The Hindu Business Line : Reuters rolls out info service for farmers

Pune, Oct. 1 Reuters has launched Reuters Market Light (RML), a live service to provide farmers in the country with customised updates on commodity pricing, news and weather conditions via SMS messages on cell phones in Hindi, English and the local language, thrice a day.

Such a venture is being undertaken for the first time in the world, and RML, which was launched by the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, today will be available across Maharashtra initially. It will be followed by a phased national rollout.

The model, which aims at providing “whatever information farmers need to run their business efficiently and make better decisions” may also be replicated in other emerging market economies, Mr Amit Mehra, Managing Director, RML, indicated.

Mr Mehra said that RML had signed an MoU with the Agriculture Produce Marketing Board in the State to source relevant information for one year, and had put a network of reporters in place for the purpose. “We want to be in 60 markets by the year-end,” he said, adding that with the service being extended to Punjab, Gujarat and Karnataka by next year, the target was a presence in 300 markets by end of 2008.

RML, which involves an investment of around $16 million over the next couple of years, is at present available to users on GSM networks at a monthly cost of Rs 60. Around 4,000 farmers have already subscribed to it, and the company expects the number to touch 30,000 by the year-end. The products on which information will be provided are onion and corn at present. This will be increased to 11 including oranges, soyabean and wheat.

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