Indian farmer fertilizer cooperative (IFFCO) has signed an agreement with CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC–SPV) to provide e-commerce services to rural villages. This will be done through the recent digital initiative of IFFCO i.e. “Indian Cooperative Digital Platform” (ICDP).
As part of this, all products and service offerings of IFFCO and Group Companies shall be displayed on CSC e–Commerce web portal. Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) will accept the orders from farmers for agri-inputs and other services. Once, significant quantity (truck load or certain minimum amount) of orders are aggregated, VLEs shall place order on CSC Portal and remit payment.
All such orders from VLEs are aggregated at district level. At each district level, a society was formed with VLEs of that district as members. The VLE society operates the godown, receives the material in the district and organizes further distribution among VLEs in the village level, who in turn, ensure the material reaches the concerned person.
Once payment is received from CSC, IFFCO will supply the material to district level societies, which in turn distribute the material to their VLEs. Initially, CSC–SPV shall designate some VLE Societies located at district level to serve as a carrying and forwarding (C&F) society for supply of fertilizers and other products to its member VLEs.
CSC–SPV will ensure the VLE societies acquire the required licences and abide by laws of the land. Both, IFFCO and CSC–SPV will have supervisory powers on VLE Societies.
It will be a win–win situation for both IFFCO as well as CSC–SPV. Further, it will promote e–Commerce in rural areas and provide employment opportunities to rural youth.
With IFFCO joining hands with CSC–SPV, farmers in villages get the following benefits:
- Quality products from IFFCO and its group companies such as Fertilisers, Agro Chemicals, Seeds, Plant Growth Promoters, General Insurance, and Green SIM, etc.
- Increased availability of agri–inputs thereby saving time and money of farmers
- Fair price
- Access to information on latest developments in agriculture practices
- Benefits of Farmer welfare programmes organized by IFFCO, etc.
