You might think farmers would be the last crowd to get caught up in the COVID-driven trend of online shopping, but you’d be wrong. In fact, farmers from all walks of life have been “going digital” for agricultural products and services since well before the pandemic.

A recent study from Sligo-based website design and consultancy agency DMac Media (dmacmedia.ie) shows a strong increase in online transactions within the agricultural sector from 2019, which rose substantially through the first quarter of 2020.

Early adopters

Director at DMac Media Dave McEvoy says, for some time, their agri-commerce clients have been pinpointing digitally savvy farmers in the 25-45 age range as being among the earliest adopters of mobile e-commerce. The study, which was published in June 2020, says 71% of e-commerce sessions took place via mobile phone.

Dave McEvoy is the director of Sligo-based website design and consultancy agency DMac Media.

“This trend actually started emerging close to a decade ago,” he says. “What the pandemic brought about was a broadening of the trend; both in online purchasing behaviour and the general demographic.”

The study noted that online searches for farming supplies were up by 88% in the first quarter of 2020 when compared to 2019. It also shows that farmers in older age brackets (aged 45 and up) are making more online purchases.

“[From the results of our study] we were particularly surprised at the growth in e-commerce activity among older demographics,” he says. “It showed a change in attitude and seems to correlate with the limited access to real world stores during the early stages of lockdown.”

Accessible support

Previously, living in remote areas meant many farmers would need to travel if they needed speciality equipment or an item their local farm shop didn’t supply. E-commerce services help save valuable time in this regard, but they’re providing more than just ease of purchase – manual guides, veterinary product information and real-time online support have also made the lives of farmers a bit easier.

“We are seeing an increase in the range of products available online and an increase in delivery and click-and-collect services,” Dave says.

“Tools like live chat or quotation enquiries provide opportunities for farmers to talk – even haggle – with a real person, so the art of bargaining is not lost. We are beginning to see the use of smarter discounts, based on volume and repeat orders. Loyalty is not lost when you move online; you just need to reward it.”

Stripe

SaaS (Software as a Service) company Stripe focuses on digital payment processing and fraud prevention – in recent years, they have made online purchases much less complicated and even more recently have helped make the COVID-driven online pivot possible for small producers.

Eileen O'Mara is revenue and growth lead at Stripe Europe, the Middle East and Africe. \ Conor McCabe

Eileen O’Mara is revenue and growth lead at Stripe Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She says the company’s overarching goal is to increase the GDP of the internet. “We want more economic activity to take place online,” she says. “The internet can be an important growth engine for businesses, and we’ve seen this year that it has become essential for business survival.”

“Small businesses around Ireland, including in the agricultural community, have shown tremendous adaptability in the last six months,” she continues. “Many businesses never considered selling over the internet, but were forced online overnight. [Now], those businesses have discovered the internet offers an opportunity to keep trading safely and also drive new growth.”

The Local Green Box Cavan

One such business is The Local Green Box (thelocalgreenboxcavan.clickandcollection.com) in Co Cavan. A community initiative organised by Imelda Mullen, the project was launched during the COVID-19 lockdown. Imelda who runs The Cottage Market West Cavan (a monthly market event in Ballyconnell) saw an opportunity for weekly food boxes. As lockdown hit, she realised she would need to quickly pivot online and simplify the process for her clientele.

Imelda Mullen is the owner and operator of The Local Green Box in Co Cavan.

She signed up with Click and Collection (clickandcollection.com); an Irish e-commerce platform for hospitality and food businesses.

“I actually had a Shopify [site] ready to go and it just wasn’t local enough,” Imelda says. “The payment was confusing and I thought, ‘Our customers don’t need this; especially if they aren’t used to digital payments.’ Click and Collection was better for us; it’s very user friendly.”

Online farmers market

Working exclusively with small food producers from Cavan and the border counties, The Local Green Box Cavan offers much of what you would find at a farmers market. For producers, it helps knowing exactly how much product is needed each week; reducing food waste and saving valuable time.

“We update the website with new product each week and customers have three days to order,” Imelda says. “You collect your order and don’t have to leave your car. We say it’s contactless, but the contact is just different; it’s not gone - you’re still seeing and interacting with the customer.”