Challenges on the path to Precision Farming

This blog talks about the challenges that need to be addressed so the tech can seep into agriculture smoothly.

One of the primary concerns when it comes to agriculture in India is the surety to make a good livelihood off farming. A perfectly reasonable ask considering the country has about 150 million farmers working the land in hopes to feed the nation and also make ends meet. In recent years, the government has prioritized doubling farmers’ income through various initiatives and funding to aid this move, but it is still a long way from reality.

When it comes to numbers, India ranks number one in the world in the production of jute, milk, and pulses and second in wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits, cotton, groundnut, and sugarcane. We also have a big lead in production in the fish, poultry, livestock, spices, and plantation crops segment. It is clear that India is capable of producing quantity, but when it comes to quality which is export-ready, we are still behind. Additionally, despite the numbers, the income of these farmers is still in the red. One significant way to overcome this hurdle is by integrating tech into the mix, namely, precision farming enabled by AI. Tech can smoothen out the rough edges when it comes to agricultural processes and the entire supply chain, giving farmers enough room to cut costs and, in the process, run a financially viable business. The solution is available, but its implementation requires a lot of challenges to be addressed first.

Hurdles to cross

1. Small land holdings

When talking about agriculture in India, it is important to discuss the issue of land holdings. The average farm in the country is about 1.0823 hectares, while in countries like the US, Australia, and Europe, it’s 179, 4,331, and 16.1 hectares, respectively. It is very evident that the majority of the farmers in the country operate on tiny land holdings. This disparity in farm sizes points to the fact that, if the country were to adopt a digital transformation, the solution needs to be customized around the average small farms for it to be scalable and adaptable. Small-time farmers also don’t perceive technology as a savior but one that burns a big hole in their pockets without any immediate return on investment.

2. Cost

A Business Insider Intelligence report states that nearly 12 million agricultural sensors will be installed globally by 2023. These sensors have the potential to gather half a million data points from an average farm each day. The collected information can be used for making data stacks that can help farmers improve yields and ultimately increase profits. But processing, aggregating, and analyzing it comes at a cost in computing, storage, and processing power. This cost-to-benefit factor can put off the average Indian farmer operating on small land holdings. Also, there isn’t enough data on the exact financial estimates of the tech cost per unit of land/farmer and its corresponding savings/ROI. It is still a relatively new sector to enforce confidence within the change-resistant small-time farmers.

3. Supporting infrastructure

To make technology integration seamless, the entire infrastructure around farming and its supply chain needs to be revamped. Currently, rural regions have limited access to modern production machinery, proper storage facilities, access to the internet, logistics, etc. These issues can make the implementation of tech in farming a lot more complicated. Rural development needs to happen from the ground up in order to add the tech piece to the puzzle.

All is not lost

Though it might seem like the infrastructure and the state of the farmers in the country are stacked against digitizing, there is hope within reach. With a rising number of startups taking up the torch to lead tech innovations in the Agritech sector, India is not in any deficit when it comes to agriculture technology. Fasal has been making giant strides in empowering horticulturists through its AI-driven IoT system which has given them a shot at better quality yield while helping them cut down on input costs. The system is also designed to be easy to install and can function well in both small and large farmlands. Additionally, they are affordable and accessible, making them within the reach of most Indian farmers.

To learn more about Fasal and its efficacy, visit www.fasal.co