E-grocery startup Zepto on Friday announced the launch of Zepto Bloom, a quick commerce app for farmers. The app was launched in Manchar, Pune with Zepto onboarding 300 farmers from Maharashtra on the app.Zepto said the farmer engagement app would digitise and streamline processes like onboarding, sowing, selling, supply of fresh yields and payouts. Collection centres placed across villages will enable farmers to sell their produce directly through the app without the hassle of price auctions or lengthy credit transactions with buyers in the market.
Through the app, farmers could also choose their trade destination with complete visibility of the prices for their produce.Vinay Dhanani, chief operating officer, Zepto said, demand for fruits and vegetables among their customers had grown exponentially with more than 50% of Zepto’s orders comprising fresh fruits and vegetables, making it one of the strongest categories for the company.The app would focus on value creation for India’s farmer community through quick commerce by streamlining their supplies and yields. The farmer app would be a one-stop solution that will cater to the farmers’ needs – from tracking the crop cycle right from sowing to harvesting to receiving seamless payments on the sale of the produce. The farmers will have access to agronomist support at the time of production, clarity on demand and grading aligned to the harvesting period, assured buyback, and on-ground support.
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Currently, Zepto sources directly from over a thousand farmers from across the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. In 2023, the company plans to extend its farmer network to the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand through its Zepto Bloom programme.
Srinibas Swain, senior vice-president, and business head for the fresh category, said Zepto was building a farmer network in the country to take farm fresh produce to Indian homes by building industry-best supply chain practices and ensuring transparency in the process. Through this partnership they would be supporting the farmers with fair pricing, setting quality standards in seeds and crops, aiding the collection process, optimising wastage and return, enabling tech know-how, and financing through partnerships with NBFC.