Vodafone PPP to support 30,000 Tanzanian farmers

Vodafone's public-private partnership with the US Agency for International Development and Technoserve has announced an agreement that will support 30,000 Tanzanian farmers.

The Connected Farmer Alliance (CFA) has launched its first commercial agreement to offer coffee, cotton and cocoa smallholder farmers in Tanzania the chance to improve their transaction security, communications and business efficiency by adopting Vodafone's M-Pesa mobile service.

The farmers will receive real-time information about changes in market prices, farming advice via text message and be able to transfer money via mobile rather than cash.

Not-for-profit organisation TechnoServe will also provide training for the staff and farmers of agribusiness Olam International.

"Mobile communications offer major opportunities to advance human development - from providing access to education and health information to helping boost productivity in the agriculture sector," said Serpil Timuray, Vodafone's chief executive of the Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific region.

"In this case, mobile services are being used to enhance farmers' lives and transform business performance at all points of the agricultural value chain. These partnerships have a powerful effect in helping rural communities develop new skills and grow revenues.

"Vodafone is committed to using its technology to help improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers around the world."

The CFA seeks to promote commercially sustainable mobile agriculture solutions and increase productivity and revenues for 500,000 smallholder farmers across Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.

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