In May 2010, our people launched a free service for farmers in India. This service was designed to break through the challenges of illiteracy and rural isolation and provide Indian farmers with possible solutions to their crop challenges.

The Monsanto Farm AgVisory^SM Services (MFAS) program, known as “Dr. DEKALB Farm Care” for corn growers, is an innovative and interactive mobile advisory platform for farmers. Mobile phone adoption in rural areas is actually quite high, which makes cell phones an ideal platform for delivering information. The Dr. DEKALB service offers a toll-free number that farmers can call to speak directly with an advisor. Available 365 days a year, Dr. DEKALB Farm Care is a customized approach to providing information and advising farmers in remote locations on a variety of topics that help them produce heartier crops and higher yields.

The inbound advisory function provides assistance in crop management, such as pest and disease control, fertilizer usage, weed management and irrigation. Additionally, farmers can access information on pre-planting and harvest issues, including suitable seed selection, land preparation, harvesting issues, weather forecasts, and yield and local commodity prices. This information is designed to provide useful insights on six crops via different service brand platforms: Dr. Paras Farm Care for Cotton; Dr. DEKALB Farm Care for Corn, and Seminis Gurukulam Farm Care for Hot Pepper, Tomato, Cabbage and Cauliflower. All of the information is available in seven languages to farmers in 16 Indian states.

Dr. DEKALB Farm Care also offers outbound advisory functions as well. After registering for the service free of cost, farmers receive customized messages sent to their mobile phone throughout the season. Alerts consist of information regarding crop management, hybrid recommendations, weather forecasts and local commodity prices.

The Dr. DEKALB service offers a toll-free number that farmers can call to speak directly with an Advisor. Available 365 days a year from 7 am-9 pm.

The Voices on the Other End of the Phone

Sixty percent of our advisors are formally educated in agriculture. Each of them undergoes an intensive three-month training program that prepares them to answer tough questions and assist farmers in need. The training program includes crop training, examinations, mock call tests, voice and language training and skills enhancement.

Our people know how important it is for a farmer to be able to communicate with an advisor. When a farmer calls, he or she is directed to an advisor who speaks his or her own local dialect.

Dr. DEKALB Farm Care also offers a three-tier advisory support platform. When a farmer calls into the center, an advisor attempts to resolve the query. If the advisor is unable to provide an answer, the query is sent to our expert panel. The solution is then passed back to the advisor, who relays the advice to the farmer. If no solutions can be provided, a representative will visit the farmer’s field and provide advice and insight.

The Results Are Amazing

In 2010, the inaugural year of the Dr. DEKALB Farm Care program, 10,000 farmers enrolled in the service. In 2013, the enrolled base has exceeded the 800,000 mark. When we collected feedback through surveys and farmer interactions, we found that the Dr. DEKALB Farm Care program had delivered in an impressive way. A sample of 6,000 farmers in the States of Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh revealed that 86 percent had implemented the Advisory and 78 percent had benefitted from its use through yield enhancement and cost reduction. Over 90 percent of farmers said they were extremely satisfied with the program, as they had a great customer experience. Just as important, 99 percent said they are likely to be associated with DEKALB due to the service.

Monsanto Farm AgVisory^®Service – The farmer-specific advisory platform has been, by all indicators, a powerful resource for Indian farmers. By helping to diagnose a farmer’s problem and provide them with a customized advisory, regardless of dialect, our people have built on our promise to improve lives and increase yields.

THE ENROLLED BASE HAS EXCEEDED 800,000 MARK