80pc Bangladeshi farmers own mobiles: WB

Around 80 percent of farmers in Bangladesh now own mobile phones which they use to estimate the market demand for their crops, the World Bank has said.

In a study titled "Information and Communication for Development 2012: Maximising Mobile", the World Bank found that farmers arrange for sales through mobile phones.

The study conducted in Bangladesh, China, India and Vietnam by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C., highlighting the important role the mobile device plays in linking markets and key stages of the value chain.

Mehboob Chowdhury, chairman of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, said farmers also use the devices to get information on seed varieties, crop rotation and ways to improve quantity and quality of their yields.

In Bangladesh, 95 percent of the country's area and 99 percent of the population are covered by mobile phone networks, with a total subscription of 9.37 crore.