EcoFarmer Information Services include a number of different products which lets farmers receive or request farming-related feedback over the phone.
Some EcoFarmer services are free while others are paid for. Current EcoFarmer services include EcoFarmer Advisory Tips, Dial-a-Mudhumeni and Advisory and Advertorial Services Bulk SMS.
ECOFARMER SMS ADVISORY TIPS
EcoFarmer Tips is a subscription based advisory service which offers tips to smallholder farmers.
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DIAL-A-MUDHUMENI
Through the Dial-a-Mudhumeni advisory call centres, customers with an Econet line can call 144 to talk to a farming specialist for FREE on any of the following helplines hosted by EcoFarmer’s partners;
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Crop Production and Marketing Helpline
This helpline is manned by crop and marketing specialists from Mubatsiri.
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Tobacco Helpline
This helpline is hosted by tobacco specialists from the Tobacco Research Board at Kutsaga.
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Livestock Helpline
This helpline is hosted by specialists from the Department of Livestock Production and Veterinary Services.
Please note these helplines are open between 8am and 1pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays.
Although our helplines are mainly manned by specialists from the hosting partners, other service providers, input suppliers and buyers are invited to the talk to farmers on specific topical issues affecting farmers from time to time as special guests. Farmers also receive notifications on when they can talk to these special guests on specific issues via SMS or over the radio.
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ADVISORY AND ADVERTORIAL BULK SMS
EcoFarmer’s Advisory and Advertorial Bulk SMS service allows farmers to keep in touch with existing and potential suppliers and buyers.
It is a service that allows agribusinesses to communicate with farmers producing specific commodities in specific regions, advising them on the best production practices and giving them offers via SMS.
Farmers also receive notifications on special offers, new state-of-the-art technologies, and buyers’ offers which will allow them to reduce their costs and improve their incomes. Every SMS is sent with a unique sender ID of the company or with an EcoFarmer sender ID, but signed by the customer. Customers who do not wish to receive commercial manages have an option to unsubscribe from the recipients list. Instructions on how to unsubscribe are sent with the bulk SMS message.