The problem
While the vast majority of farmers in Pakistan already possess functional identities (e.g. National ID cards) often they do not translate into economic identities given the low financial inclusion and high incidence of cash payments, especially in the agriculture sector. This leads to challenges for both buyers as well as financial service providers. The proposed platform aims to address this issue by establishing, enriching and then actioning profiles to enable access to financial products.
The company
Jazz is the largest mobile operator in Pakistan with a user base of over 56 million as of the end of 2018.
Project description
In a country where agriculture employs 39% of the labour force and contributes 19% to GDP, Jazz Pakistan, recognizing the commercial and socio-economic opportunity, are focused on establishing an agriculture vertical within the company. Partnering with GSMA and building on its existing B2C agriculture advisory (AgriVAS) offering for farmers named Bakhabar Kisaan (Informed Farmer), Jazz is partnering with two digital agriculture companies, Ricult and Reap Agro, to digitize farmer profiling, procurement records, payments and advisory for farmers. These pilots are focused on the maize, potatoes and wheat value chains with plans to expand into fruits and vegetables. Jazz is also in the process of designing an in-house platform that aims to address both B2C and B2B customer segments with an objective to improve yields, income and financial inclusion of farmers in Pakistan.
Donor(s)
Partnerships
