This grant had a successful first year. IDE built a strong team, met its 2008 milestones, and positioned itself well to meet the grant’s broader goal.
Listening to understand farmers’ needs: IDE conducted its first formal “voice of the customer” survey to better understand customer needs and preferences. A remarkable 98 percent of the respondents said they would recommend the irrigation products they’d purchased to others. This survey will be repeated annually, and will help guide further product designs and enhancements.
Marketing matters: IDE made good progress in communicating the value of their products. They use a brand within India called Krishak Bandhu (“the farmer’s friend”) that has been well received. They’ve also developed a “video van” that travels to local markets to conduct demonstrations and build awareness. So far, this van has reached nearly 400,000 people.
Continuing to innovate: In addition to innovations in outreach, IDE has continued to innovate in their product designs based on direct farmer feedback. Affordability is still one of the key issues farmers cite. To address this, IDE replaced some metal parts of its treadle pumps with bamboo—which is up to 40 percent cheaper. It’s also lighter, making the pump easier to transport, install, and use.
Credit is a challenge, but key to success: IDE develops “radically affordable” tools that farmers buy—rather than receive for free—and then use to increase their food security and incomes. Despite the tools’ low cost, many of IDE’s target customers don’t have enough cash on hand to buy them. They’re also often too poor to qualify for a loan from a bank. IDE is exploring four different models for providing credit to farmers in India, but so far none has proven workable on a large scale. IDE is planning to hire dedicated staff in 2009 to focus on this challenge
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