Fasal is a one-stop solution for horticulture farming
Full stack has become a buzzword lately and a staple descriptor for many businesses in their relevant industry. But the term has been used ad nauseam and in the process, lost the true essence of what it stands for.
The term, full stack in the context of a business model means a company that develops a technology that handles the entire value chain of the targeted activity for the end customer.
With the context being set, how does Fasal fall under the above category of a full-stack startup?
Fasal’s full-stack approach
Fasal’s inception was born out of the need to make agriculture profitable and sustainable while removing the guesswork for our farmers. Since a major portion of the country’s workforce is employed in the agricultural sector, it was essential that farming was optimized and fine-tuned to function at its best. Fasal sought out a holistic approach by filling the gaps within the farming cycle (both pre-harvest and post-harvest) by being an enabler through technology. The first step was to facilitate precision farming in the pre-harvest cycle through Fasal’s patented IoT system.
Pre-harvest cycle — Fasal IoT
The Fasal IoT system empowers farmers with farm-specific metrics during the plant growth cycle through data collection. The IoT system is portable, can be installed on any farm, and is onboarded with multiple sensors capable of monitoring farm-level macro and microclimatic conditions. The collected data is then processed through Fasal’s agronomic models, AI and ML modules and comes out as valuable advisories for the farmer to make operational decisions. The system is also capable of detecting disease and pest outbreaks and forewarning the farmer for applying preventive sprays and taking other measures. The Irrigation Alert System is also part of Fasal’s offering, allowing farmers to track their irrigation needs and use the right amount of water at the right time. Fasal also allows farmers to buy farm inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, etc. via the Fasal Connect platform based on the IoT’s real-time alerts to prevent crop damage. Additionally, farmers can also leverage credit and insurance facilities through our data-driven Fasal Finance platform.
With the Fasal IoT overseeing the growth cycle, Fasal farmers were able to cut down on pesticide usage by 15–30% thanks to preventive sprays, reduce water consumption by 30–50% aided by timely irrigation tracking and improve yield and quality by 15–30% brought by precision farming. With the pre-harvest cycle covered, Fasal takes it a step further in its full-stack approach with the next stage.
Post-harvest cycle — Fasal Fresh
Fasal Fresh is Fasal’s answer for streamlining the post-harvest stage which involves sales and procurement by connecting farmers with buyers and vice-versa. Currently, farmers are exploited by the involvement of various middlemen in the sales process at Mandis. Due to a lack of knowledge about marketing practices and government policies, farmers often sell below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) set by the government to these agents.
From the perspective of buyers, there’s a lot of stress involved in terms of finding a tender, multiple follow-ups, and a lot of micromanagement when it comes to procurement. The produce acquired through Mandis is also lacking in quality due to poor post-harvest management and dated farming techniques. Additionally, commission agents who buy produce at a lower rate from the farmers, sell the same at a higher markup to the buyers. From both the farmer’s and buyer’s points of view, the current market system is set up for failure on both counts.
Fasal Fresh is a completely new approach to the above system, where farmers and buyers can transact with one another directly with complete end-to-end traceability. The solution eliminates the need for intermediaries and establishes a fair marketplace for both parties involved. For the farmer, the benefits are timely payments, competitive pricing, and transparency in deals. The buyers, on the other hand, receive fresh produce with consistent quality and pricing.
With 60,000+ acres and 20+ crops covered presently, the Fasal Fresh network is growing to make farming truly seamless from the point the crops are grown and harvested, till it’s sold. In other words, a full-stack approach to horticulture.
