Rural Realities: Villgro & Essmart’s Study on Krimanshi’s Cattle Feed
Founded in 2015, Krimanshi is a pioneering entity in sustainable animal feed systems. They are devoted to creating a positive impact on agriculture and animal husbandry and specialize in upcycling food waste into highly nutritious feeds.
Krimanshi aims to revolutionize the way we nourish animals for a healthier and more sustainable future!
An incubatee of Villgro, Krimanshi sought our support to scale their operations in Karnataka. However, there exists a gap between their transformative solutions and the target rural customers.
To help bridge this gap, we partnered with Essmart, a Rural retailer B2B network and conducted a comprehensive study of their cattle feed products, to evaluate their effectiveness and impact on the agricultural landscape.
Nikhil Bohra Co-founder, Krimanshi Technologies Private Limited says, “The in-depth market research led by Villgro-Essmart has been helpful for in understanding how farmers in Karnataka perceived our animal nutrition products. It gave us a larger understanding of how products have helped a diverse set of farmers who saw an increase in milk production, fat % and Solids Not Fat (SNF) % and even in the health of cattle in a few cases. It also gave us a deeper insight into packaging designs, communication methodology and GTM activities as we look to scale our work across Karnataka. This validation has bolstered our claim to enhancing cattle productivity, adding farmers in Karnataka to our list of impacted farmers.”
Trials with Local Retail Shops
In rural settings, where the information gap between the product and the consumer is often vast, retailers tend to play a crucial role in communicating product details.
Essmart placed Krimanshi’s cattle feed products in 20 selected local retail shops as part of a four-week pilot. Two variants, the Supreme and Ultimate, were tested with separate groups of farmers.
“Leveraging our established presence on the ground, our team tapped into an extensive network of retail shops, milk collection booths, and cooperatives. Our research involved in-depth interviews with shop owners and end-users, focusing on critical aspects such as product comparison, pricing sensitivity, packaging perception, and recommendations for effective go-to-market strategies,” says Shanina Mercedia van Gent, Head of Market Insights and Strategic Initiatives, Essmart, adding that a key focus was on the product’s impact on milk yield.
This pilot-based approach helped us understand how exactly cattle feed is bought from the retailer — from customer inquiries, product comparison, assessment of current needs and resources available, etc.
Subsequently, interviews with shop owners yielded insightful data on product comparison, pricing sensitivity, packaging perception, and recommendations for go-to-market strategies.
Expanding Insights through Surveys
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the rural market dynamics, Essmart employed a two-phase approach. In the first phase, we conducted 20 surveys focusing on the broader cattle feed market and regional variations.
These surveys involved direct engagement with stakeholders at milk collection booths and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), shedding light on the sourcing of resources, challenges faced by stakeholders, and their current strategies.
In the second phase, we focused on the crucial participants in the process — the farmers. Starting with a pre-survey involving 20 farmers to assess their market understanding, we then distributed trial units of Krimanshi’s cattle feed for a four-week pilot.
Farmers were also provided with a tracking sheet to record daily details such as SNF (Solids Not Fat) content, quantity of milk collected and more.
After the four-week usage period, comprehensive interviews were conducted to gather feedback on various aspects of Krimanshi’s product.
The feedback received from farmers was diverse, covering aspects like packaging, texture of the cattle feed, brand recall, and visual appeal. This methodology allowed us to expand our insights and ensure a holistic understanding of the rural market dynamics.
Impact of Krimanshi’s Cattle Feed after Pilot Run
The tracking sheets distributed among the respondents proved to be highly effective. A majority of the farmers dedicated their time every day to enter the details, occasionally even seeking assistance from their grandchildren or neighbours to fill in the sheets. After we assessed the impact of the product after the 4-week pilot period, we noted the following –
- Health and Productivity Impact
The survey revealed that a resounding 90% of respondents saw positive changes in their cattle’s health after using Krimanshi’s product, with 16 out of 20 farmers observing healthier and stronger cattle.
2. Milk Output Enhancement and Fat Percentage Increase
Seventeen out of 20 respondents reported a positive change in milk output, resulting in an average increase of 1.4 liters over the 4 weeks. Additionally, 16 out of 20 respondents reported an increase in the fat percentage of the milk produced, highlighting the nutritional benefits of Krimanshi Cattle Feed.
3. Economic Implications
Economically, 60% of farmers acknowledged positive impacts, translating into increased profits. Notable instances include one farmer reporting an additional profit of INR 80/day, while others mentioned gains of INR 3 to 4/litre or reduced expenses due to decreased reliance on supplements. The present study uncovered positive changes in cattle health, substantial enhancements in milk output and fat percentage, and noteworthy economic implications for farmers as a result of Krimanshi’s cattle feed product.
As 60% of participants acknowledged increased profits and notable gains, the findings underscore the significance of Krimanshi’s cattle feed in elevating both the health of livestock and the economic well-being of farmers.
These insights, garnered by Essmart through a meticulous and diverse methodology, validate the efficacy of the product and potentially contribute to our understanding of future cattle-feeding practices.
Inputs and Feedback from Farmers
This section delves into the valuable insights gathered from end-users regarding the packaging of Krimanshi Cattle Feed and offers a critical understanding of the end-user’s perceptions.
- Brand Recall
End customers faced a notable challenge in brand recall, with 85% struggling to remember the name “Krimanshi,” while a modest 15% retained brand awareness.
2. Design and Readability
Opinions on the design and visual appeal of Krimanshi’s product packaging were diverse. Among the respondents, 9 out of 20 rated it as average, 8 as good, and 3 as poor. Approximately 65% of respondents asserted they could read all information on the packaging. However, 35% faced challenges, primarily due to the absence of the Kannada language, and in some cases, a suggestion to increase font size.
3. Colour Preferences
75% of respondents favoured the colour of the packaging, while 25% expressed dissatisfaction. Suggestions for improvement included incorporating green and blue hues. Some respondents even proposed featuring a real cow on the bag.
4. Product Evaluation
On a scale of 1 to 5, respondents rated product quantity at an average of 3.93 and nutrient content at 3.8, and 55% provided scores exceeding.
5. Language Inclusion
A resounding 95% of respondents advocated for packaging in Kannada, emphasizing the importance of local language representation in ensuring readability as well as brand connection.
