Print leads with 66% share in agriculture advertising; digital sees steady 18% growth

New Delhi: Advertising in India’s agriculture and farming sector still relies heavily on regional media, though digital platforms are slowly gaining ground with newer agri brands.

Print retained its position as the most used advertising medium, accounting for 66% of total spend in 2024, marking a notable increase over the previous year. 

The North Zone emerged as the leading contributor, responsible for 35.7% of total print advertising spend, followed by the South Zone at 30.8%. Publications such as Dainik Bhaskar and Eenadu were key platforms, with Dainik Bhaskar leading in the North and East, while Eenadu ranked highest in the South.

Excellent Publicity, an ad-tech agency, has released its latest report analysing advertising activity across the sector. The findings are based on over 900 television, 750 radio, 12,000 digital, and 26,500 print campaigns managed by the agency, alongside data from TAM Media Research. The report maps how agriculture-based companies approached media planning to reach farmers and rural audiences across the country.

Among advertisers, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) held the largest share of print spend at 65.6%, followed by newer entrants including Veda Seed Science and Basant Agro Tech. Nearly all print campaigns (99.4%) were in colour, with 74.3% occupying front-page positions, indicating a continued emphasis on visual impact and premium placements.

Television advertising declined by 53% in 2024 compared to 2022. However, insecticide brands rose to prominence on this platform, capturing 16.2% of category spend. News channels received the majority of ad volumes (80.4%), ahead of general entertainment channels. Prime Time (6:00 PM to 11:00 PM) remained the most targeted slot. 

Actor Ajay Devgn was the most frequently featured celebrity in the sector, with celebrity-led campaigns comprising nearly 12% of total TV ad duration. ITV Network also saw increased advertiser interest within the category.

Commenting on the findings, Vaishal Dalal, Co-founder and Director of Excellent Publicity, said, “The agriculture and farming sector continues to show a strong preference for traditional mediums, particularly print, which offers unparalleled reach in rural and semi-urban India. However, we are seeing growing digital adoption, especially for precision targeting and building direct engagement with the new-age farming community. The integration of digital with traditional advertising will likely shape the sector’s future media strategies.”

On radio, sectoral ad spend increased by 38% in 2023 over the previous year. Tirth Agro Technology accounted for 30% of total radio ad spend in 2024, and 71.7% between January and March 2025. The West Zone led regional radio spending with 59.1%, and My FM emerged as the most utilised network. The medium continued to serve rural and tier-2 markets, driven by regional accessibility and relative cost efficiency.

Digital advertising recorded an 18% increase in spend in 2024 compared to 2022. Jain Irrigation System led digital investments. Facebook accounted for the largest share of digital ad spend at 60.6%, followed by X (formerly Twitter) at 28%. 

Display formats dominated, comprising 95.4% of digital ad volumes, while video accounted for 4.6%. The report noted over 190 brands were exclusively active on digital platforms in 2024, signalling a gradual expansion of digital-first approaches within the sector.

Advertising activity varied seasonally across platforms: television saw peak activity between May and November; print between October and December; radio from January to March; and digital between June and August.