Iffco, Airtel in a deal to provide farm info

In a move to reach out to farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Bharti Airtel has entered into a strategic partnership with Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative Ltd (Iffco) by giving them access to information related to agriculture.

"With this partnership, we are aiming at penetrating UP villages where Iffco has a presence," said Shankar Prasad, chief operating officer, UP (East), Airtel.

Airtel will provide a value-added service. Prasad said: "If a farmer in Barabanki has doubts about anything related to his crop, he can dial a number and register his query. This, in turn, will be sent to Iffco in Delhi, which will provide the solution via Airtel."

The services at present will be available to bona fide Iffco members under the new scheme called 'Rs 99 Airtel-IFFCO SUK Pack'. This will allow the customer to talk at 30 paise from one Iffco Pack to another Iffco Pack and will provide free talktime for Rs 10, with seven days' validity.

In addition to this, each farmer having the Airtel Iffco pack can receive five calls per day from a predetermined number, each of a maximum of one minute, providing information about farming.

Airtel is in talks with mobile phone manufacturers and suppliers to provide handsets to its new customers under the plan. These sets will be available at Iffco societies centres along with the 'SUK Pack'.

The Iffco-Airtel rural pilot project has been launched in Danyalpur and Mubarakpur Societies in Barabanki (UP East) on April 2. "We will soon extend in other part of UP East and then all over India once this pilot is completed successfully," said Prasad.

The benefits offered to farmers will be in the nature of providing information regarding mandi prices, weather forecast, fertilizers, animal husbandry, information about crop disease and how to control it besides providing local information such as post office number, hospital/clinic/doctor number, and emergency numbers.

IFFCO with national presence in 95 per cent Indian villages has over 37000 cooperatives spread across the country while Airtel covers 45 per cent of India's area with its network, covering 41 per cent Indian villages.

Based on Airtel network coverage and society potential, prioritize rollout across India.

Airtel also plans to launch a helpline number in another one month which will be operative 24X7 to assist the customers.