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Agri-inputs & FPOs

WhatsApp for agri-input dealers and FPOs.

Farmers and village dealers already use WhatsApp every day. Send crop-season advice to farmers who opted in, take dealer orders in the chat, share product leaflets, and route every farmer's question to the right agronomist.

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What does Baat do for agri-input dealers, FPOs and agri companies?

For agri-input dealers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and agri companies, Baat puts farmer and dealer communication on one WhatsApp number. Crop-season advisories go to farmers who opted in, dealers place orders with a form in the chat, product leaflets and usage guides are shared as documents, and farmers' questions are assigned to the right agronomist or field officer.

Advice reaches farmers late or not at all. A pest alert for the season travels by word of mouth and forwarded messages, often after the damage is done. Village dealers order by phone from the company's field officer, who keeps the orders in a notebook. Farmers call field officers with questions about dosage and timing, and the officer cannot answer everyone. The company has no record of what farmers asked, or which advice reached them.

How do agri-input dealers, FPOs and agri companies use WhatsApp?

Each of these runs on Baat today. Open one to see how it works.

Example conversation

A farmer's question, answered in time.

A farmer sends a photo of a problem in the field and gets advice from an agronomist the same morning. The question and the answer stay on record.

  • Broadcasts: Advisories and launch messages reach farmers and dealers who opted in, segmented by crop, district or season.
  • Shared Inbox: Agronomists and field officers share one number, and every farmer's question has one owner and a record.
  • Journey Builder: Replies to advisories are sorted and routed on their own, even at the peak of the season.

Mahesh Jadhav Online

  1. Namaste. The lower leaves of my soybean are turning yellow. Photo attached. 7:40 AM
  2. Namaste Mahesh ji. Thank you for the photo. Our agronomist for Latur district will look at it and reply within the hour. 7:42 AM
  3. This looks like a nutrient deficiency, not a pest. Our agronomist recommends a soil test first. Your nearest dealer can arrange one. 8:30 AM
  4. Thank you. I will go to the dealer today. 8:41 AM

An example. The people in it are made up.

Automation

Advisories that start conversations.

A journey starts when a farmer replies to a crop advisory. It asks for the crop and village, routes the farmer to the right agronomist, and points farmers who want to buy to their nearest dealer.

  1. Farmer replies to a crop advisory
  2. Ask for the crop and the village
  3. Assign to the agronomist for that district
  4. Send the advisory guide as a document

Wants to buy?

YesShare the nearest dealer

NoKeep with the agronomist

Why do agri companies and FPOs use WhatsApp?

Because it is already on the farmer’s phone. Many farmers do not read email and rarely open SMS, but they use WhatsApp every day for family, news and the market. A message from a known company or FPO, at the right time in the season, gets read.

WhatsApp also handles photos, which suit the farm. A farmer can show a problem instead of describing it, and an agronomist can reply with advice and a leaflet or dosage chart in the same thread.

What should an advisory programme send?

Timely, practical advice for each crop and district: sowing windows, weather warnings, pest and disease alerts, and reminders before key operations. Keep each message short and specific to the crop. Send it only to farmers who agreed to receive it, and segment by crop and district, so a cotton farmer does not get advice about paddy.

How should farmer questions be handled?

Give every question an owner. Assign questions by crop, district or language to the agronomist or field officer best placed to answer. A shared inbox shows which questions are still waiting, especially at the peak of the season, when questions arrive faster than one person can answer them.

Can dealers order on WhatsApp?

Yes. Village dealers can pick products and quantities in a short form inside the chat. The order reaches the sales desk complete, instead of living in a field officer’s notebook. List only products Meta allows. Chemical pesticides and insecticides cannot be sold through WhatsApp commerce content, so keep those orders on your existing channel.

How do FPOs use WhatsApp with their members?

An FPO has to reach hundreds or thousands of member farmers with practical news: procurement dates, collection centre timings, meeting notices and the input supplies the FPO has arranged for the season. A broadcast to members who opted in reaches all of them on the same day, from the FPO’s own number. Members can reply with questions, which the FPO’s staff answer from one shared inbox.

What do WhatsApp's rules mean for agri-input dealers, FPOs and agri companies?

  • Meta's Commerce Policies list chemical pesticides and insecticides among hazardous materials that commerce content may not promote, buy or sell. Do not list them in a WhatsApp catalogue or promote them in broadcasts. General crop advice is not a sale.
  • The same policy lists ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate as chemical precursors that may not be sold through commerce content. Check the current policy before listing any fertiliser that contains them.
  • Message only farmers and dealers who agreed to receive WhatsApp messages from you, and tell them what kind of messages to expect.

Checked against Meta's own policy pages on 21 October 2026: Meta Commerce Policies: Hazardous goods and materials, WhatsApp Business Policy. Meta changes these rules from time to time, so read the current version before you start.

Questions agri-input dealers, FPOs and agri companies ask about WhatsApp

Can farmers send photos of crop problems?

Yes. Farmers can send photos of the problem in the chat. The question is assigned to an agronomist, who sees the photo and the full conversation before replying.

Can we sell pesticides through a WhatsApp catalogue?

No. Meta's Commerce Policies do not allow chemical pesticides and insecticides to be bought, sold or promoted through commerce content. Seeds, tools and other allowed products can be listed.

Can village dealers place orders on WhatsApp?

Yes. A WhatsApp Flow shows a short order form inside the chat, with products and quantities. The order reaches your sales desk in a structured form.

How do we get farmers' permission to send advisories?

Ask for it when you meet them: at the dealer counter, at field demonstrations, or with a QR code on your leaflets that opens a chat with your number. Record the opt-in, and tell farmers clearly what messages they will receive.

Can our field officers use their own phones?

Yes. They install the Baat mobile app and reply from the company's WhatsApp number, so farmers' questions stay visible to the office and stay with the company.

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