Flipkart signs MoU with Karnataka Mango Board to enable farmers sell produce online

India’s leading ecommerce marketplace Flipkart has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Karnataka State Mango Department and Marketing Corporation, to enable mango farmers to sell their produce online.

According to Flipkart, this partnership will provide farmers with the much-needed market access to consumers, creating a potential revenue stream during these testing times of coronavirus.

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As part of the MoU, Flipkart will provide its marketplace platform to the Mango Board farmer producer organisations/sellers, growers and traders by enrolling them on the platform.

Flipkart will also provide training and capacity building of how to use the app and other user interfaces. Along with the Mango Board, Indian Post Offices will function as the last-mile delivery operations partners during this season.

On the partnership, Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “These are challenging times for farmers and small business owners across the country, and we are pleased to bring together ecosystem partnerships which benefit larger sections of society.”

Rajneesh said these partnerships bring out the true potential of ecommerce and will play a role in increasing farmers’ income.

Rajendra Kataria, Secretary to Government Horticulture Department and Chairman of Board, Karnataka State Mango Department and Marketing Cooperation, Government of Karnataka, said, “The State Mango Board offers significant capabilities and a distinctive business model by acting as a nodal agency bringing farmer producer organisations (FPO’s) for mango growers/traders, thereby creating a viable market for their produce.”

“Both Flipkart and the Karnataka State Mango Board have actively collaborated to achieve significant business solutions to introduce the farmers to a potential market through e-commerce,” he said.

Over the last few months, Flipkart has partnered with various FMCG and retail companies to bring a wider range of essentials on its platform. With this partnership, the company forays into the farmer producer organisation’s community further contributing to supporting the livelihoods of mango growers and the farmer community, it said.