AHMEDABAD: Farmers can now book fertilizers at the click of a mouse and get 10 per cent discount as the State’s largest manufacturer, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd, launched cashless transactions on Thursday.
The company has introduced the new payment method using credit and debit cards, mobile applications, and e-wallet SBI Buddy, at its 600 retail centres in Gujarat, and will soon extend the facility to its outlets in half a dozen States.
“In just three days, around 2,000 farmers have purchased 28,000 bags worth Rs. 1 crore using swipe machines while 140 transactions were made on the web portal of the company and the mobile app,” said Rajiv Kumar Gupta, CMD of the company.
“A 10 per cent discount is offered to the farmers, while an additional five per cent discount is given to the retailers. Transaction charges on debit and credit cards are borne by the company,” said Mr. Gupta. All outlets offer free WiFi to carry out mobile app-based transactions.
According to Pankaj Gupta, a senior company official, the farmers can also check the stock. “We have put our entire inventory online, and it keeps getting updated. If a farmer books 10 bags of urea, the same will be deducted from the stock once the transaction is completed.”
“Next time, I will book Narmada urea and Narmada PHOS sitting at my village farm and ask the driver to collect the stock from the warehouse,” said 24-year-old Kaushal Patel, who bought 50 bags of urea at a retail outlet at Dehgam in Gandhinagar district.
