Using Technology to Connect Smallholder Indian Farmers to Markets

                                                       
India is one of the world’s biggest producers of fruits and vegetables but its share in the global horticulture market is insignificant. The fragmented supply chain and inadequate health, safety and quality mechanisms mean that the quantity and quality of fruits and vegetables often do not meet the demands of high-end or international markets. Meanwhile, Indian farmers receive less than a fifth of the end price for the fruits and vegetables they produce, while a long line of middlemen, transporters, wholesalers and retailers gets the rest.

Recognizing the opportunities offered by India’s horticulture production, ACDI/VOCA has worked to provide farmers with technical information and help them meet the demands of various sales outlets. Our work there has focused on integrating smallholder horticulture farmers into commercial supply chains and facilitating mutually beneficial partnerships between smallholder farmers and major retail, wholesale, processor and export buyers.

To help bridge the information gap between farmers and markets, ACDI/VOCA worked with Indian IT giant Infosys Limited to create an information dissemination system called freshConnect. Its goal is to place farmers on an equal footing with actors along the value chain and empower them to become dependable sources of fresh produce. The program provides wireless software applications that are accessible on handheld devices, allowing farmers to monitor demand and ensure the timely delivery of the right volume and quality of fresh produce to sales outlets. The system minimizes inventory requirements, reduces waste and allows both sales outlets and farmers to earn more.

To further help farmers make informed choices and improve efficiency, ACDI/VOCA and Infosys are also partnering with IFFCO’s Kissan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) to provide farmers with vital technical information through its voice mail platform. IKSL sends farmers daily information on farming techniques, weather forecasts, input availability, etc., to improve their operations.

ACDI/VOCA’s pilot test of freshConnect has encouraged several Indian hypermarkets to invest in the technology. As demand from new retailers has grown, freshConnect’s approach of linking farmers to markets has changed how smallholder farmers sell their products. In the words of Shipard Vishnu Joshi, a participating farmer, “Now I do not find buyers. They find me!”

Source : http://www.acdivoca.org/site/ID/Home