monsanto's corporate responsibility & sustainability
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Spring Progress Report
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Communit ies
Bringing Farmers What They Need Most: Timelyand Customized Information
In May 2010, our people launched a free service for farmers in India. This servicewas 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 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 acustomized 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 toprovide 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.
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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.
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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 farmers field and
provide advice and insight.
THE RESULTS RE M ZING
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.
My corn fields were experiencing extremely slow growth. I immediately called
Dr. DEKALB Farm Care and the advisor recommended that I apply a dosage of
19:19:19 nitrogen:phosphorous:potassium (NPK). Within one week the condition
of my fields improved significantly! I hope more and more farmers use this
service. I am very happy with my healthy and higher yielding crop all thanks to
Dr. DEKALB Farm Care.
Sonar Rehman,Farmer, Purnea, Bihar
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 farmers problem and provide them with a customized advisory,regardless of dialect, our people have built on our promise to improve lives and
increase yields.
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THE ENROLLED BASE HAS EXCEEDED 800,000 MARK