SafalFasal unlocks financial access for 75,000 Indian farmers, aims to repair Coronavirus-hit supply chain

Global digital payment solutions leader BPC and its SME Marketplace, SafalFasal, have supported more than 75,000Covid-hit farmers across India by offering technological and financial solutions to help the farm sector keep food and supply chain rolling, during and after the lockdown phase. The company has successfully extended formal financing to the farming industry by creating an easy credit line via NBFCs.

With the COVID-19 exposing new vulnerabilities on the agriculture sector, crops and livestock prices, vital advice and mentoring are being extended from multiple institutions backing SafalFasal, including Tanager, Bayer, Coromondal, Greaves and other reputed domestic and international players. These relationships have helped farmers match with buyers and ecosystem partners and create contingency plans.

The first of its kind in India, SafalFasal provides linkage to credit providers and also serves as a platform to access suppliers and trade with merchants and distributors, in an end-to-end ecosystem. BPC has shared pilot phase results run between 1st January and 31st March, from this new digital platform, which showcases how SafalFasal has helped Indian farmers. Working with ICICI Bank, as well as microfinance institutions and P2P lenders, SafalFasal provides FPOs and retailers with instant access to digital finance to support farmers previously excluded from the formal economy and immediately pay them for their produce. Over time, FPOs build a financial profile that enables more accurate credit scoring, improving the rate for them, while reducing the risk for the lender.