Zepto, the e-grocery startup, has recently launched an innovative app called Zepto Bloom, aimed at facilitating quick commerce for farmers. The app was unveiled in Manchar, Pune, with 300 farmers from Maharashtra already onboard. According to Zepto, the app will digitalize and streamline several processes, including onboarding, sowing, selling, the supply of fresh yields, and payouts. The app will enable farmers to sell their produce directly via collection centres located across villages, eliminating the challenges posed by price auctions or lengthy credit transactions with market buyers.
The app will also provide farmers with complete visibility of prices for their produce, allowing them to choose their trade destination. Vinay Dhanani, the Chief Operating Officer of Zepto, emphasized that more than 50% of Zepto’s orders comprise fresh fruits and vegetables, which is one of the strongest categories for the company. The app will focus on value creation for India’s farmer community through quick commerce, streamlining their supplies and yields. The app is a one-stop solution for farmers, from tracking the crop cycle right from sowing to harvesting, to receiving seamless payments on the sale of their produce. The farmers will have access to agronomist support at the time of production, clarity on demand and grading aligned with the harvesting period, assured buyback, and on-ground support.
Currently, Zepto sources directly from over a thousand farmers from various Indian states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The company plans to extend its farmer network to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in 2023, through its Zepto Bloom programme.
Srinibas Swain, the Senior Vice-President, and Business Head for the Fresh Category, noted that Zepto was building a farmer network in India to bring farm-fresh produce to Indian households by implementing industry-best supply chain practices and ensuring transparency in the process. Through this partnership, the company aims to support farmers with fair pricing, setting quality standards in seeds and crops, aiding the collection process, optimizing wastage and return, enabling tech know-how, and financing through partnerships with NBFC.
The launch of the Zepto Bloom app is a significant step towards supporting the Indian farmer community by streamlining their supplies and yields, providing transparency in the process, and ensuring fair pricing. The app’s one-stop solution approach will be instrumental in increasing the visibility of prices and eliminating lengthy credit transactions, ultimately making it easier for farmers to sell their produce directly to customers.
