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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

May 27, 2015 | 2 min read

Six simple mobile services could boost the incomes of 70 million Indian farmers by $9bn by 2020, according to research from Vodafone.

The mobile network, which conducted the 'Connected Farming in India' report with Accenture, revealed that the introduction of six mobile services could help improve the input of small-scale farmers iin the country.

The development of agricultural information on mobile to provide weather reports and farming tutorials, digital receipt ledgers to help make supply chains more transparent, easier mobile payments and loans, and smartphone-enabled apps were all listed as opportunities that could hit this target.

Also touted was a move away from paper documentation, with field audits and supply chain documents to be made accessible via mobile.

Serpil Timuray, Vodafone chief executive for the Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific region, said: “One-third of humanity relies on food grown by 500 million smallholder farmers with less than two hectares of land… mobile has a critically important role to play in increasing agricultural resilience and enhancing quality of life for some of the poorest people on earth.

“Our experience in Turkey has demonstrated how mobile services can transform farmers’ ability to increase crop yields, improve efficiency and grow farm gate incomes.”

She concluded: “As the global population continues to expand, farmers have an urgent need to produce ever-increasing amounts of food… Smart and forward-looking initiatives such as the Vodafone Farmers’ Club concept can make a real difference in addressing the global challenge of food production and security.”

Vodafone estimates that in India, around 62 per cent of farmers own less than one hectare of land, significantly increasing their exposure to the effects of crop failure, pests, disease and volatile market pricing.

It theorises that the development of mobile services could ease food production, increasing the average wage for two-thirds of Indian farmers by $128 a year.

This follows Vodafone being named the UK’s highest valued brand in the annual Brandz report.

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