• 'JFarm Services' - India's leading tractor and farm equipment rental platform
• TAFE's CSR initiative to support small and marginal farmers
• Farmer-to-Farmer model (F2F) - Farmers can offer all brands of tractors and implements on rent
• Aids rural entrepreneurship and generates additional revenue for farmers

February 07, 2019 | Vijayawad, Andhra Pradesh: TAFE’s 'JFarm Services'is a CSR initiative aligned to TAFE’s vision of Cultivating The World to enrich the lives of farmers across India. This initiative was launched acrossAndhra Pradesh in partnership with the State Government, by Sri. Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture & Agriculture Processing, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

About 86% of the land holdings in Andhra Pradesh are owned by small and marginal farmers, who have limited or no access to farm mechanization. With about 62% of the working population dependent on agriculture as a source of livelihood, there is tremendous potential in the state for growth and increase in productivity through farm mechanization.

TAFE’s JFarm Services aims to increase easy access to farm mechanization solutions through rental of tractors and modern farm equipment to small and marginal farmers, provide localized weather forecast, latest mandi prices, agri-news alerts and advisory, enhancing their productivity and increasing their income significantly.

It facilitates the hiring of tractors and modern farm machinery to farmers free of cost through its Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) rental platform and will be available across all 13 districts in the state. TAFE’s JFarm Services will collaborate with the agricultural development officers of the Andhra Pradesh government to ensure wide outreach and successful roll-out of the platform.

Ms. Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman & CEO - TAFE, said: “India is a land of small farms. A majority of our farmers, almost 85% of them, have no access to farm mechanization which has the potential to improve their yields and income. JFarm Services is a CSR initiative that allows both - farmers offering their tractors and farm equipmenton rent, and smaller farmers seeking this service, to benefit directly from the JFarm Services app. It is our aim to touch the lives of millions of farmers across the country."

The JFarm Services App will connect tractor owners and Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) operated by tractors and equipment owners directly to farmers seeking farm mechanization solutions, thereby facilitating a fair and transparent rental process while focusing on quality, dependability and timely delivery.JFarm Services offers the farmers and renters a wide range of prospects for hiring and renting of farm equipment and connects them directly to negotiate and fulfil their respective requirement. With this pioneering platform, TAFE brings the benefits of the technology-enabled sharing economy to boost the income of farmers.

Mr. T R Kesavan, President & COO, Product Strategy & Corporate Relations - TAFE, said: “TAFE’s JFarm Services collaborated with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to launch the JFarm Services App which offers a transparent Farmer-to-Farmer platform, free of any hidden charges or commissions, that enables farmers to rent their existing tractors and implements of any brand to other farmers seeking to hire modern feature-rich agricultural equipment. This initiative will support the statein making farm mechanization available to small and marginal farmers through the shared economy model, to create sustainable agricultural productivity and growth for the state."

Farmers can hire tractors and equipment via the JFarm Services Android App or by contacting the toll-free helpline 1800-4-200-100 / 1800-208-4242. The App can be used on low-cost Android phones, is designed to run on very little data and can be used in Telugu apart from the various other regional languages. The JFarm Services App is a stellar example of the Digital India initiative, tailored to benefit the Indian agricultural landscape. This service by TAFE will foster digital empowerment of Indian farmers while creating a breed of new rural entrepreneurs and significant job opportunities.

JFarm Services has a presence in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, and has directly benefitted about 85,000 users resulting in over 405,000 hours in hired farm machinery usage. In a short span of time, JFarm Services has become India’s largest and biggest player in farm equipment aggregation operations.

About 'JFarm' and 'JFarm Services': JFarmServices.in

TAFE established JFarm India in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in 1964 with an objective of empowering farmers with advanced farm technologies to increase farm productivity and meet India’s growing food demands. Over the years, JFarm focuses on sustainable agriculture, adapting existing technologies in farming for local farming conditions and sharing this knowledge with farmers.

JFarm Services is an initiative by TAFE to increase easy access to farm mechanization solutions through rental of tractors and farm equipment for small and large farms, localized weather forecast, latest mandi prices, agri-news alerts and advisory.

Small and marginal farmers, who hold about 85% of the land holdings in India may not be able to afford ownership of tractors or implements. JFarm Services bridges this gap by connecting these farmers with tractor and equipment owners through its Farmer-2-Farmer platform. Farmers can explore and book nearby equipment through:

JFarm Services Android App | OR Toll-free helpline: 1800-4-200-100 / 1800-208-4242

This free app connects tractor owners and Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) operated by tractors and equipment owners directly to farmers seeking farm mechanization solutions, thereby facilitating a fair and transparent rental process while focusing on quality, dependability and timely delivery. JFarm Services offers the farmers and renters a wide range of prospects for hiring and renting of farm equipment and connects them directly to negotiate and fulfill their respective requirements.

With the creation of this platform comprising farm machinery owners and users, JFarm Services has impacted the lives of over 85,000 farmers across 9 states in India since its inception in 2017. Currently, JFarm Services (JFS) operates in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana and Tamil Nadu - making farm mechanization viable and affordable to all.