Virtual farming takes root on iPhone

iFarm is a free download with monetisation coming from the purchase of in-game currency. PlayMesh Points are available in increments between five and 400, costing between 59p and an eye-watering £29.99.

Surprisingly, the additional purchases are not made in-game but are instead handled via separate purchases on the App Store.

iFarm’s currently at number five in the UK free app chart and number four in the free game listing.

FarmVille, from developer Zynga, is currently regarded as the world’s most popular game with monthly users totalling 65m worldwide – that’s one in every five Facebook users, according to VentureBeat.