AI, blockchain, IoT powered e-marketplace for Indian farmers

Agri10x can identify best farming practices and provide inputs to farmers regarding the ideal time in a year to sell the given crop. It plans to take the high-end solutions to different agricultural communities across the world in order to promote sustainable farming backed by emergent technologies. The startup leverages the power of data-precision through artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and Internet of things (IoT), to provide real-time synchronisation of supply and demand.

How effective is your blockchain agri-tech platform in helping farmers? How many farmers have been onboarded this year?

Farmer’s world over are facings tremendous difficulties with regards to demonstrating nourishment for the ever-developing population, explicitly: challenges from environmental change, floods, dry season, and desertification, misfortune of biodiversity, bugs and ailment. Advancement in farming procedures with the help of technologies like AI and blockchain we can are expect to survive a portion of these difficulties and make agriculture alluring to and productive for those who are responsible for feeding the world. We currently have over 10 lakh farmers and expect to onboard more than 30 lakh farmers by December 2020.

What has been your focus on tech innovation?

Our emphasis is on technology in agriculture as it is the need of the hour. Blockhain enhances transparency and traceability that can be leveraged to create more efficient supply chains. In India agriculture is a highly unorganized sector and we hope to streamline this sector using tech innovation that will not only promote better standardised and organized markets but also ensure the farmer gets a fair price for his produce.

The agricultural sector in India continues to face humongous challenges, how can technologies like AI and blockchain bring about a difference?

The ascent of advanced farming and its related innovations has opened an abundance of new information openings. Technologies like advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, far off sensors, satellites, and UAVs can assemble data 24 hours out of every day over a whole field. These can screen plant wellbeing, soil condition, temperature, dampness, and so forth.

In the times of the Covid pandemic, how has your tech platform been extremely useful?

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for us in a lot of ways. Talking in the Indian setting, the Covid-19 pandemic has in a way made an earnestness to intensify the digital agribusiness development in India. Furthermore, the newer generation of farmers is ready to try alternative ways to reaching out to their buyers they aren’t restricted to the traditional means of buying and selling.

What is the nature of the partnership you have with the Government of India?

We have entered into a partnership with the government to help farmers directly sell their produce in the market. This partnership will give us an exclusive access to the government’s 5 lakh common service centres (CSCs) across India, through which village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs) would help farmers register on the Agri10x platform and help them sell their produce directly.

What are your plans for the future in terms of new technologies and strategic expansion?

Our goal is to disrupt the agriculture sector and that is only possible with new technologies. Future in agriculture will utilise complex innovations like robots, temperature, and dampness sensors this accuracy will make cultivating more productive, proficient, and safe for the environment.

Any other significant factor you wish to talk about?

Innovation in the agtech field is advancing at a fast pace and the Indian government alongside agtech organisations can create a plethora of opportunities, not just for the farmers but also for the agtech firms. We have to ensure that these entities carefully engage the farmers and furnish them with the required resources, only then can we progress as a country.