Tata’s Rallis India Unveils Idea2Impact™ to Drive Farmer-Centric Agri Innovation

Rallis India Limited, a Tata Enterprise and a science-led agri-solutions Company, today announced the launch of Idea2Impact™ – Rallis Agri Innovation Ecosystem, a structured open innovation platform aimed at fostering collaboration across the agricultural ecosystem to accelerate the development of farmer-centric, sustainable solutions.

Idea2Impact™ has been conceived to bring external ideas, scientific capability, and real-world field insights together in a transparent and responsible manner. The ecosystem enables collaboration with farmers, researchers, startups, academic institutions, and small enterprises, providing them access to Rallis’ scientific expertise, R&D infrastructure, testing and validation capabilities, and pan-India market reach.

Indian agriculture is facing increasing complexity driven by climate variability, sustainability expectations, evolving regulatory requirements, and changing farmer needs. Rallis believes that addressing these challenges requires innovation that extends beyond organisational boundaries and is firmly grounded in scientific rigor and on-field relevance.

Idea2Impact™ follows a structured, milestone-based governance framework, covering confidentiality, evaluation, development, and value-sharing. Innovations submitted through the platform may progress through laboratory studies, greenhouse and multi-location field trials, piloting, and—where appropriate—commercialization, supported by clear intellectual property and royalty frameworks.

Dr. Gyanendra Shukla, Managing Director & CEO, Rallis India Limited, said —

At Rallis, we believe that meaningful agricultural innovation emerges when strong science is combined with fresh ideas and real field experience. Idea2Impact™ is our way of opening up Rallis’ capabilities to the wider ecosystem, while maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency, and scientific rigor. This platform will help us work more closely with innovators to develop solutions that deliver real value to farmers and contribute to the long-term sustainability of Indian agriculture.”

The ecosystem will focus on priority innovation domains critical to Indian agriculture, including Seeds and Trait Innovation (covering plant breeding and germplasm), Biological and Sustainable Solutions,

Crop Protection, Soil Health, Digital and Precision Agriculture, and Climate & Water Resilience. These focus areas align closely with Rallis’ long-term portfolio priorities and growth strategy.

As part of the Tata Group, Rallis brings to Idea2Impact™ a strong foundation of ethical practices, governance standards, and a long-term partnership mindset. Collaborations under the platform will emphasize responsible innovation, respect for intellectual property, transparent benefit-sharing mechanisms, and measurable farmer impact.

Through Idea2Impact™, Rallis aims to strengthen its innovation pipeline, accelerate the validation and scaling of relevant technologies, and build long-term partnerships that support sustainable value creation for farmers, partners, and stakeholders.

UP Govt Launches ONDC-like Open Network for Agriculture, Powered by Google's Gemini and Beckn Protocol

The Government of Uttar Pradesh, in collaboration with Google Cloud India, has launched the Uttar Pradesh Open Network for Agriculture (UPONA). This initiative is powered by Google's Gemini framework and the Beckn Protocol, aiming to provide millions of farmers with a comprehensive digital platform.

The UPONA specifically targets farmers, providing services like agricultural advisory, credit access, and market linkages

The UPONA is quite similar to the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) as both initiatives aim to create open, decentralized platforms that facilitate access to essential services and promote digital inclusion. Both initiatives aim to create open, decentralized platforms that facilitate access to essential services and promote digital inclusion.

The Beckn Protocol, which is the backbone of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), is also powering UPONA. While the UPONA focuses on farmers, ONDC aims to support small businesses and retailers by providing a unified platform for e-commerce.

Key Features:

Services Offered: The network offers advisory services, credit access, mechanization, and market linkages.

Accessibility: Farmers can access the network using voice commands in multiple languages, including Hindi, Bangla, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, and Punjabi.

Open and Decentralized: Unlike traditional marketplace apps, this network is designed to be open and decentralized, allowing various service providers to join and connect with farmers.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): The network leverages Google Cloud’s DPI-in-a-box offering and the Beckn Protocol to enable interoperability and decentralized discovery of products and services.

This initiative is a significant step towards enhancing the agricultural ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh and empowering farmers with the tools and resources they need to thrive.

Key Similarities Between UPONA & ONDC

Open and Decentralized: Both networks are designed to be open and decentralized, allowing various service providers to join and connect with users.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Both initiatives leverage DPI to enhance service delivery and accessibility.

Interoperability: Both networks use open standards to enable interoperability and decentralized discovery of products and services.

Focus on Farmers and Small Businesses: While the UP Open Network for Agriculture focuses on farmers, ONDC aims to support small businesses and retailers by providing a unified platform for e-commerce.

Key Differences Between UPONA & ONDC

Target Audience: The UP Open Network for Agriculture specifically targets farmers, providing services like agricultural advisory, credit access, and market linkages. ONDC, on the other hand, targets a broader audience, including small businesses and consumers, to facilitate digital commerce.

Services Offered: The UP Open Network for Agriculture offers specialized services for the agricultural sector, while ONDC focuses on creating a unified e-commerce platform for various industries.

Both initiatives are significant steps towards enhancing digital infrastructure and promoting economic growth in India.

A Personalized Virtual Tractor Drive – a Unique Initiative by Mahindra Tractors

In continuation with celebrating 60 years of Mahindra Tractors, India’s No. 1 tractor brand launched a unique virtual tractor drive experience for customers to generate a realistic, life like personalized video of themselves driving a Mahindra Tractor.

Following the unveil of 'Desh ka Tractor: ‘Mitti se juda, Junoon se Saja', as a tribute to the Indian farming community, the virtual tractor drive was launched to foster a deeper connection with the brand, while capitalising on the celebratory mood of the festive season.

Partnering with Vitra.ai, a leader in AI-driven face augmentation technology for video personalization and translation, Mahindra Tractors aims to provide farmers with a personal "HERO MOMENT" of themselves alongside a Mahindra Tractor. Utilizing cutting-edge rich media powered by advanced machine learning and deep learning methodologies, Vitra.ai’s face augmentation technology enables Mahindra to deliver a first-of-its-kind seamless hyper-personalized video experience for customers, in Mahindra Tractors campaign videos.

To generate a personalised video, users need to go through a simple intuitive process by visiting the Mahindra Tractors website and upload a picture of themselves, their cell phone number and location, for the video to be delivered over WhatsApp, in regional languages based on their location.

Commenting on the initiative, Vikram Wagh, Chief Executive Officer – Mahindra Tractors, said, "At Mahindra Tractors, we are excited to present the first-ever virtual tractor drive, a brand-new initiative that represents our brand at the forefront of technology beyond just our products for a deeper connection with our new and evolving farmers. The new initiative is a testament to the power of AI, through which we have already enabled over 250,000 experiences.”

Soon Farmers Can Sell Carbon Credits, to Industries, Earned from Adopting Sustainable Agricultural Practices

The initiative to provide carbon credits to farmers in eight states is a groundbreaking effort to promote sustainable agriculture

Soon, Farmers in eight states will be financially rewarded for adopting sustainable agricultural practices, such as low tillage, direct-seeded rice (DSR), nitrogen management, and crop residue management.

The initiative to provide carbon credits to farmers is actually limited to eight specific states in India: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

This program aims to incentivize environmentally friendly farming and help farmers earn additional income through carbon credits.

The private company involved in this particular carbon credit program for farmers is Grow Indigo. It's a joint venture between Mahyco, an Indian seed company, and Indigo Ag, a US-based agriculture technology company. Grow Indigo is responsible for enrolling farmers, managing carbon credit projects, and ensuring that the credits are generated and sold according to the Verra certification standards.

How It Works

Farmers will be rewarded for adopting sustainable practices such as low tillage, direct-seeded rice (DSR), nitrogen management, and crop residue management. These practices help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health.

Financial Rewards: The carbon credits earned by farmers can be sold to industries, such as aviation, mining, and fertilizer manufacturing, which need to offset their carbon footprints. Approximately 75% of the revenue from the sale of carbon credits will flow back to the farmers.

Third-Party Audit: The carbon credits are certified by Verra, a global voluntary greenhouse gas reduction program, ensuring that the credits are legitimate and verifiable.

Based on the certification by Verra, the carbon credits will be awarded to farmers in the next couple of months. This certification ensures that the carbon credits are legitimate and verifiable, providing farmers with a reliable way to earn additional income through sustainable agricultural practices

Impact: The program aims to benefit small and marginal farmers by providing them with an additional source of income while promoting environmentally friendly farming practices.

Grow Indigo has enrolled 80,000 farmers in Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana covering diverse crops in over 40,000 hectare in various carbon programme.

This initiative is a significant step towards making agriculture more sustainable and helping farmers earn extra income through carbon credits.

To recall, earlier this month IndianWeb2 reported that India is gearing up for its first carbon credit sale, with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) playing a crucial role.

In July this year, the Agriculture Ministry has developed the framework for promoting the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) in the agricultural sector to encourage small and marginal farmers to get carbon credit benefits.Introducing carbon markets to farmers can accelerate the acceptance of eco-friendly agriculture practices while enhancing their income.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (under the Ministry of Power) is also involved in developing the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme.

Modi Govt Approves 7 Major Agricultural Projects With ~ $1.67 Bn Allocation in Total

Narendra Modi led central government of India has approved seven major agricultural projects with a total allocation of nearly ₹14,000 crore (about US $1.67 Billion) . These initiatives aim to modernize farming operations and enhance food security.

One of the key projects is the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM), which has an outlay of ₹2,817 crore. This mission focuses on leveraging technology to improve farmers' lives through initiatives like the Agri Stack and Krishi Decision Support System.

The Agri Stack is a key component of the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) in India. It aims to create a comprehensive digital database to support and enhance agricultural activities.

The Agri Stack will create a comprehensive database of farmers, land usage, and crop patterns, while the Krishi Decision Support System will use geospatial data and weather information to help farmers make informed decisions.

The 7 Agricultural Projects approved are:

1. Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM): ₹2,817 crore

Focuses on integrating modern technologies like AI and big data into farming to improve decision-making and efficiency.

2. Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security: ₹3,979 crore

Aims to enhance research and education in agriculture, manage plant genetic resources, and improve genetic traits for food and fodder crops.

3. Strengthening Agricultural Education and Management: ₹2,291 crore

Modernizes agricultural education in line with the New Education Policy 2020, incorporating digital public infrastructure, AI, big data, and remote sensing.

4. Sustainable Livestock Health and Production: ₹1,702 crore

Focuses on improving livestock health and production to enhance the quality and quantity of animal-based food products.

5. Sustainable Development of Horticulture: ₹860 crore

Promotes the growth of horticulture to diversify agricultural production and increase farmers' income.

6. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and Natural Resource Management: ₹1,202 crore

Strengthens the network of KVKs and focuses on sustainable management of natural resources.

7. Natural Resource Management: ₹1,115 crore

Aims to ensure the sustainable use and management of natural resources in agriculture.

Overall, these projects are designed to modernize and enhance various aspects of agriculture, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for the sector.

These projects are part of the government's broader strategy to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience, ensuring a sustainable future for the sector.

The seven agricultural projects approved by the Indian government are designed to modernize and enhance various aspects of agriculture, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for the sector.

Innovative Electric Tiller Launched by CSIR-CMERI for Small Farmers to Reduce Operational Cost by 80%

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) recently launched an innovative Electric Tiller. The launch event took place in Durgapur and was unveiled by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, the Director General of CSIR and Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)

The Electric Tiller is designed to be a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution, particularly aimed at empowering small farmers. It promises to revolutionize sustainable agriculture in India by potentially reducing operational expenses by up to 85%. This could significantly alleviate the financial burdens of small-scale farmers, who represent over 80% of India’s farming community.

Tillers are essential tools in agriculture that contribute to increased productivity and improved crop yields by efficiently preparing the soil, managing weeds and residues, and enhancing the overall soil structure and fertility.

The Electric Tiller launched by CSIR-CMERI is environmentally friendly, producing zero exhaust emissions and operating quietly, which aligns with India's goal of achieving net-zero emissions. It also offers user-centric features like battery pack swapping and multiple charging options, including AC and Solar DC charging. The tiller can be integrated with various standard agricultural attachments and comes equipped with a 2-inch water pump and a trolley attachment capable of carrying up to 500 kg, enhancing its versatility for different farming activities.

This launch marks a significant step towards modernizing agriculture and supporting the nation's small and marginal farmers with advanced technology.

RIC Australia Successfully Implements Infosys Finacle’s SaaS Offering on AWS for Agricultural Financing

Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys, and Regional Investment Corporation (RIC), an Australian Government-backed specialist finance provider for farmers and farm-related small businesses, today announced RIC’s successful implementation of the Finacle Digital Lending Solution Suite in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) mode running on AWS.

The transformation project, which included the adoption of the Finacle Online Banking and Finacle Alerts Solution, was completed in just nine months. RIC is now able to offer truly digital financial lending services to its customers in the Australian agricultural sector at significantly lower operating costs and higher self-service capabilities.

The key highlights of RIC’s digital transformation include:

• By choosing a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model on AWS, RIC has been able to internalize management of key services, previously provided by a third party. This has led to significant reduction in operating costs and greater efficiencies.
• The new platform, which offers comprehensive API capabilities, has empowered RIC to seamlessly integrate with various service providers across banking, CRM, data lake, and document management providers. With this capability, RIC now has the advantage to implement Federal government mandates much faster than before.
• The Finacle Online Banking Platform, which includes a smart dashboard, is helping RIC offer self-service features to customers, thereby reducing dependencies on customer care support. The new interface provides rich and truly digital functionalities, which has resulted in increased customer satisfaction and enhanced staff engagement.

Chris Rawlins, Executive Director Transformation, Regional Investment Corporation (RIC), said, “At RIC, our mission is to nurture the growth of the Australian farm businesses through affordable loans, while also ensuring their resilience and profitability. With the Infosys Finacle Lending solution, we have a proven technology platform to support the evolving demands of our business and customers, with the agility to roll out new products and regulations as mandated by the Federal Government. The nine-month implementation by the Infosys Finacle team was delivered on schedule and we are impressed by the team’s commitment to facilitate RIC in achieving a smooth transition without any disruptions to our customers."

Sajit Vijayakumar, Chief Business Officer, Infosys Finacle, said, “We are delighted to support RIC in their mission to financially empower the farm businesses in Australia through the Infosys Finacle SaaS platform. This collaboration is yet another testament to Finacle’s commitment to the Australian market, to support financial institutions of all kinds and sizes – banks, credit unions, mutuals and non-banking lenders – on their digital transformation journeys."

Last week, Infosys announced that it is advancing it’s AI footprint at the 2024 Australian Open (AO) with generative AI technologies for fan engagement, player performance, and digital content creation.

Regional Investment Corporation (RIC) is an Australian Government-backed specialist finance provider for farmers and farm-related small businesses. Their loan programs encourage the long-term strength, resilience, and profitability of Australian farm businesses. The RIC was established under the Regional Investment Corporation Act 2018 (RIC Act) with their head office was established in Orange NSW in January 2019. Their key function is to administer farm business loans to strengthen Australian agriculture.

Finacle is an industry leader in digital banking solutions. We are a unit of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned product subsidiary of Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY). We partner with emerging and established financial institutions to help inspire better banking. Our cloud-native solution suite and SaaS services help banks engage, innovate, operate, and transform better to scale digital transformation with confidence. Finacle solutions address the core banking, lending, digital engagement, payments, cash management, wealth management, treasury, analytics, AI, and blockchain requirements of financial institutions. Today, banks in over 100 countries rely on Finacle to help more than a billion people and millions of businesses to save, pay, borrow, and invest better. For more information, visit www.finacle.com.

Agri-Fintech Ayekart and Coffee Maker CCL Join Forces to Support Araku Tribal Farmers

The collaboration uplifts the coffee farming community and enhance their livelihoods by providing essential tools and resources.

Over 1,000 farmers have experienced improved income and enjoyed an enhanced quality of life in the previous coffee season

Ayekart, a leading Food and Agri-FinTech and an integrated digital platform empowering Farmers/FPOs and MSMEs in the food and agri value chain, has partnered with CCL Products (India) Ltd., a renowned Instant Coffee Manufacturer, to bring positive change to the lives of indigenous tribal farmers in the picturesque Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh. A step forward to Ayekart's existing initiatives in the region for the past couple of years, this collaboration aims to uplift the coffee farming community and enhance their livelihoods by providing essential tools and resources.

Ayekart's collaboration with these tribal farmers began in 2021 through the FPO - Visakha Manayam Farmer Producer Company Limited. Extensive training programs for the farmers focused on modern production and processing techniques were conducted. These programs included the utilisation of baby pulpers, proper drying techniques on elevated platforms, accurate measurement of moisture levels, and digital weighing of produce.



The partnership between Ayekart and Visakha Manayam Farmer Producer Company Limited has made a substantial social impact on the lives of indigenous tribes of the Araku Valley by equipping these farmers with the knowledge and resources required to secure fair prices and improve their livelihoods. As a result of these efforts, approximately 1,000 farmers have experienced improved income and enjoyed an enhanced quality of life in the previous coffee season.

Ashutosh Singh, COO and Co-Founder of Ayekart remarked, "We are elated to have successfully conducted extensive GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) training, encouraged collective bargaining and value-addition initiatives with the local tribal farmers through Visakha Manayam Farmer Producer Company Limited. By equipping these farmers with modern techniques and resources, we are helping farmers achieve higher yields and are also improving their income and preserving their unique heritage. Moreover, our collaboration is a testament to our dedication to sustainable development and improving the livelihoods of those in need. We believe that together, we can make a meaningful and lasting impact in Araku, fostering a brighter future for the local communities."

On the partnership with CCI, Mr Singh further added, "We are excited to partner with CCL in our shared commitment to uplift the tribal farming communities in Araku. The collaboration between Ayekart and CCL stands as a testament to the transformative power of partnership and innovation in improving the lives of small-scale farmers."

The Araku Valley is renowned for its Arabica Parchment and cherry coffee cultivation, serving as the primary source of income for the indigenous tribes residing in the region. Despite the region's rich and fertile lands, commitment to organic farming practices, and the unique quality of its coffee, the farmers have long struggled to achieve fair pricing and economic stability. Intermediaries and local traders often exploit their vulnerability, leaving them with minimal income to support their families.

Praveen Jaipuriar, CEO of CCL Products (India) Ltd., expressed, "At CCL, we believe that businesses are responsible for uplifting the communities. Our collaboration with Ayekart in Araku Valley reflects our commitment to sustainable development, and we are proud to contribute to empowering these dedicated tribal farmers."

With a rich history of 3 decades, CCL Products (India) Ltd is one of the finest and most exquisite instant coffee manufacturers in the world. The company has successfully built a business with integrity, commitment, customer orientation, and consistent effort towards upholding the highest standards in the industry.

The upcoming coffee season is set to commence in November, with this year's season slightly ahead of schedule. To mark this occasion and support the farmers, Ayekart and CCL distributed tarpaulins and baby pulpers, generously provided by CCL as part of their CSR activity and other ongoing initiatives.

About Ayekart:

Ayekart is India's First Integrated supply chain finance platform that addresses the needs of the food and agri value chain, enabling traditional businesses technologically and financially while retaining and enhancing trust in their ecosystem by delivering efficiency and convenience. The platform aligns with the government's objectives to bring the desired change in the MSME and Retail segment by "Empowering the Traditional Business" and helping bring transparency and credibility to the entire ecosystem.

Recognising its leadership and innovation in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors, Ayekart has also been awarded the "Best BFSI Brand 2023" title from The Economic Times.

To know more, please visit: https://ayekart.com/

About CCL:

CCL Products (India) Limited was established in the year 1994 with the objective of manufacturing the finest and most exquisite coffee in the world. At CCL Products, we conduct our business with integrity, commitment, customer orientation, and a consistent effort towards upholding the highest standards in the industry. The past three decades have led us to evolve into one of the largest instant coffee exporters and private-label manufacturers globally, with strong R&D and 1000+ blends to offer. Our strength lies in our infrastructure and a global clientele base in over 100 countries.

To know more, please visit: https://www.cclproducts.com/

Rallis India Powers Its Hybrid Seed Production Process with Mobile App ‘SeedSure’

Rallis India Limited, a Tata enterprise and a leading player in the Indian agri inputs industry announced the roll out of a mobile application, ‘SeedSure’, for monitoring and managing its Hybrid Seed Production (HSP) program. The ‘SeedSure’ app helps deal with critical operations such as data collection and crop assessment during different stages of the crop life cycle.. Seedsure is developed with the help of TCS.

Management of Hyrbrid Seed Production is a complex task for many organisations and inefficient seed production monitoring leads to problems like measurable reduction in crop yield or unanticipated yield drops.

Commenting on the introduction of ‘SeedSure’, Sanjiv Lal, MD & CEO of Rallis India Limited, said, “This hybrid seed production monitoring app marks a significant milestone in our journey towards efficient operations. At Rallis India, we recognise the critical role that technology plays in addressing the challenges of the complex seed production process. 'SeedSure' is a testament to our unwavering commitment to leveraging innovation and technology to solve these complex challenges”

Commenting on the diverse merits of ‘SeedSure’, S Nagarajan , Chief Operating Officer of Rallis India Limited, said, “In today’s times, interventions such as ‘SeedSure’ are important for agri input players as they help seamless data collection, monitoring and management of the Hybrid seed Production program. The robust data collected will help in improving production quality, apart from providing early signals of any production challenges. In future, we aim to integrate it with remotely sensed weather and crop data to support AI/ML based predictions on crop yields at a plot level. It is a robust, data-driven and an at-scale approach towards seed management, which paves the way for improved & predictable yields and quality.”

For additional information about other products in Rallis India’s portfolio, please visit https://www.rallis.com/.

About Rallis India:

Rallis India Limited is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited and a part of the US$ 150 billion Tata Group. It is one of India’s leading agro sciences companies, with more than 75 years of experience of servicing rural markets with the most comprehensive portfolio of products/solutions for Indian farmers.

Rallis is known for its deep understanding of Indian agriculture, sustained contact with farmers, quality agrochemicals, branding and marketing expertise along with its strong product portfolio in seeds and crop care which is available through vast distribution network of 7,000 dealers and over 1,00,000 retailers across India. Rallis has marketing alliances with several multinational agrochemical companies. Rallis is also known for its manufacturing capabilities and ability to develop new processes and formulations, hence is considered as a preferred partner for contract manufacturing by leading global corporations.

Agritech Platform DeHaat Onboards 500 FPOs; Facilitates Full Stack Agri Offerings for Thousands of Farmers

Agritech firm DeHaat's FY23 revenue set to rise by over 80% to Rs 2,300 crore

DeHaat, India’s largest full stack AgriTech platform offering end-to-end agricultural services to farmers in India, today announced it has successfully onboarded more than 500 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) across 12 Indian states, directly impacting livelihood of over 30,000 associated member farmers. Currently, 503 FPOs are actively engaged with DeHaat through its full stack agri value chain offerings. DeHaat recently raises $60 million in Series E round co-led by Sofina, Temasek.

The announcement comes at a time when the Indian government has outlined plans in the Union Budget to form and promote 10,000+ FPOs across country & expand digital technologies to boost the country’s agricultural sector, including doubling down on its efforts to enable agritech startups to drive farmer centric solutions through initiation of Agricultural Accelerator Fund, and creation of Digital Public Infrastructure for the sector. Being a market leader in AgriTech, DeHaat has its strong association with FPO related nodal agencies like SFAC & NABARD.

Commenting on the milestone, Shashank Kumar, Co-founder & CEO, DeHaat said "DeHaat's affiliation with 503 FPOs in 12 states aligns with our 'Farmer's First' vision of putting farmers first in all we do. Our tech enabled 360-degree agri value chain interventions have resulted in 50-70% income enhancement for the associated farmers & at the same time have enabled FPOs to get complete institutional support for their overall sustainability."

DeHaat, a business-to-farmers (B2F) platform offers end-to-end agricultural services to over 1.8Mn farmers through an expansive network of 11,000+ DeHaat Centers across 12 prominent Indian agricultural states. DeHaat’s association with FPOs has enabled seamless access of 360 degree agricultural offerings throughout the crop life cycle including personalized transfer of critical knowledge to farmers, last mile availability of high quality input products, increased adoption of digital capabilities, smooth access to credit & insurance and ease of market access, driving enhanced yields and better price realization for over 30,000 farmers.

Shashi Bhushan, Director, Agrimeo Nalanda Kisan Producer Company Ltd, an independent FPO based in Bihar with a member base of 700 farmers said, "We started our association with DeHaat 8 months ago and are extremely satisfied with the way our relationship has grown. Our limited agri input demand & farm produce scale prevented us from reaching out to competitive channels resulting in us not being able to offer complete set of agri services to our member farmers. DeHaat gave us access to best source of agri input as well as much better farm gate price of Paddy for our FPO. Besides, we get complete logistic support for input delivery at our centre as well as aggregation of the agri produce. We are also in discussion to activate financial services through the DeHaat platform. In last 8 months, we could provide overall agri value chain services worth INR 71 Lakhs to our member farmers through association across input & output verticals and we are confident to grow our business to INR 1.5 Cr in FY 2023-24."

About DeHaat:

DeHaat is a technology-based platform offering full stack agricultural services to farmers, including distribution of high-quality agricultural inputs, customised farm advisory, access to financial services, and market linkages for selling their produce.

Patna & Gurgaon based business to farmers (B2F) platform DeHaat was founded in 2012 byIIT, IIM & NIT alumni Amrendra Singh, Shyam Sundar Singh, Adarsh Srivastav & Shashank Kumar, and offers end-to-end agricultural services to over 1.8Mn farmers through an expansive network of 11,000+ DeHaat Centers across 12 prominent Indian agricultural states.

As a platform, DeHaat has onboarded 2,000+ agribusiness institutions including inputmanufacturers, FMCG players, banks, insurance partners & bulk output exporters, offering them direct access to farmers to drive efficiency & transparency. At the same time, DeHaat is offering AI enabled crop advisory to farmers for 30+ crops in regional language on one hand while also ensuring that farmers get access to end-to-end agri value chain offerings through its franchised last mile network on the other.

For more information on DeHaat, please visit: http://agrevolution.in

Agritech nurture.farm Partners With SWAL Corporation Ltd to Enhance Farmers’ Resilience Against Heat Waves Through Its Weather Kavach Offering

The partnership enables the companies to build smart risk cover solutions for farmers to ensure financial safety and resilience against weather irregularities

nurture.farm, India's leading agri-tech organization, has scaled its weather protection cover offering by partnering with SWAL Corporation Ltd. The product offering is a part of nurture.farm’s flagship resilience program ‘Kavach’.

Weather Kavach is a risk cover offering for farmers to protect them against weather irregularities. It is a flexible cover option where farmers can opt-in for any sum assured value, and claims are disbursed in the event of excessive rain, heat waves or rain deficit. The advantages of the Weather Kavach product offering include index-based trigger, shorter disbursal window, and direct transfer of the claim amount to the farmer's bank account. Since its launch, nurture.farm has successfully offered Weather Kavach to more than 100,000 farmers and sold more than 1 Million Weather Kavach in less than 12 months.

Dhruv Sawhney, COO & Business Head at nurture.farm said, "Globally, 2022 was the fifth warmest year on record. As per reports, scientists have warned that 2023 could be a comeback year for El Nino, pushing temperatures by over 1.5 degrees celsius compared to the average temperature a century ago. As per the reports published in the US scientific journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ (PNAS), each degree Celsius increase in global temperature can on an average reduce global yields of wheat by 6%, rice by 3.2%, maize by 7.4%, and soybean by 3.1%. Furthermore, global rise in temperature increases risks of floods, drought, extreme heat waves, water shortages, and could possibly push millions into poverty. Despite knowing the pitfalls, and suffering agricultural losses every year, less than 20% of farmers opt-in for risk-cover products owing to the lack of trust, education, and high premium costs.”

nurture.farm is partnering with SWAL Corporation Ltd., an organisation that is paving the way for other many organisations to follow by helping us drive change, increase adoption, build for farmer resilience, and truly make agriculture sustainable, viable, and climate-smart.

Through this partnership, SWAL Corporation Ltd is offering Weather Kavach, at no additional cost, to all its farmers who purchase Wuxal & Delma products. While Wuxal provides nutrients to the crop, Delma protects it from various diseases that can be triggered due to wild fluctuations in temperature during critical growth stages. With the likely possibility of higher temperatures predicted for February & March, and the harvest window for Rabi crops around the corner, the partnership couldn't have come at a better time. To avail Weather Kavach, the farmers must download the nurture.farm app, scan Wuxal and Delma products on the app, and avail it at no additional cost.

Mr Pramod Tiwari, Head Of Marketing at SWAL Corporation Ltd, said, "For over 10 decades, SWAL has been committed to its farmers by offering them quality agri-solutions that are efficient, improve yield quality & quantity for ensuring better farm profitability. Our teams have been working with the farmers, helping them select the right inputs, imparting technical know-how, educating them about innovative farming practices, and delivering access to technology and advisory throughout the cultivation windows."

Keeping in line with our same core philosophy, we are partnering with nurture.farm to offer weather-based risk cover solutions, at no additional cost, to every farmer who purchases Wuxal or Delma brands in states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. SWAL will continue to improve farmer profitability, drive the adoption of authentic and high-quality inputs including NPP (Natural Plant Protection) solutions and impart farmer education at the grassroots level. We aim to cover more than 1 million farmers nationwide through our various initiatives.”

nurture.farm, India's leading agri-tech open digital platform, brings what every farmer needs to thrive together in one place—technology, solutions, and finance. Its ecosystem reaches across the food system, expanding choice for customers—making access transparent, affordable and fast for everyone. This way, nurture.farm lessens uncertainty, helping farmers secure sustainable outcomes. Established in 2020, nurture.farm brings together the best agriculture solutions like remote sensing, farm mechanisation, online marketplaces, traceability, and market linkage. In a short period, nurture.farm has taken several forward-thinking steps to achieve its goals. The nurture.farm app, launched in April 2020, has over 2.5 million farmers onboard. The nurture.retail solution, a B2B e-commerce marketplace for agri-inputs, has also scaled significantly in over 10 states and has 100,000 registered agri-input retailers across India. To carry out its ground-level operations, nurture.farm has built India's first and biggest rural gig economy model, deploying a 10,000-strong field workforce in over ten states. Visit www.nurture.farm to learn more.

SWAL Corporation Limited is one of the leading agri-solution providers in India. SWAL Corporation Limited aims at promoting the best possible combination of control measures – Chemical, biological and cultural – to deliver cost effective, environmentally sound and socially acceptable methods of increasing productivity, managing insects, disease and weeds. SWAL thrives on current and new business opportunities while leveraging their core competencies of human capital, quality and integrity.

SWAL has a knowledgeable & experienced People to Farmer (P2F) team that collaborates with farmers to educate them about input usage, teaches them the modern climate-smart farming methodologies, and works with them to solve cultivation challenges all year round.

With over 7,500+ dealers and 31 key stock points, SWAL ensures accessibility and availability of their brands to the remotest areas in India with a promise of quality.

For over ten decades, SWAL has been committed to improving farmers' livelihoods, increasing farm productivity & produce quality, and building farmer resilience, while sustaining the environment and natural resources for future generations.

Visit SWAL to learn more.

Chennai School Launches Budding Farmers Market for Students

Orchids The International School combined horticulture and financial literacy for a unique initiative

Orchids The International School’s Thoraipakkam branch successfully conducted a unique and innovative program called Budding Farmer Activity for Grade 8 students, combining financial literacy and horticulture curriculum. The highlight of the program was the Budding Farmers Market event where students grew their own produce in the school’s polyhouse and sold their crops to parents in a market-style setting.

The Budding Farmers Market event was a grand success with students demonstrating their knowledge and skills in horticulture and financial literacy. The students formed different groups such as sales and marketing, studied rates in the market, and fixed prices for each crop. They presented the life cycle of crops, and harvesting techniques, and showcased their understanding of the importance of organic farming.

Commenting on the event, Dr Jemi Sudhakar, Principal of Orchids The International School, Thoraipakkam branch, said, “We are extremely delighted with the success of the Budding Farmers Market initiative. Our aim is to provide our students with practical learning opportunities that help them develop important life skills. The combination of horticulture and financial literacy curriculum has proved to be a huge success, and we hope to continue organizing such events in the future. Orchids The International School has always been committed to providing holistic education to its students. The Budding Farmer Activity is another example of the school's commitment to providing a stimulating and engaging learning environment for its students.”

The Budding Farmers Market initiative is an excellent example of how schools can incorporate practical learning into the curriculum. It has provided an opportunity for students to learn important life skills and contribute to sustainable living. The program has helped students to understand the financial aspects of running a business, such as planning, supply and demand, and financial investment.

The student’s active participation in the event has instilled a sense of responsibility and ownership in them towards nature and society. They have also gained an understanding of the value of hard work, teamwork, and collaboration. Through the Budding Farmers Market, students have been able to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical experience, making the learning process more effective and enjoyable.

About Orchids The International School

Orchids The International School is one of India’s leading international K12 school chains. It started its journey in 2002 with its first branch in Hyderabad. In less than two decades, it has grown into 90 branches spread over 25 major cities- Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Chennai, Kolkata, Nagpur, Nasik, Indore, and Aurangabad. Modern physical infrastructure, personalized attention, and a carefully curated curriculum provide uniformity in all OIS schools. OIS follows the CBSE and ICSE curriculum infused with international teaching methodologies to provide a strong emphasis on personality development along with academic excellence. Currently, it has over 750000+ students and 7000+ teaching and non-teaching staff.

Agritech Startup and Farmer First eMarketplace GrowiT India Raised INR 50 Lakhs in Debt Funding in Shark Tank India

GrowiT India - An Agritech Startup and Farmer First Emarketplace raised 50 Lakhs in Debt funding from Sharks Peeyush Bansal and Namita Thapar.

GrowiT will utilize these funds to strengthen its franchises, vendor outreach and help farmers become financially independent. The network and support of the sharks and the platform itself will boost more visibility and mileage for the brand.

Founded in 2020, by Saurabh Agarwal and Akshay Agarwal, GROWIT India, is the agricultural arm of Surat-based Alpha Plastomers Private Limited and aims to manufacture advanced and innovative products that ensure optimum quality and yield for the Indian Agricultural & Farming Industry while lowering its carbon footprint.

"This is an incredible milestone for us, and we are incredibly grateful for the support and confidence shown by our investors (Sharks). With this funding, we can continue to develop and scale our technology, which has the potential to transform the way we approach agriculture and food production. We're excited to take this next step in our journey and to make a positive impact on the industry and the world. Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey, and we can't wait to see what the future holds!", said Saurabh Agarwal - Founder & CEO- GrowiT India.

Critical solutions like quality food, climate smart agriculture, farmer empowerment and enhancing farmer productivity are major focus areas for GrowiT.

Indian Startup Kheyti Among 5 Winners of 2022 Earthshot Awards

Indian Startup 'Kheyti' that offers solution to local smallholder farmers to reduce costs, increase yields and protect livelihoods, has received this year's prestigious ‘ Earthshot ’ award. Kheyti was selected for the award along with 4 other winners. Earthshot awards is an initiative launched by Prince William under which a prize money of one million pounds is given to each winner.

Kheyti was declared the winner in the "Protect and Restore Nature" category. Earthshot said in a statement that small farmers under this category should reduce costs, Leading solutions are provided to increase yields and save livelihoods in the country in view of climate change.

Over 1000 applications from around the world were considered, with 15 finalists from 10 countries chosen through a selection process supported by an expert advisory panel.

The final five winners were selected by The Earthshot Prize Council, a diverse team of influential individuals which include: HRH Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Sir David Attenborough, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Indra Nooyi, Shakira Mebarak, Christiana Figueres, Luisa Neubauer, Cate Blanchett, Yao Ming, Daniel Alves Da Silva, Ernest Gibson, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Jack Ma, and Naoko Yamazaki.

About Kheyti 

Kheyti has developed a “Greenhouse-in-a-box” – an affordable, modular greenhouse bundled with full stack services that uses 90% less water, grows 7 times more food and gives farmers a steady dependable income.

Its Greenhouse-in-a-Box is designed for small-hold farmers and the crops they grow, offering shelter from unpredictable elements and destructive pests. Kheyti also trains and supports farmers to ensure their greenhouse is as effective as possible.

Kheyti's Greenhouse-in-a-Box are 90% cheaper than a standard greenhouse and more than doubling farmers’ incomes thus helping them invest more in their farms and their children’s education. Using less water and fewer pesticides, they are protecting the planet too.

According to Earthshot, about 1,000 farms in 6 Indian states have a Kheyti greenhouse at present. By 2027, Kheyti is aiming for 50,000 farmers to have a Greenhouse-in-a-Box.

Based out of Hyderabad, Telangana, Kheyti was founded in 2015 by Ramana Gupta, Kaushik Kappagantulu and Sathya Raghu V Mokkapati.

In last year's Earthshot awards, India’s Takachar was the winner of "Clean Our Air" category. Takachar has developed a cheap, small-scale, portable technology that attaches to tractors in remote farms. The machine converts crop residues into sellable bio-products like fuel and fertilizer. 

 

About Earthshot Awards

Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot challenge in the 1960s, which united millions of people around the goal of putting a person on the moon within a decade, The Earthshot Prize aims to discover and help scale innovative solutions that put the world firmly on a trajectory toward a stable climate by 2030 – a world in which communities, oceans and biodiversity can thrive in harmony.

Bank of Baroda Launches the bob World Kisan app – a One Stop Solution for Farmers

Features encompass Loans & Investments, Mandi services, Agri advisory and Value-added services

Partnered with six agri companies to provide a diverse set of services to farmers

Both Existing & New to Bank custom mers can access the platform

Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India’s leading public sector banks, today launched the ‘bob World Kisan’ app – a one-stop solution for farmers for all their agricultural needs. bob World Kisan is a holistic platform that helps in digitising the agroeconomic journey by offering new-age solutions related to agri-financing, insurance & investments; mandi services such as monitoring of crop prices; agri advisory services like weather forecasting, monitoring crop health and other value-added services including buying of agricultural inputs & hiring of equipment, using tech to increase productivity etc. All these services are available to both existing customers & non-customers alike.

The Bank has also partnered with six agri companies such as AgriBegri, AgroStar, BigHaat, Poorti, EM3 and Skymet to provide a diverse set of services to farmers within the app itself. Moreover, the app is available in three languages at present i.e. English, Hindi, and Gujarati – making it accessible to a wider base of farmers.

Shri Joydeep Dutta Roy, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda said, “As one of the country’s leading public sector banks, we have a deep and enduring relationship with the Indian agriculture community. Bank of Baroda’s vision is to support Indian farmers right through their “Sow to Sell” journey. bob World Kisan is a state-of-the-art and an all-inclusive platform that will provide a wide range of services to our annadatas, helping them maximise their yields and income.”

Shri Akhil Handa, Chief Digital Officer, Bank of Baroda said, “The bob World mobile banking app that was launched last year transformed the banking experience for millions of our customers. With the launch of the bob World Kisan app, our promise is to do the same for our farmers. It is one integrated app with a simple & intuitive design, providing a range of banking and agri services at the user’s fingertips – digitising the entire experience.”

bob World Kisan’s features fall into four categories:—

• Finance
• Instant loans and renewals
• Insurance
• Investments

• Mandi
• Monitor crop prices
• Monitor prices at nearby mandis
• Monitor the maximum and minimum prices of crops in the selected mandis
• Option to add multiple crops/multiple mandis and compare

• Weather
• Weather forecasting
• Monitor soil moisture and crop health

• Value-added Services
• Buy agri inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and insecticides & hiring of equipment
• Use of technology to improve productivity and profitability

The launch of the ‘bob World Kisan’ app takes place in the midst of the ‘Baroda Kisan Pakhwada’ – the annual farmer engagement programme organised by Bank of Baroda that is now in its 5th year. The aim of Baroda Kisan Pakhwada is to boost engagement with the Indian farming community and create awareness about various agri products, schemes & delivery channels offered by Bank of Baroda and initiatives taken by the Government for the benefit of farmers.

About Bank of Baroda

Founded on 20th July, 1908 by Sir Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Bank of Baroda is one of the leading commercial banks in India. At 63.97% stake, it is majorly owned by the Government of India. The Bank serves its global customer base of over 150 million through over 46,000 touchpoints spread across 17 countries in five continents. Through Its state-of-the-art digital banking platforms, it provides all banking products and services in a seamless and hassle-free manner.

The recently launched bob World mobile app provides customers with a saving, investing, borrowing, and shopping experience, all under one single app. The app also serves non-customers by enabling account opening through video KYC. The Bank’s vision matches its diverse clientele base and instills a sense of trust and security. It is moving well in that direction and bob World is a testimony of its roadmap towards Digital Transformation.

Agritech nurture.farm Launches a First-of-its-kind Product - 'Kavach Bhav Guarantee' - to Protect Farmers Against Market Price Fluctuations

The product offers a smart insurance solution to minimize financial losses and ensure financial safety and resilience for farmers

nurture.farm, India's leading agri-tech organization, launches a first-of-its-kind product offering to derisk farmers against market price fluctuations. The product offering is launched as part of its flagship insurance program ‘Kavach’ and is called Bhav Guarantee.

The Kavach Bhav Guarantee product aims to help farmers get fair value for their produce and minimize financial losses in case of price fluctuations. While it is difficult to predict the mandi prices for different crops as these prices depend on a large number of variables, nurture.farm has created a risk cover mechanism through which the farmer is compensated for the fluctuations in prices of their end produce. The advantages of the Bhav Guarantee product offering include index based trigger, shorter disbursal window, and direct transfer of the compensation amount to the farmer's bank account.

Mr Dhruv Sawhney, COO & Business Head at nurture.farm said, "Kavach Bhav Guarantee is designed to safeguard farmer's income and aligns with our mission of making agriculture sustainable and viable. With Kavach Bhav Guarantee, we will be able to successfully mitigate risk, minimize risk cover premiums, guarantee returns and, in turn, build for farmer resilience. The product is tailor-made for farmers and will ensure financial safety against price fluctuations.”.

According to reports, less than 25% of the farmers in India have been able to avail benefits of MSP for commodity crops, and more than 50% of these farmers end up selling below MSP across 7,200+ agricultural market yards (or mandis) in India. These farmers neither get a fair value for their produce nor fetch a premium for better yield quality. However, unlike commodity crops, MSP is not applicable for vegetable crops thus making vegetable growers vulnerable to price fluctuations as well. With Kavach Bhav Guarantee, nurture.farm aims to cover both cereal and vegetable crops.

nurture.farm has partnered with Advanta Seeds to launch Kavach Bhav Guarantee for farmers who purchase Advanta’s Raadhika, Jaani or Ratna brand of Okra seeds. Farmers can download the nurture.farm app and scan the QR code that is available on the Okra seeds pack to avail this cover benefit at no additional charge.

Okra is one of the largest vegetable crops in India in terms of value, volume and acreage. Okra is grown over 0.52 Mn Ha in India, and the hybrid seed market is valued at ~INR 650 Cr. Advanta is a leading player in Okra seeds in terms of value, volume and market share across India.

Mr Prashant Belgamwar, Regional Head - Asia & Africa and International Vegetables at Advanta Seeds said, “Advanta has been working in the seeds sector with a “farmer first“ approach. Today, one of the major concerns of farmers is the uncertainty of their ROI due to fluctuating end produce prices, particularly in vegetable crops. Our hybrids have always empowered farmers with higher yield and good quality produce. This innovative product - Kavach Bhav Guarantee - will complement our products and provide our farmers with an opportunity to protect their cost of cultivation, in case fresh Okra prices fall below the benchmark level. With this initiative, Advanta will continue its efforts to protect farmers' ROI by providing unique products and services to farmers. We look forward to covering more than 100,000 Okra growers across the country.”

About nurture.farm

nurture.farm, India's leading agri-tech open digital platform, brings what every farmer needs to thrive together in one place—technology, solutions, and finance. Its ecosystem reaches across the food system, expanding choice for customers—making access transparent, affordable and fast for everyone. This way, nurture.farm lessens uncertainty, helping farmers secure sustainable outcomes. Established in 2020, nurture.farm brings together the best agriculture solutions like remote sensing, farm mechanization, online marketplaces, traceability, and market linkage. In a short period, nurture.farm has taken several forward-thinking steps to achieve its goals. The nurture.farm app, launched in April 2020, has over 2.5 million farmers onboard. The nurture.retail solution, a B2B e-commerce marketplace for agri-inputs, has also scaled significantly in over 14 states and has 100,000 registered agri-input retailers across India. To carry out its ground-level operations, nurture.farm has built India's first and biggest rural gig-economy model, deploying a 10,000-strong field workforce in over 10 states.

Visit www.nurture.farm to learn more.

About Advanta Seeds

Advanta Seeds is a global leader in traditional plant breeding technologies delivering high quality-seeds that are disease resistant and produce high-quality yields. Advanta Seeds delivers innovative, high quality seeds to 66 countries worldwide. Advanta’s investment in the most advanced proprietary technologies, combined with enhanced capacities and capabilities to cater to region-specific demands, is helping them emerge as true global leaders. Advanta’s products are extensively evaluated/tested across geographies with stringent cross functional product evaluation mechanism, which ensures better performance of the products.

Advanta Seeds is known globally for its tropical and subtropical corn and is a market leader across varied geographies in corn, forage and grain sorghum, sunflower, canola, rice and vegetables. In India, Advanta Seeds has 5 research and development stations working to enhance production of okra, hot peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, corn, sweet corn, rice, forages and sorghum.

Since inception, Advanta has worked diligently to build farmer resilience, accessibility, and sustainability and deliver better farming conditions. In line with the UN SDGs, Advanta Seeds is committed to economic growth and profitability of people while protecting the planet

Visit www.advantaseeds.com to learn more

Agritech Co. Gram Unnati with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Kickstarts Knowledge Awareness Workshop

Nearly 100 farmers took part in the knowledge workshop held at Mangadpur village in UP’s Bareilly

Gram Unnati to host more such awareness camps with KVKs in seven states

Gram Unnati, India’s first integrated agri-tech solutions company, recently conducted the first of the series of knowledge workshops along with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Bareilly, for paddy farmers in Uttar Pradesh. The first camp was held at Mangadpur village, Riccha Block in Bareilly and was participated by nearly 100 paddy farmers.

The knowledge workshop was organized to provide guidance to farmers on the appropriate and scientifically recommended package of practices to be followed in the crop after transplantation has taken place. The camp was attended by Dr. Brijpal Singh - KVK Bareilly in-charge, Dr. Ranjeet Singh - Agri scientist, KVK, Dr. Rakesh Pandey - Agri scientist, KVK, Mr. Inderpal Singh - local officer from Agriculture Dept., Mr. Shyam Singh - expert on micro-nutrients, and Dr. BP Singh - Agri expert from Gram Unnati. It was organized by the UP project team of Gram Unnati comprising Nupur Mishra (Project Manager), Pawan Kumar (Project Coordinator), and field officers Vishwajeet and Tejram.

Gram Unnati has also lined up a series of awareness workshop with KVKs across western Uttar Pradesh. Besides UP, Gram Unnati is also launching similar workshops with KVKs in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, and Maharashtra. The awareness workshops would focus on imparting best practices for paddy with an emphasis on the agronomical practices to be followed after sowing as well as looking into opportunities for market linkage.

Commenting on the awareness workshop with KVKs, Aneesh Jain, CEO & Founder, Gram Unnati said: “Over the past few months during interactions and meetings with the Gram Unnati field team, farmers have brought up the problem of pest and disease infestation in paddy. This problem affects the quality and productivity of the crop, which makes it difficult for the farmers to sell their goods at a profit. For many farmers, in the past, the entire paddy field has been destroyed due to lack of timely guidance with respect to control and management of pests along with nutrient management. In this region, paddy is the principal crop grown during the Kharif season, making it one of the main sources of income for local farmers. This is the reason why we decided to organize awareness camps for farmers with the help of KVKs.”

Delighted to be a part of this initiative Dr. Brijpal Singh, KVK Bareilly in-charge, said: “We are delighted to be a part of this program organized by Gram Unnati. This is a great platform that would help the farmers learn new technology to better their produce. We interacted with the farmers today regarding practices to be followed to get a good production of paddy and the importance of soil testing etc."

During the training session in Bareilly, farmers were imparted lessons on post-sowing practices, such as weed control, fertilizer application, irrigation practice, integrated nutrition management, pest and disease management. Farmers were also provided with knowledge about the proper agronomic procedures to implement in Paddy to improve the crop's quality and overall productivity.

Training will also help in disseminating pertinent new technology being used to support sustainable agriculture, which is good for both farmers and the environment. Even after the training, farmers will continue to receive timely advice and guidance from the Gram Unnati field team to guarantee a robust paddy crop.

About Gram Unnati: Gram Unnati is a DPIIT recognised agri-tech start-up, providing i) advisory services, ii) access to high quality inputs at low cost and iii) market linkages to marginal farmers along with iv) customized production, logistics and end-to-end quality control of agri produce to institutional buyers. The company was founded by IIT Kharagpur graduate Aneesh Jain in 2013. He realized that farmers and buyers often fall prey to value traps due to absence of a fully integrated platform. The company has a formidable advisory pool comprising seasoned agri professionals, ex civil servants, and industry body representatives. The company operates through a network of 30 district level centres spread across the nation, helping agro processors source quality cereals, oilseeds, pulses, fruits & vegetables directly from farmers.

Due to Gram Unnati’s unique technology platform to streamline supply demand matching, rich farmer level profiling, agro processor transactional data and 24x7 automated advisory, the company was able to achieve 5x growth during pandemic. Over the years, Gram Unnati has developed a network of 200,000 farmers across 7 states and has strong partnerships with 20+ large institutional buyers including marquee names.

TraceX’s Blockchain-powered Platform To Offer ‘Bean to Cup’ Traceability for Coffee Produced by 3500 Farmers in Araku Valley

TraceX announces partnership with international non-profit TechnoServe

As a part of the partnership, TraceX’s blockchain-powered platform will offer ‘bean to cup’ traceability for coffee produced by 3500 farmers in Araku Valley

TraceX Technologies, a blockchain-powered traceability platform that enhances food and supply chain transparency, has partnered with international non-profit TechnoServe, to offer end-to-end digital traceability for coffee produced by 3500 farmers in Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh. Through this partnership with TraceX, TechnoServe can provide their partner brands Blue Tokai and Humble beans the ability to track and record the journey of coffee through every stage of the production process, from bean to cup.

As a part of the ‘Sustainable Livelihoods for Smallholder Farmers’ program, grant-funded by the Walmart Foundation, TechnoServe currently works with 4000 farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) spread across 355 villages in the Araku Valley. Most of these farmers strictly follow organic farming due to which their yield capacity is much lower than their counterparts in Karnataka. Over the years, TechnoServe has assisted the farmers with agronomy training, building visibility, increasing coffee productivity, managing post-harvest, and providing the necessary market linkages. To further improve their livelihoods, TechnoServe has partnered with TraceX to ensure consistency in the quality of coffee produced, thus resulting in improved market linkage for the farmers.

Earlier in late last month, for the first time in the history of Jharkhand state seed distribution among farmers has been initiated well ahead of the arrival of the Kharif season, which was made possible by using Blockchain-based seed traceability platform.    

The TraceX’s solution to TechnoServe is a perfect example of seeing Blockchain Traceability in action. A connected supply chain with transparency across the multi-stakeholders is the need of the hour and that is being realized with TraceX's Blockchain traceability platform.

TechnoServe uses the pre-harvest module to track the first mile connectivity of the coffee value chain. This is followed by the onboarding of Blue Tokai, Humble Beans and Slay Coffee clients onto the same blockchain network to track the post-harvest processes and generate a QR code product identity for consumer engagement. A seamless integration of all the stakeholders on a collaborative platform in the supply chain, building trustworthy and authentic customer brands.

TraceX’s digital traceability solution offers the following advantages -

• Ensure consistent quality in produce: TraceX’s platform offers a crop database with a set of predefined package of practices to achieve quality yield.
• Builds trust among consumers: TraceX provides credibility to claims, offers complete provenance of the product through a quick scan of the QR code, and makes the brand stand out by providing verifiable and authentic information to the customers.
• Maintain regulatory compliance: The farmers have to upload authentication certificates to meet regulatory compliances. The data recorded at each step of the supply chain helps satisfy all regulatory requirements.
• Increases visibility for the farmers: TraceX creates a digital identity for the farmer’s product and allows the consumer to know the story and the people behind their coffee.
• Single source of information: Prior to TraceX, for any query related to the produce, the farmers were the only source of information. The middlemen, government agencies and all other stakeholders had to rely entirely on the farmer. This created a lot of fatigue among the farmers to constantly share relevant information. Through TraceX, all this information is now available on the blockchain.

Furthermore, TraceX’s platform brings to the fore some of the regenerative and ecologically friendly farming practices followed by the farmers.

Sandesh Deranna, Crop Lead- Coffee Value Chain, TechnoServe, said, “TechnoServe’s program ‘Sustainable Livelihoods for Smallholder Farmers’, grant-funded by the Walmart Foundation, is aimed at improving the lives of smallholder farmers in Andhra Pradesh by establishing sustainable, locally-led systems and processes for FPOs and promoting good agriculture practices and post-harvest management practices among the FPO shareholders. In order to do that, we are always on the lookout for digital tools that will help farmers improve their incomes and build a better future for themselves. TraceX was exactly the solution we were looking for. Through their blockchain-enabled traceability platform, TraceX empowers farmers by giving them more visibility, improving efficiency and profitability, building trust and transparency, leading to a better connect with the end consumers.”

Commenting on the partnership, Srivatsa Sreenivasarao, Co-Founder and CEO, TraceX, said “Traceability allows for a connected supply chain where brands can seamlessly access information about the work done by Farmer Producer Organizations in the pre-harvest stage. It offers transparency and differentiation to each stakeholder in the supply chain.”

“We are thrilled to partner with a brand that has transformed the lives of millions of people in low-income communities. This partnership allows us to create an impact not only on the end consumer but also improve the livelihoods of farmers in the Araku Valley region. We look forward to working together on many more initiatives to create a transparent, ethical, and sustainable supply chain.”, Srivatsa added.

TraceX has a B2B SaaS subscription model where it works with companies across livestock, poultry, seafood, and agri supply chains. The company currently works with 30+ food companies that include prominent names such as Olam, MTR Foods, Slay Coffee, Govt of Telangana, GoDesi, Sam Agri, Milk Mantra and many others.

The company has raised USD 1 million in pre-series A funding led by NABARD backed NABVENTURES Fund. The round also saw participation from Paipal Ventures, an early stage family office investment fund, and from angel investor Sunil Kumar.

About TraceX

TraceX is a next generation digital agriculture platform that leverages blockchain to connect multiple participants across the food and agri supply chain and help them securely exchange verifiable and auditable data leading to mutual trust, accountability, traceability and transparency amongst the participating actors. Their solution enables farmers, producer organizations, aggregators, food processors, insurance providers, credit providers, logistics providers, buyers etc to exchange information with mutual trust via a permissioned blockchain digital ledger enabling each one to prove transparency, traceability and provenance of the claims. Farmers, Processors, Procurement folks use their multilingual mobile application and others use web-based applications to interact with the system.

Website: https://tracextech.com/

About TechnoServe

Founded in 1968, TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty for good. A non-profit organization working in 30 countries, TechnoServe works with people to build a better future through regenerative farms, businesses, and markets that increase incomes. Their vision is a sustainable world where all people in low-income communities have the opportunity to prosper.

Website: https://www.technoserve.org/