Many farmers in Sri Lanka rely on intermediaries to sell their produce, often receiving lower prices while buyers face higher costs. A digital marketplace that connects farmers directly with shop owners has the potential to improve transparency, increase profits for farmers, and create a more efficient agricultural supply chain.

Agriculture remains an important sector in Sri Lanka, providing livelihoods for a large number of people and contributing significantly to the national economy. Despite its importance, many farmers face challenges when bringing their products to the market. Agricultural produce commonly passes through several intermediaries before reaching retailers and consumers. While these intermediaries help distribute products, they can also increase costs and reduce the income farmers receive for their harvests.

The need for Direct Trade

Digital technologies are transforming industries worldwide, and agriculture is no exception. Digital marketplaces provide opportunities for producers and buyers to connect directly, reducing the dependence on traditional intermediaries. By enabling direct communication and transactions, these platforms can improve market transparency and create stronger relationships between trading partners.

For Sri Lankan agriculture, a digital marketplace could allow farmers to advertise available harvests, set their own prices, and communicate directly with potential buyers. Buyers would gain easier access to information about available products, quantities, and suppliers, helping them make informed purchasing decisions.

What Farmers and Buyers Want

The findings of this study indicate that both farmers and buyers are interested in a digital solution that supports direct trade.

Farmers highlighted several key challanges:

• Low prices offered by intermediaries
• Limited control over buyer selection
• Lack of market information
• Concerns regarding payment security

Buyers identified different but related challenges:

• High purchasing costs
• Difficulty finding reliable suppliers
• Inconsistent product quality and quantity
• Limited direct access to farmers

Both groups expressed interest in features that would simplify communication and improve transparency throughout the buying and selling process.

A Digital Marketplace Concept

To address these challenges, a digital marketplace prototype called FarmConnect was designed. The platform focuses on creating a simple and accessible environment where farmers and buyers can interact directly.

Key features of the proposed platform include:

• User registration for farmers and buyers
• Product and harvest listings
• Product browsing and search functionality
• Direct messaging between users
• Order management features
• Multilingual support for local users

The platform was designed following user-centered design principles, ensuring that the needs and expectations of potential users guided the development of the interface.

Improving Accessibility and Usability

A successful agricultural marketplace must be accessible to users with different levels of digital experience. Therefore, the design emphasizes simplicity, clear navigation, and ease of use.

The prototype includes role-based dashboards that provide farmers and buyers with relevant tools and information. The interface follows established usability and accessibility principles to ensure that users can perform tasks efficiently without unnecessary complexity.

Mobile usability was also considered important because many users may primarily access digital services through smartphones rather than desktop computers.

Potential Benefits for Sri Lanka’s Agricultural Sector

Digital marketplaces have the potential to create value for both farmers and buyers. By reducing the number of intermediaries involved in transactions, farmers may receive better prices while buyers may gain access to more competitive purchasing opportunities.

Potential benefits include:

• Increased income opportunities for farmers
• Improved market transparency
• Reduced transaction costs
• Better communication between farmers and buyers
• Expanded market access
• More efficient agricultural supply chains

Although a digital marketplace cannot solve every challenge faced by the agricultural sector, it can help address some of the inefficiencies that currently exist within traditional trading systems.

Looking Ahead

As digital technologies continue to develop, platforms that support direct farmer-to-shop trade may play an increasingly important role in modern agriculture. The FarmConnect prototype demonstrates how user-centred digital solutions can help strengthen connections between producers and buyers while improving transparency and efficiency.

By empowering farmers with better access to markets and providing buyers with more direct sourcing opportunities, digital marketplaces could contribute to a more sustainable and competitive agricultural sector in Sri Lanka.

Link to the thesis: https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/926666

References

Advocata Institute. 2023. Modernising Sri Lanka’s Agri-Food System.

Bandara, R. M. A. S. & De Silva, D. A. M. 2007. Marketing of Vegetables in Sri Lanka.

Jayasinghe, S. et al. 2023. Price Transmission and Market Efficiency in Sri Lanka’s Fruit and Vegetable Markets.

Perera, S. et al. 2019. Value Chain Analysis of Maize Production in Sri Lanka.