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Innovative Payment Solutions in Agricultural Value Chain as a Means for Greater Financial Inclusion

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Publication date
16/06/2010
Number of Pages
8
Language:
English
Type of Publication:
Articles & Journals
Focus Region:
Asia and the Pacific
Focus Topic:
Agricultural Value Chains / Agri-Businesses
Rural Finance / Insurance
Type of Risk:
Market-related
Type of Risk Managment Option:
Risk reduction/mitigation
Commodity:
Other
Author
Tushar Pandey, Nagahari Krishna, Venetia Vickers, Antonio Menezes, M. Raghavendra
Organization
Strategic Initiatives Government Advisory (SIGA) Group, YES BANK Limited, Worli, Mumbai

The efforts for financial inclusion need to be designed with a vision beyond just the percentage of the country population with access to a bank account or a no frills account; to focus more on how this can enhance the capability and convenience for the un-banked and under-banked, specifically the small and marginal farmers in this case, to enable greater transparency, accountability, efficiency and convenient access to necessary facilities. The growth of ICT industry and mobile telecom revolution in India has provided immense opportunities for targeting various nodes in an agricultural value chain; and in linking small and marginal farmers. By leveraging on the available technology, payment systems such as mobile-based and card-based can extend the convenience and will revolutionize the transaction environment with the agricultural value chain. These new payment mechanisms help to mitigate the issues faced by farmers who face agricultural risks, but lack financial access to prepare for those risks.