Mobile phones to be used to boost productivity of 30,000 farmers
The Connected Farmer Alliance (CFA), a public-private partnership between Vodafone Group, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and not-for-profit organisation TechnoServe has signed Olam as its first commercial partner in a programme which will use mobile technology to increase the productivity of thousands of smallholder farmers in Tanzania.
Around 30,000 of Olam’s smallholder farmers will benefit from farming advice via text message; notifications about upcoming training sessions and events; real-time information about changes in market prices; and the introduction of mobile money transfer using Vodafone’s M-Pesa service in place of cash from December 2014 onwards, giving farmers greater control over their finances and increasing security. TechnoServe will also provide training for Olam staff and farmers.
The programme will also provide benefits for Olam, including increased transaction security through the adoption of M-Pesa, reducing cash transportation costs and improving Olam’s ability to monitor and trace transactions; enhanced communications with farmers, strengthening relationships and building greater loyalty; and greater business efficiency as digital systems replace paper-based transactions and records.
To view the Vodaphone press release, please click here.
