

Prototyping

Problem

Selling crops shouldn’t feel like a blind bargain. Yet, for small farmers, it often is. Millions of small-scale farmers across India face this daily struggle—growing food for the nation yet earning barely enough to survive.


The process of finding buyers, negotiating prices, and transporting goods is complex, leaving farmers vulnerable to middlemen and price exploitation.

Agrow empowers farmers by providing a seamless platform to sell their crops🌾 directly to buyers, eliminating middlemen👨‍💼 and leveraging bidding options to ensure they secure the best possible prices🫰 for their produce.

Design Process

Research

Comparative Analysis

User Persona

Empathy Mapping

Pain Points

Solution

User Journey

Information Architecture

Branding

Wireframes

App Experience

Secondary Research

86%

Indian farmers are small or marginal landholders

NSSO, 2019

30%

Crop yield losses in India are due to weather unpredictability

IMD, 2022

₹10,218

The average annual income of an Indian farmer

NSSO, 2021

60%

Indian farmers rely on middlemen

NSSO, 2019

14%

Indian farmers use digital platforms for selling produce, mainly due to lack of awareness and usability issues

IAMAI, 2023

Research GAPs

Many existing apps focus on advisory services, not direct market access, leaving a gap in simple, direct-to-buyer solutions. Direct selling to buyers could increase earnings by 20-50%, but lack of awareness and logistical issues prevent adoption.

Comparative analysis

FarmRise support smallholder farmers in India by providing agronomic information and advice. The app is available across 15 states and supports 10 languages, including English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Odia, Punjabi, and Bengali.

Promote sustainable and profitable farming practices.

Provides real-time prices from over 400 mandis across India.

Locate current location of the Farm to receive accurate weather updates.

AgriCentral is a technology-driven application designed to assist Indian farmers in making informed decisions to enhance profitability. It leverages advanced technologies such as GPS, satellite imagery, big data analytics, machine learning, and image analysis to promote digital farming practices

Provides daily prices for over 25,000 crop price points.

A platform for farmers to interact with peers and agricultural experts.

Locate current location of the Farm to receive accurate weather updates.

Features

FarmRise

AgriCentral

Direct Crop Sales

No

No

Price Transparency

Yes(Mandi Price)

Yes(Market View)

Regional Language Support

Yes(10 Languages)

Yes(Multiple Languages)

Financial Assistance

No

No

Weather & Advisory Insights

Yes(Weather, Agronomy Advisory)

Yes(15-day forecast, Crop Care)

Pain point

Market Access: They often lack connections to get the best prices and struggle with middlemen taking a cut.

Resource Constraints: Many lack the capital for technologies or struggle to find reliable labor.

Limited Information: Farmers may not have access to real-time market data or best practices for maximizing yields.

Uncertain Income: Fluctuating prices, unpredictable weather, and rising input costs make it hard to plan and profit.

Sustainability Concerns: Balancing productivity with soil health and water usage can be difficult.

User persona

Rajesh

The Traditional Farmer

Age

Location

Crop

Tech Comfort

42

Madhya Pradesh

Millets, pulses

Low

Pain Points

Relies on middlemen who offer low prices.

Struggles with unpredictable crop prices.

Limited access to real-time market data.

Needs

✔ A simple app with voice navigation.
✔ Direct buyer access to eliminate middlemen.
✔ Real-time pricing updates in Hindi.

Sunita

The Aspiring Agri-Entrepreneur

Age

Location

Crop

Tech Comfort

36

Maharashtra

Fruit, Vegetable

Moderate

Pain Points

Wants to sell directly but lacks marketing skills.

Needs better storage solutions.

Limited financial resources for scaling up.

Needs

✔ A bidding system to get competitive prices.
✔ Financial assistance or microloan connections.
✔ Educational content on storage & supply.

VIJAY

The Young Digital-Savvy Farmer

Age

Location

Crop

Tech Comfort

27

Punjab

Wheat, Sugarcane

High

Pain Points

Wants modern tools to analyze market trends.

Frustrated by the lack of transparent transactions.

Needs better access to buyers beyond his region.

Needs

Data-driven insights on demand trends.
✔ Digital payments & secure transactions.
✔ Networking with wholesalers & agri-exporters.

Empathy map

Says

Thinks

Does

Feels

If I knew the right buyers, I wouldn’t need middlemen.

I just want a simple way to sell my crops.

Loans are hard to get, and banks ask for too many documents.

Weather changes ruin everything; we need better forecasts.

I wish I had market prices available before selling.

I want to sell my produce faster, but I don’t know how.

I don’t understand how prices fluctuate so much.

Middlemen always take a big cut, but I have no other option.

Can I trust digital platforms to handle payments safely?

Will I get a fair price for my crops?

Asks fellow farmers for advice instead of relying on digital tools.

Avoids bank loans due to fear of debt and paperwork complexity.

Stores crops in traditional ways, leading to higher wastage.

Uses basic mobile phones, mostly for calling and messaging.

Continues selling to middlemen despite knowing they lose money.

Overwhelmed – Struggles to understand technology and financial options.

Hopeful – Wants better opportunities for future generations.

Frustrated – Losing money due to unfair pricing.

Uncertain – Can’t predict earnings due to fluctuating market rates.

Helpless – No bargaining power against middlemen.

Solution

AgroMart bridges the gap between small-scale farmers and direct buyers by providing a transparent, easy-to-use, and accessible mobile platform. The app eliminates middlemen, ensures fair pricing through bidding and fixed-price sales, and offers real-time market insights, secure payments, and educational resources to empower farmers.

Price Transparency

Farmers get real-time market rates to make informed selling decisions.

Direct Market Access

Eliminates middlemen, allowing farmers to sell directly to buyers.

Bidding Platform

Farmers can list their crops for buyers to bid competitively, ensuring better prices.

Secure Payments

Digital transactions ensure fast, fraud-free payments.

Agricultural Knowledge Hub

Provides weather updates, pest control tips, and best farming practices.

User Journey

Awareness & Discovery

Registration & Profile Setup

Listing Crops for Sale

Connecting with Buyers

Payment & Logistics

Post-Sale Feedback & Learning

User Action

Hears about AgroMart through word-of-mouth, local NGO, or social media.

Downloads the app, registers with mobile number, and sets up a profile with farm details.

Uploads details about the crops (quantity, type, price expectation).

Receives offers via fixed price or bidding model and communicates with buyers.

Finalizes the deal, arranges transportation, and receives payment.

Rates the transaction and explores learning resources for better farming practices.

Goal & Experience

Understands how the app can help sell crops directly to buyers.

Provide basic details for crop listing and price alerts.

Get visibility from potential buyers and receive fair offers.

Secure the best deal and confirm the sale.

Ensure timely and secure delivery of produce while receiving full payment.

Improve future sales strategies and farming knowledge.

Feelings & Thoughts

“Will this really work? Is it easy to use?”

“I hope this process is simple. I don’t want to fill too many forms.”

“How do I set the right price? Will I find buyers?”

“Are these buyers genuine? How do I negotiate?”

“Will the payment be instant? What if transport costs are too high?”

“Can I get a better price next time? What crops are in demand?”

Pain Points

Lack of trust in digital platforms, fear of scams, and low tech literacy.

Difficulty entering information due to low literacy or unfamiliarity with tech.

Lack of knowledge about market pricing and demand trends.

Trust issues, difficulty in bargaining, and risk of non-payment.

Payment delays, unreliable transport options, and hidden charges.

Limited access to expert advice and lack of buyer feedback.

Opportunities

Use voice-based tutorials, farmer success stories, and local-language content to build trust.

Use simple interfaces, voice inputs, and regional language support for onboarding.

Provide real-time price suggestions, AI-based recommendations, and comparison tools.

Enable verified buyer profiles, escrow payment system, and automated negotiation assistants.

Integrate instant digital payments, transport booking services, and buyer rating systems.

Offer AI-driven insights, personalized tips, and seasonal market trend reports.

Information Architecture

Wireframes

App Experience

Welcome Screen

A warm welcome.

Language Selection Screen

Select from multiple regional languages for an easy experience.

Transition Splash Screen → Leads to Sign-Up Page

Engages users while loading necessary assets.

Displays key app benefits.

Sign-Up Page

Simple form with mobile number authentication (OTP-based login).

Location Access Splash Screen

Explains why location permission is needed.

Clear "Allow" and "Deny" options.

Transition Splash Screen → Leads to Profile Creation

Encourages users to create a profile for a personalized experience.

Profile Creation Page

Users enter their name and location, Land Details, Scan Aadhaar Card and Select Crop Type(Users choose from a pre-listed crop catalog).

Home Dashboard

Track earnings, weather updates, trending news, and marketplace opportunities at a glance.

My Crops

Lists all crops the user currently grows.

Provides an option to add new crops or update details.

Add Crop Details Page

Farmers input crop type, quantity, and expected price.

Upload crop photos (optional but encouraged for transparency).

Auction Page

Users select which crops to put up for auction.

Set a minimum price and auction duration.

Check Bids Page

Farmers can view current bids on their crops.

Accept the best bid or wait for a higher offer.

Simple visual indicators for highest bid, time left, and buyer details.

Branding

Aa

Regular

Bold

20px

16px

12px

8px

Lato

A Future Where Farmers Thrive

Agrow is a movement towards fair, profitable, and sustainable farming.

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Agrow

Empowering Farmers