The agricultural sector in India is changing significantly, thanks to agritech, or agricultural technology. The world’s largest industry is agriculture. It creates approximately $1.3 trillion worth of food yearly and employs over one billion people. Around 50% of the liveable land on Earth is made up of pasture and crops, which provide as both habitat and food for a wide variety of species.
Only a handful of Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) have been embraced in India by more than 4% of farmers, although the country’s agricultural landscape is shifting in favour of sustainable practices. In contrast, Andhra Pradesh plans to transition to 100% zero-budget natural farming by 2027, whereas Sikkim has already achieved 100% organic status through the adoption of organic farming.
Here are a few ways that agritech is assisting the nation’s agriculture:
Precision farming:
This is made possible by agritech solutions, which provide farmers access to cutting-edge equipment like drones, satellite images, and remote sensing. These technologies let farmers properly track crop health, soil moisture levels, and nutrient needs, which ultimately boosts productivity and makes the most use of available resources.
Farm management software:
These have been created to help farmers manage their operations more effectively. These software platforms and mobile apps are available for both desktop and mobile devices. These platforms offer capabilities including crop rotation planning, weather forecasts, pest and disease control, real-time monitoring, and market data. Farmers may maximize their farming operations and make well-informed decisions by using these tools.
Access to information and knowledge:
Farmers have access to important agricultural information and expertise, thanks to agritech platforms. On a local level, they give weather reports, market pricing, best practices, and advice services straight to farmers’ cell phones. Farmers can choose crops, use planting techniques, manage pests, and use irrigation effectively because of the accessibility of information.
Supply chain optimization:
Agritech startups are aiming to increase the effectiveness of the agricultural supply chain. They are creating platforms that link farmers and buyers directly, doing away with middlemen and guaranteeing fair prices for agricultural products. These platforms also offer transportation, storage, and quality assurance solutions, which lower post-harvest losses and boost farmer profits.
Financial inclusion:
By giving farmers access to finance, insurance, and digital payment options suited to the agricultural industry, agritech platforms are addressing the monetary requirements of farmers. Farmers can now access financial services that were previously out of reach thanks to technology. This aids in risk management, farm investment, and income enhancement.
Smart irrigation mechanisms:
In many areas of India, the primary issue is a lack of water. In order to maximize the utilization of water, agritech businesses are creating smart irrigation systems that use sensors, data analytics, and automation. By ensuring that crops receive the proper amount of water at the appropriate time, these systems help to conserve water while also increasing agricultural yields.
Sustainable agricultural practices:
Agritech encourages the use of organic fertilizers, organic pest control techniques, and effective resource management. It encourages the use of techniques like vertical farming, organic farming, hydroponic farming, and aquaponic farming to lessen the impact of agriculture on the environment while maintaining food security.
The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) states the objectives, strategy, components and structure of Sustainable Agriculture for future generations.
In a broad sense, agritech is transforming agriculture in India by utilizing technology to address a variety of issues that farmers encounter. Sustainable resource management is becoming increasingly critical. With a growing world population follows a significant increase in demand for agricultural products. Agriculture is one of the most crucial frontiers for conservation worldwide because of its close relationships to the global economy, human communities, and biodiversity.