Digitally unified agri value chain: Revolutionising agriculture for sustainable growth

A digitally empowered ecosystem, enabling the complete cycle of agricultural processes – from sowing to farming to supply chain to post-harvest logistics – is what constitutes the “digitally unified agri value chain”. Comprising different stakeholders, from farmers and aggregators to local markets (mandis), traders, warehouses, transporters, processors and enterprises, the Digitally Unified Agri Value Chain aims to benefit everyone in the agricultural space. We can be assured that we are heading towards a “One Nation One Agri Market” thanks to the cutting-edge mobile applications that are integrated with all the components of the Agri Eco System and serves as the foundation for the Digitally Unified Agri Value Chain.

These solutions can be pre-harvest as well as post-harvest, catering to different needs of these stakeholders, and creating innovative solutions with the help of technology. Agriculture and sustainability must go hand in hand and here are some ways in which agriculture industry is adapting.

Speaking about pre-harvest advancements, the industry standard known as precision agriculture enhances agricultural output sustainability through crop management strategies based on monitoring, measuring, and reacting to both temporal and spatial variability. Here the farmers utilise technologies such as IoT sensors, drones, and GPS mapping for optimized resource management, including water, fertilizers, and pesticides. The global market for agricultural drones is expected to be worth $17.9 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 31.5 per cent during the forecast period. Thus, precision agriculture served through digitally unified agri value chain helps to make various giant steps towards sustainability.

Farm management softward

Farm Management Software is another aspect where a lot of emphasis is being given. A report by Research and Markets says the global farm management software market is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 14.7 per cent. Such platforms help farmers in planning, monitoring, and analyzing farm operations, including crop management, inventory tracking, and financial management.

Once the harvest has been produced, there is a need to store and transport this produce to the markets. Digital platforms that streamline logistics, inventory management and traceability from farm to fork are being used by innovative farmers to reach out to bigger markets. The global block chain in agriculture and food supply chain market is anticipated to reach $948 million by 2025, with a CAGR of 48.1 per cent. The advent of platforms such as AGRI REACH, India’s first AI powered mobile app, and certified by NABL, empowers farmer community with advanced technology to instantly assess food grain quality for key commodities, therefore, reaffirming our leadership position by revolutionizing the way Agri Industry assesses the quality of its commodities.

Data analytics

Online agricultural marketplaces and trading platformshas bridged the gap by connecting farmers directly with buyers from anywhere. These platforms enable farmers with greater price transparency, reducing intermediaries and eliminating geographical limitations, hence pushing the agriculture industry towards further growth and adoption of technology at a large scale.

Data analytics is another important arena where technology can be utilised to gain maximum benefit by different stakeholders of the Agri industry. Big data analytics can be utilised for insights into weather patterns, market trends, and crop performance, aiding in informed decision-making. Thereby leading to better quality produce and farmers using technology to the fullest to achieve their desired targets.

It brings us to the conclusion that all stakeholders in the agri ecosystem will need to stay up-to-date with technology and adapt it to their farming practises to contribute to the growth, the agri industry is expected to face. With digitisation and technology as their key supports, the growth to sustainability and better profits is just a click away.

(The author is Head – Technology, Sohan Lal Commodity Management)