Tech-enabled services for farmers and environment to prosper together
By Dhruv Sawhney, Business Head, and COO, nurture.farm
India is primarily an agrarian economy, and it’s no surprise that agriculture and allied activities engage around 57% of its population. The sector’s overall value in 2021 was INR 20,336 billion. According to IMARC Group, the market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 10.4 percent between 2021 and 2026.
However, despite the country reaching food self-sufficiency in production, resource-intensive agriculture and low farmer productivity continue to impact the sector heavily, resulting in poverty and malnutrition. Furthermore, agriculture is one of the few industries that has been sluggish in accepting technology, one of the essential components that will ensure the industry’s overall growth and success. The sector has also been one of the biggest producers of carbon footprint, making eco-friendly alternatives imperative to the planet’s wellbeing. That said, as we begin 2022, let’s take a look at some aspects that will be at the top of the priority list for Agritech players.
Digitization of the farming ecosystem
The agricultural ecology is centered on the farm and the farmer. It’s probably time for one of the oldest sectors to embrace a digital, connectivity-fueled change to keep up with rising demand and a slew of disruptive forces.To build robust infrastructure in the ecosystem, Agritech businesses are focusing their cutting-edge technology on offering growers real-time farmer advisory services, such as voice and text messaging on weather forecasts, crop calendars, irrigation and fertilizer recommendations, seeds, and inputs at market price. Digital technology has the potential to transform the agricultural sector and foster a sustainable ecosystem that produces resilient farmers.
Promoting sustainable agriculture
Every year, rice paddy stubble is burned on fields in India’s northern plains, causing severe environmental problems and soil depletion. This is because the farmers have no other feasible option and believe it is a cheaper, faster, and more efficient way to clear the land in time for the next cropping cycle. Understanding this, many businesses are assisting farmers in ditching the matchstick in favor of sustainable, regenerative agricultural practices through the Crop Residue Management initiative.
Farmers can benefit from sustainable solutions as it helps them reduce the use of water, electricity, and pesticides while also improving their soil’s biological imprint. As a result, businesses reward farmers who practice sustainable agriculture through carbon programs and green labeling. They receive credits based on how much carbon they sequester. Sustainable farming practices are undeniably the future of agriculture, and continued, effective, large-scale implementation will make it one of the most eco-friendly industries.
Providing Market Linkage
One of the most challenging aspects for a smallholder farmer is bringing his produce to market on time and at the best possible price. Farmers also need to sell their products to buyers, such as grocery stores, shops, eCommerce companies, and local marketplaces. As a result, agritech companies must focus on creating a market for sustainably grown produce that is connected from end to end. This will help farmers with unrestricted market access, shared revenues, and the elimination of intermediaries. Farmers may quickly access these portals via their mobile phones and can even look for specific information relevant to current market pricing, giving them the option to sell their harvests to markets that offer the best price realization.
Bringing the Agri inputs marketplace on an online platform
Input material plays a crucial role in determining the quality and quantity of the output and the farmer’s income and livelihood at the beginning of the farming cycle. Farmers are frequently misguided about the types, solutions, and dosages of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to use, resulting in over-usage of the wrong kind, which then impacts the produce. To bridge this gap, the focus should be on developing a marketplace that allows Agri input retailers and dealers to purchase pesticides, fertilizers, equipment and other nutrition and biological products directly from manufacturers. Farmers will be able to buy authentic items at competitive prices without facing barriers of borders.
Empowering rural economy by generating jobs around agriculture
Rural India has a natural propensity to produce and innovate and be resilient, and harnessing that potential through productive employment opportunities is vital to sustainable development. Besides this, women farmers in India are unrecognized. As a result, Agritech companies should emphasize women’s empowerment by bringing them to the forefront of agriculture. Many companies are already launching several initiatives to give women an equal chance to participate in agriculture and allied services to contribute, and improve their quality of life. They are even investing in education and skills to spur productive change and empower rural economies by creating jobs in the agriculture sector.
Final word
Agritech players are revolutionizing the industry and empowering stakeholders and farmers with innovation, tech-driven processes, quality, safety, traceability, and sustainability to ensure that the farmer and the environment flourish together.
