Chennai based startup, eFarm is a farm-to-home supply chain platform for procuring and delivering farm based produce in a transparent, economical and efficient manner .
Essentially, eFarm ties all the entities in value chain – right from farmers, intermediaries, logistics providers, distributors,small time retailers, all the way up to the local road side vendor into a single chain to deliver fresh, clean,low priced farm produce.
This is how eFarm works:
- Identifies the demand from customers in advance (check out this order form(excel sheet))
- Aggregates the demand by produce type and identify the best source of supply.
- Use a simple, IT driven order matching system to determine right sourcing & logistics strategy to fulfill the order.
- Minimise wastage by procuring only what is required
- Fix rates based on overall operational costs and margins taking into account all members in the supply chain
- Immediate distribution through different marketing channels (bulk orders, door delivery, hand carts, walk-ins) to reduce need for storage/deep freezing etc.
- Collate requirements/Aggregate demand using the network of area coordinators.
- Match orders across their network of suppliers, farmers.
- Just in time procurement
Basically, a smart implementation of pull-based supply chain, wherein you reduce the uncertainity in demand forecast/fluctuations (check the step-by-step process in the embedded slideshow).
eFarm also helps farmers understand supply chain – the most interesting part being the fact that they involve every entity in the ecosystem – right from SHGs to Farmers/Government etc.
What’s your opinion on eFarm’s model?
Rate/Review eFarm
Also read: How can Small Retailers compete with Biggies? Launch a Chain?
This is what tamilnadu goverment wanted to do with “farmers market”…
wherein farmers directly coming and market their products (avoiding
all middle fringes).
I don’t think farmers are marketing in those markets. Those places are
used like other markets.
Biggest risk is fighting against the middle-men who are currently
operating.
Good cause… but as a business … may god bless efarm.
http://www.pluggd.in/indian-retail-industry/small-retailers-compete-with-big-chains-2824/
We actually dont fight any middlemen. becuase everybody does have a role to play. In every developed market/supply chain, the supplier, transporter, distributor, retailer system is well estbalished. The so called middlement in organaised sector carry such titles which are well recognised. But in agri, they are somehow detested, becuase they dont seem to add much value other than hiking prices. Hence we fouc on retraining, professionlising, and value addition at each step .
@venkat. That is precisely the point. They don’t do anything than hiking prices (or rather controlling to make profit by doing nothing). If you start taking that pie….think of what they will do.
My opinion is that:
As long as you are a small player not hitting their income you are ok. But when u want to scale up u have to come head-on with those so called middle men. So be prepared and have action plans in place.
My 2-rupees worth.
I am sure the promoters have done their homework. While the bulk segment (catering) operates on price, the home segment is sensitive in the sense the picking up of vegetables and greens is a touch and feel process. There is definitely no dearth of varieties of vegetables for any one to store for more than a day’s requirement and with the modern trade getting into vegetable vending in a big way, even the seasonal variations have disappeared… what is the gap they are trying to fulfil. I wouldn’t be sure until I experience. Well. It is a bold initiative. Wishing them good early traction and success.
Hi nagas
If you are in Chennai you can drop by our mobile stores to check out the quality & price. We are also training several push carts & tricyclkewallhs to start stocking our items. The type of vegetables stocked is based on our own market study of the most fast moving items. Other items are made upon specific advance orders.
Hence we have a offline (physical stores) for touch and feel and online (for preordering) which gets delivered in bulk.
venky , efarm
iam very intresting to your concept.please give me some details,how to marketing vegitables to door by door.